Chapter 108: Taking a Half Step Back

After Empress Lu asked this question, she looked closely at his expression.

Lu Wensheng put down the teacup slowly.

The long sleeves inlaid with cloud patterns covered the back of his hands, revealing his slender and delicate knuckles. The inch-wide white jade ring on his left thumb also set off his look beautifully.

"It's just a personal favor."

Lu Wensheng has a pleasant voice, which is clear, noble and elegant, and has a unique demeanor.

But it was this humble gentlemanly behavior that made Empress Lu upset.

Her brother's mind was always hard to figure out. So she asked again, "I heard from Xiaoqi that the shop was opened by a beautiful lady in Beijing. If you are interested in her, why not..."

Empress Lu did not finish her words.

She had inquired about the girl carefully. She was the daughter of a fourth-rank official. She was good-looking and kind. Although her family background was not good, if Wen Sheng liked her, she could be taken in as a concubine.

Lu Wensheng lowered his eyes, hummed slightly, paused for a moment and said, "No need, there's no need to delay her."

Empress Lu could never have imagined that her upright, well-mannered, and handsome younger brother would one day hear such self-torture words from his mouth.

She couldn't help but feel sad. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Lu Wensheng continue:

"Prince Jing has grown up and has great ambitions. As the in-laws of His Highness, the Duke of Fuguo has attracted much attention from the court. The current situation is unpredictable. Under such circumstances, it would be best if I do not get married. Otherwise, I will implicate someone and make them worry together."

When Empress Lu heard this, her face turned pale.

"Are you being weird?"

Lu Wensheng lowered his eyes and made no statement.

He often had such moments, when he was too quiet, as if the worldly affairs had nothing to do with him. But every word he said hurt his heart.

Queen Lu took a deep breath.

Xun'er has great ambitions in his heart, and as a mother, she can only support her son.

Could it be that she had to watch Xun'er kowtow to the taciturn Xiao Heng in the future?

The people they can rely on the most are the Fuguo Mansion and their uncle Lu Wensheng.

"It's all my fault. If he hadn't been born in the womb of the Queen, he wouldn't have had such delusions. Xun'er respects you the most. Yesterday, Your Majesty gave him a good inkstone. I knew you liked it, so I kept it for you."

Everyone has a stand.

For example, Xiaoqi, a five-year-old child, also has relationships of closeness and distance, and will repeatedly teach a lesson to the Zhu family boy whom he dislikes.

Prince Jing Xiao Xun is closely connected to the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion through blood ties, honor and disgrace, and survival and destruction.

Lu Wensheng's clear and moist face remained calm, but when he tilted his head occasionally, a hint of compassion flowed out of his eyes, "You always have to take care of your family first."

"Your Highness Prince Jing is decisive, but he is inevitably radical, leaving behind a beginning and an end. There is a young man in the Censorate named Pei Jian, who is experienced in handling affairs. He has quietly done several major things recently. Your Highness should pay more attention to him."

He has always been very careful in doing things.

Queen Lu kept his words in mind. She felt sorry for her brother being alone, so she couldn't help but bring up the past, "That Miss Wen..."

Lu Wensheng had already stood up, the corner of his robe swirling in the light of the hall, and he said, "She has her own leisurely place."

Queen Lu knew that her brother cared about Miss Wen.

But the crown prince was established early, and the situation is urgent. As Wen Sheng said, it will only become more difficult in the future. If Xun'er wants to succeed and take a step further, the more help he has, the better.

Her younger sister who died early was the daughter of the commander of the imperial guards, and her father was in charge of the guards in the imperial palace.

My brother's marriage has never been as simple as just mutual affection.

Thinking of this, Queen Lu couldn't help feeling sad and reluctant. This was the first time that Wen Sheng showed his yearning for a girl.

But soon, this reluctance was replaced by perseverance.

Sitting in their position, it is lonely at the top and some things have to be abandoned.

…

Pei Jian recently got inspiration from Zhou Yanli.

Doesn’t Zhou Yanli like to hang around Li?

Whenever he had nothing to do, he would go to see Wen's father to discuss calligraphy, painting, poetry and songs, under the pretext of seeking advice.

Father Wen has always loved these.

Although Pei Jian was not proficient in it, he had a lot of ideas in his mind and often praised Wen's father without showing it.

After a few times, Father Wen became somewhat overconfident. He even called Wen Qingheng over to show him his recent poems and paintings, asking, "Have you made great progress?"

But the son is better from another family, so Wen Qingheng just flipped through it and said directly, "I can't tell."

Wen Qingheng could hear what Pei Jian was planning from far away in his own yard. Was he really discussing academic matters with his father?

The real purpose is not to drink.

But his indifferent attitude greatly hurt the heart of a man of letters, so Father Wen glanced at him and said unceremoniously:

"If not, Shi Zhang and I would be the third and the first respectively, and you wouldn't even be able to squeeze into the first place of the second class."

Wen Qingheng: ...

Damn Pei Jian.

I have to say, compared to Nian Xi, Father Wen is much easier to please.

Within a few days, Wen Yuanqiao had already regarded Pei Jian as a close friend regardless of age difference. Not only that, he also took the initiative to invite Pei Jian to participate in their literary gatherings and parties.

Pei Jian naturally didn't want to go.

He came to Yiqiao Street with a clear purpose, which was for Nianxi. If he went out with Father Wen, it would deviate greatly from the main plot.

Just as he was about to reject Mr. Wen's kindness without leaving a trace, he suddenly remembered something, asked about the location of the gathering, and then agreed with a smile.

Nianxi has been busy with things in the shop recently.

It’s freezing cold, and “Fu Sheng Ban Jiu” has launched a special winter drink. She has been busy these past two days working on the flavors of the new product.

She is now gradually gaining more experience in the taste of drinks. By slightly improving the flavors, she can get a more wonderful taste, and she also finds pleasure in it.

The shop has regained its former prosperity.

The ladies and young ladies who came and went all had friendly smiles on their faces, as if the loneliness and alienation of the previous period were just a big dream. For the first time, Nianxi deeply realized what the majestic imperial power was.

This is what Pei Jian pursued, the power that gives life and brings death.

The day before yesterday, Nianxi received a letter from Gu Ci sent from afar, along with a box of fur goods and a shiny pony.

The letter said that Nianxi's birthday was coming up. When on the march, the itinerary was unpredictable, and sometimes a battle would last for several days and nights. He was afraid of missing it, so he prepared gifts early in the morning and sent them in advance.

This was the first letter she had ever received.

Gu's resignation should have been sent long ago, but her birthday has been half a month away. It was not until this moment that Nianxi intuitively felt the great distance between Gu's resignation and her.

The letter was very thick, containing food that he was not used to, strong liquor that he could not drink, and the vast scenery of the northern border.

He said that no one in the military camp cared about appearance, and he looked out of place among the rough guys. In order to fit in, he grew a full beard. He said that he was afraid that others would not recognize him.

He said he missed the drink "Half a Cup of Life"...

Nianxi read it carefully, and she could clearly feel that between the lines, Gu Ci became more stable. The carefree and sunny aura on his body gradually dissipated, and was replaced by a more resolute strength.

The only thing that remains unchanged is his gentle thoughtfulness.

In every word, he was like an old friend from afar, telling her about the changes in her life. He cared about her in the same way, but with more discretion and distance.

Before he could make a promise, he took a step back and handed the choice back to Nian Xi.

After reading a letter, Nian Xi couldn't help feeling melancholy.

Zhou Yanli was right beside her. He probably saw that she was in a bad mood, so he smiled and suggested, "Sister, the day after tomorrow is the winter solstice. There will be a lively party in South City, and there will be a practice shooting competition. How about we go and watch it?"

winter solstice?

Nian Xi suddenly remembered that many years ago, on the day of the winter solstice, her father had a conflict with someone while out, and after he came back, he took half a year to recover.

My mother was very frightened by this.

Nian Xi recalled carefully, did her father's accident happen when she was sixteen?