Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Style of the Border Army Commander

Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Style of the Border Army Commander

At the commander's command, dust flew up from the racecourse, and soon the sound of horses riding one after another was drowned in the thick dust.

The final round would decide the fate of the Red Hare, and the audience in the Golden Pavilion were all looking forward to it.

On the scene were the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites Kong Zhen, the youngest daughter of the Minister of Revenue Zheng Shanghe Zheng Ying, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zheng's Mansion Shi Feiyan, the girl of the Marquis Yao's Mansion Yao Yuzhuang, and the girl of the Marquis Chen's Mansion Chen Yitong.

The queen praised all of them, but a concubine beside her pointed at the pretty girl in the light yellow riding suit and said, "From my point of view, I still think Tongtong is the most stable. You see, she always grabs the ball without making a sound."

Chen Yitong is the empress's niece. The empress has no children, and the emperor has only one son, Prince Ning, so she has to be kept under wraps. Empress Chen selfishly wants her niece to marry Prince Ning to continue the glory of the Chen family.

But the emperor didn't think so. The empress dowager had deep roots in the court, and a large number of veterans from the late emperor's dynasty still stood by the prince. The Chen family already belonged to him, so why waste such a precious marriage opportunity. In his heart, the emperor was really optimistic about Cheng Yiqiao. , But Cheng Mingyu had no such plan, so the emperor retreated and chose Zheng Ying, the daughter of Zheng Shangshu.

Shangshu Zheng is Cheng Mingyu's elder brother-in-law and Cheng Yiyan's biological uncle. He is a very kind person and is extremely popular in the court. He has connections in various government offices and is a well-known peacemaker in the court. The only shortcoming is that, like the Cheng family, he does not participate in party struggles. Since the emperor could not shake Cheng Mingyu, he set his sights on the Zheng family. First, Lu Xusheng married Cheng Mingyu's youngest daughter, and then Prince Ning married the Zheng family's youngest daughter. He has almost brought the Cheng family, the largest family in the world, under his command. By then, he will not need to do anything, as all the officials in the world will see it, and someone will help him dethrone the prince and let Prince Ning succeed to the throne.

There is no doubt that the emperor took a liking to Zheng Ying.

The polo match was not actually important, but the emperor wanted the prize. Once Zheng Ying won the prize, her fate with Prince Ning would be sealed, and no one else would dare to marry Zheng Ying. Minister Zheng would definitely go with the flow and promise his daughter to the royal family.

As long as the Zheng family is willing, the Queen Mother cannot stop it.

Will the Queen Mother watch the Emperor succeed?

Of course not.

The Minister of Rites, Duke Yansheng, Kong Yunjie, is a die-hard supporter of the prince. He is deeply favored by the late emperor and believes that the prince is the legitimate heir. He is determined to help the prince ascend the throne, so his granddaughter Kong Zhen is the roadblock arranged by the empress dowager. She doesn't care about anyone else but Zheng Ying's way.

Shi Feiyan admires Prince Ning and is determined to win the championship. Yao Yuzhuang assists her, and Chen Yitong is also determined to show her abilities to Prince Ning's cousin. The competition is very intense.

The only ones who were free on the field were Lu Xusheng and Cheng Yian.

When the young masters saw Lu Xusheng coming on the field, they discussed strategies privately and decided to let the girls fight first while the five of them formed a unified defense line to deal with Lu Xusheng.

But everyone was busy here and there, but Lu Xusheng was nowhere to be seen. What about this couple?

Everyone couldn't help but raise their heads and look up.

I saw Lu Xusheng leading his wife to the front of the goal, holding his waist and teaching his wife how to shoot the ball in a serious manner.

Hey, you can't even dribble the ball well, don't bother shooting. Besides, is anyone so close?

It's only ten steps away and you can throw it in with your eyes closed. Is it worth the effort to teach you?

Besides, would they let Cheng Yian stand in front of the goal and shoot?

When the remaining ten of them were dead?

Lu Xusheng didn't take them seriously at all.

The young men of Wuling were silently depressed.

Lu Xusheng has shortened the distance from 20 steps to 10 steps, and taught Cheng Yian the key points of shooting posture. He sat on the horseback and said tiredly,

"Try again."

Cheng Yian aimed at the goal without any care, but missed the target once after ten attempts. She looked back at Lu Xusheng apologetically, her dark eyelashes blinking with shame.

Lu Xusheng gritted his teeth and said, "Fan Yulin is just so-so."

Seeing Cheng Yian's face darken, he quickly changed the topic, "Okay, let's reduce the distance from ten steps to five steps. If that doesn't work, you can just stand in front of the goal..."

Cheng Yian followed Zhudian's instructions and took a few more steps forward. The goal was very close, and it would be unacceptable if he couldn't score.

The first time he tried it was a little off target, but the second time he hit the target. Cheng Yian was getting more and more proficient at it, and when he was about to try the third time,

Lu Xusheng's voice came from behind.

"Get ready, the ball is coming..."

The ball under Cheng Yian's club at this moment was borrowed for practice and did not count. Upon hearing this, he immediately threw the ball out of the grass and prepared to catch it.

Lu Xusheng turned his horse slightly, holding the moon pole in his left hand and facing the crowd.

The girls in front are rushing the ball towards the goal.

Seeing Lu Xusheng's intention, the five young masters immediately rode forward and attacked Lu Xusheng in unison.

Five people?

What are five people?

He was in the Northern Qi camp

He had been fighting one against a hundred and had to dodge the enemy's hidden arrows. His strong muscles trained on the battlefield had a natural sensitivity. He glanced at the enemy's deployment and suddenly swept forward with the Moon Pole like a whirlwind, accurately predicting the direction of the horses' hooves. With a few thumps, the Moon Pole hit the ground in front of the enemy's formation like a skipping stone on water. The horses were blocked and turned around to escape. The crowd dispersed, and there was still a man who made a feint to the east and attacked in the west, intending to pass him and make way for the girls.

No problem, he immediately grabbed the horse's belly and leaped vertically, with the pole directly hitting the opponent's horse's belly, forcing the young man to retreat three steps. Lu Xusheng had also preset the direction of his retreat.

His retreat just happened to disperse the girls who were following him and planning to score a goal.

The polo ball fell to the east, and Lu Xusheng raised his pole again, intercepting the polo ball in mid-air, and then quickly rushed towards Cheng Yian.

This set of movements is smooth and flowing, extremely elegant.

Cheng Yian caught the ball with great difficulty, but because he had no experience in scoring goals, he panicked and failed.

"It's okay, come again!"

Lu Xusheng didn't expect her to succeed in one try. After all, how could Fan Yulin, with his limited ability, possibly teach a good student?

The gentlemen were extremely annoyed when they saw that Lu Xusheng had repelled them without even moving his legs or bending his body.

"Lu Xusheng, you are bullying me."

Lu Xusheng was helpless, as Cheng Yiyan was watching him closely. If he didn't let Cheng Yian score a goal today, the game would be ruined. But he also couldn't spoil the fun of the girls and young masters, so he simply closed his eyes.

"I'll give you my eyes too, okay?"

The opponent had only his left hand left, and he could not fight back because he was not as skilled as the opponent. The young masters did not know whether to laugh or cry.

The second ball begins.

The girls dribbled the ball first, and the Wuling boys simply surrounded Lu Xusheng. If you have the means, break through the human wall and grab the ball.

Lu Xusheng was really speechless. These idiots had to be brought to his presence.

If he opens his eyes, he will be disturbed occasionally. But if he closes his eyes and listens to the wind to determine the position, his moon rod will be more sensitive.

Lu Xusheng dealt with the five people beside him as easily as a dragonfly skimming the water, then listened to the direction in which the polo was moving and rode over.

The one chasing the polo ball was Yao Yuzhuang. Seeing the tall man appear in front of her without warning, she was frightened and dropped the polo ball.

Lu Xusheng easily passed the ball to Cheng Yian.

Didn’t win again?

Before Lu Xusheng could say anything, Cheng Yiyan encouraged his sister outside the venue.

"I've touched the goal, I'll score next time."

Cheng Yian's frustrated mood was soothed instantly, and he gritted his teeth and prepared for the next game.

For the third goal, the young masters learned their lesson this time. They spread out in a five-point formation, forming a long snake in front of Lu Xusheng. This time you can't catch them all in one fell swoop. By the time he breaks through them one by one, the girls over there have already scored a goal.

The plan was perfect.

But is Lu Xusheng a person who follows orders from others?

The highest art of command is to command the enemy.

He turned his horse around and easily snatched the ball from the girls. He then moved left and right, east and west, leading everyone farther and farther away from the goal until they reached the position that Lu Xusheng had calculated. He then threw the polo ball back and it landed steadily at Cheng Yian's feet.

Really, not a single centimeter off, the ball seemed to have eyes, following the direction of Cheng Yian's pole and sticking to him on its own.

Even though the girls were still disturbing her from time to time just now, now everyone is within an arrow's reach of her, so she will be able to score a goal, right?

Cheng Yian lived up to everyone's expectations and managed to get the ball into the goal with great difficulty.

Thunderous cheers erupted from the pavilion.

Of course, apart from Cheng Yiqiao and the princess, the rest of the people cheered for Lu Xusheng.

Although this was just an insignificant polo match, it allowed them to appreciate the charm of this frontier army commander. He could make everyone present laugh with just a flick of his fingers. He was a master of all the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

The backbone of Dajin, his reputation is well-deserved.

But he himself didn't care at all and stared at his wife intently, as if his wife's goal was much more important than any prize or inheritance.

Although Cheng Yian's stumbling and scoring the goal was unbearable to watch, Lu Xusheng couldn't hit her and gave her a thumbs up out of respect.

"Good, let's keep going."

Cheng Yian finally scored a goal and was in a good mood. The girl stood in the scorching midday sun and grinned at him. Her bright eyes made the rustling cold wind seem gentle.

Lu Xusheng looked at her from afar and suddenly thought that it was quite nice to pamper a woman.

Cheng Yian played better and better and scored three goals in a row.

During the halftime break, the young masters gathered together and decided to find a way to break the deadlock.

They couldn't just let Lu Xusheng go on rampant. After all, Shi Feiyue was a son of a general, so he formulated a series of countermeasures. However, when they went on the field again, they couldn't find Lu Xusheng.

What was Lu Xusheng doing?

He is playing a coaching match.

Is Fan Yulin's kung fu worthy of Cheng Yian?

Now that my wife has had enough of scoring goals, it's time to teach her real polo skills. The best way to train a new recruit is to throw her into actual combat on the battlefield.

So Cheng Yian started playing polo seriously with the girls.

As for Lu Xusheng, he threw away his pole, clasped his hands across his chest, sat upright on horseback, and followed Cheng Yian to teach her how to dribble, hook, and steal the ball.

"The arm drives the elbow to exert force, and the elbow drives the wrist. That's right, just like that, dribble the ball out!"

Cheng Yian is not stupid. Practice makes perfect and he gradually found the feel for it.

The girls were so upset that they wanted to cry, could it be that they were all sparring partners?

Of course, Lu Xusheng did not just come to accompany his wife to have fun. He instructed Cheng Yian to harass Kong Zhen from time to time. He saw through the strategy of Shi Feiyan and others at a glance and successfully sent Zheng Ying to the throne of the leader.

How could he not understand the emperor's thoughts?

As a minister, you must learn to understand the intentions of your superiors.

The emperor smiled unmoved when he saw the result.

"Good, very good, this game is very exciting."

Afterwards, Zheng Ying came to Cheng Yian, leading the fiery red horse, smiling a little shyly.

"Thank you very much. If you and your wife hadn't given it to me, I wouldn't have gotten this Red Hare today."

Who knew that the youngest daughter of the Minister of Revenue was actually a horse fanatic who loved collecting all kinds of famous horses. Her stable was already full of horses of all kinds, except for a red rabbit.

Cheng Yian waved his hands generously, "You played very well, you could even hit the inverted golden hook. If it weren't for my husband messing up the game, you would have won today."

In her previous life, Shi Feiyan used cruel means to have Zheng Ying beaten and forced to death. In this life, with Lu Xusheng joining her, Shi Feiyan focused all her efforts on dealing with the couple and had no time to bully other girls.

Zheng Ying smiled and said, "Then let's make an appointment tomorrow. I'll show you my stable and we can play ball together."

Cheng Yian said hello.

The Queen Mother was no pushover either. She glanced at the scene calmly before leaving.

"In my opinion, if Lu Xusheng hadn't played, the best player today would have been the girl from the Chen family. Your Majesty, I think this polo match doesn't count. It would be better to hold a banquet another day, invite the girls to the palace to perform, and then choose a more suitable candidate for Prince Ning."

He successfully stabbed the Empress' heart and alienated the Emperor and Empress.

The emperor was filled with hatred, but his face remained calm.

"What the Queen Mother said is true. These children are all excellent, and I really like them all. However, as a parent, sometimes we cannot act arbitrarily, and we have to ask the children for their opinions. If the children like them and the two of us are destined to be together, I can only support them."

Prince Ning is not stupid. For the sake of the great cause, Zheng Ying is undoubtedly the best choice.

The Queen Mother pulled the corner of her lips, looked deeply at the Queen, then turned and left.

Cheng Yian was very tired today, so he leaned against the wall of the carriage and took a nap.

This time Lu Xusheng learned his lesson. He slowly picked her up and held her in his arms so that she could sleep more comfortably.

When she woke up, it was already late afternoon. She forced herself to get up, showered, and changed her clothes. When she came out, she asked Rulan,

"Where's the Second Master?"

Rulan wanted to laugh when she thought of the way Cheng Yian was carried into the room by Lu Xusheng in the afternoon when he was half asleep. She pursed her lips and said,

"The Second Master sent you back and then went to the palace."

Cheng Yian glanced at the maid's red face, and then connected this sentence to know how he came back. He suddenly felt a little embarrassed and asked softly,

"No one saw it?"

Rulan suppressed her laughter and said, "Of course no one saw us. The servants kept their heads down along the way."

That means you have seen it all.

Cheng Yian's face fell.

Forget it, forget it. After all, she is not the boss now. There is no need for her to show off her authority. Just call it a joke.

"It's just..." Rulan said awkwardly, "The second wife didn't look very happy when she came back."

This was what Cheng Yian had expected.

Wang Yunxiang was thrown away by the eldest princess's men in public, which not only prevented Wang Yunxiang from playing polo, but also brought shame to the Wang family.

Sure enough, a moment later, a maid came and said that the second wife had ordered,

"Let Second Madam rest and go to Mingxi Hall."

Cheng Yian had no choice but to dress up, change into a goose-yellow casual jacket and put on a silver cape, then go to Mingxi Hall with her maid.

When I went in, Third Grandma Bai and Fifth Miss Lu Shuzhi were both there.

Lu Shuzhi recalls today

Cheng Yian found the silly look of playing polo very interesting and winked at her playfully.

Cheng Yian glanced at the Second Madam's expression and was not in a position to respond. She stepped forward and saluted the Second Madam. Lu Shuzhi and Bai also stood up to greet her. The Second Madam waved her hand to signal Cheng Yian to sit below her and asked,

"What happened today? Did you instigate the princess to teach Yunxiang a lesson? Yunxiang is still lying on the couch and can't move."

Cheng Yian had no expression on her face when she heard this. The princess was standing up for her, so there was no difference between the princess's actions and hers.

"It is true that Miss Wang was beaten today, but she was the first to speak inappropriately."

"What did she say?"

Cheng Yian said bluntly, "She said I shouldn't marry the Second Master. The only person in the world who is worthy of the Second Master is her cousin Miss Wang."

The second wife choked immediately.

It was really inappropriate to say such things in front of Cheng Yian.

Cheng Yian said, "It's not that I want to rely on the Lu family. If Madam can convince Second Master to give me a divorce letter, I can leave immediately."

The second wife choked again, feeling aggrieved that she had been scolded by Cheng Yian but ended up being defeated.

But right now, Cheng Yian really has the confidence to say this.

Then Cheng Yian said,

"Besides, my wedding dowry has not yet been unpacked and put into storage, so it will be easy for me to leave."

The Second Wife's face turned red now. So, she had already thought about divorce before her life story was revealed on the wedding night?

"Alright, don't mention these nonsense. This is a marriage granted by His Majesty. It is not up to you or me."

The second wife still wanted to save face for the Wang family, so she told her as a mother-in-law,

"Yun'er was wronged by you after all. You can send some compensation gifts to her, which will make everyone look good."

Cheng Yian stood up with a calm expression, "Please forgive me, Madam, I can't do it..."

Seeing that the situation had reached an impasse and her mother-in-law's face was getting more and more unhappy, Bai immediately stepped out to smooth things over.

"I think mother has misunderstood. Today's incident has nothing to do with my second sister-in-law. It was the eldest princess who openly occupied the Lu family's golden pavilion and attacked my cousin Xiang'er without any expectation. Not to mention me, even my second sister-in-law was caught off guard."

The Second Wife had a sullen face and said nothing. She was in a bad mood today. The Empress Dowager summoned her into Cining Palace and scolded her severely, implying that she was incompetent and failed to control Lu Xusheng and Cheng Yian, allowing Lu Xusheng to openly turn to the Emperor and oppose the Prince's party everywhere.

The Second Wife also had a hard time. On the one hand, her maternal family, the Wang family, wholeheartedly supported the Queen Mother, and on the other hand, her own son was loyal and devoted and only followed the Emperor's orders. Poor Wife, she was caught in the middle.

She was upset in the palace and now she comes back to vent her anger on Cheng Yian.

Unfortunately, Cheng Yian is no longer the same as she was before. She is the youngest daughter of the head of the Cheng family. On the way to Shanglin Garden today, she met Cheng Yiyan’s wife, Lu. Lu told her, “My daughter is a little too darling. I hope you will bear with her.”

What does this mean?

She is not allowed to bully Cheng Yian.

Lu had always been the mouthpiece of the Beifu ancestors, so these words were equivalent to the Beifu old lady criticizing her.

Forget it. I can't show off. I still have to give a few words of advice.

The Second Wife said to Cheng Yian,

"You are Xu'er's wife now. It is said that a wife teaches her husband by her bedside. You should also keep an eye on Xusheng's behavior outside. Your Cheng family has never participated in party struggles. You should also advise Xusheng not to get involved. He does nothing. With his merits, no matter who becomes emperor, our Lu family will share in its glory and wealth. Why bother getting involved?"

Cheng Yian smiled and replied, "Mother, they say that one should obey one's father at home and one's husband after marriage. I have just married into the family, how can I be the master of the Second Master? You are his mother, and you can't control him, let alone me?"

How could the Second Madam not know that this was because she was being forced into a corner by the Empress Dowager and was desperate and was trying every possible means to save her?

Cheng Yian advised her again,

"My daughter-in-law thinks that you don't need to worry about this. Outside, it's all men's business. Whether it's the east wind that overwhelms the west wind or the west wind that overwhelms the east wind, it won't hinder you. Instead of focusing on things that you can't control, you might as well take care of the house. You are the wife of a duke, and you should be the one making the decisions in this family."

Cheng Yian said this for a purpose.

Who says a daughter-in-law can only listen to her mother-in-law's orders? She must also learn to guide upward, such as teaching her husband or her mother-in-law. She and the second wife have their strengths. They can't always be at odds with each other. Sometimes people have to learn to divert trouble away.

Sure enough, these words touched the Second Lady's heart.

That's not what she thought.

The Queen Mother won, as she was a daughter of a royal family, she could not do without her wealth and splendor.

The emperor won. With Lu Xusheng as his son, she was still the most prestigious lady of the dynasty.

Why did she mix it in?

Cheng Yian actually has such vision?

This did surprise the Second Madam.

"You are right. So do you have any way to get the reward back now?"

Cheng Yian pretended to be stupid at this time, showing a naive face, "My daughter-in-law is young and inexperienced. She is not familiar with the house and has no idea where to start. Besides..." She blushed, "Besides, the second master repeatedly told his daughter-in-law that she is not allowed to interfere in the outside world and only needs to give birth to a child for him, and he will be satisfied."

This is exactly what Lu Xusheng meant.

The second wife had nothing to say.

Then hurry back and have the baby.

The Second Madam let Cheng Yian go back to her room.

Cheng Yian asked the attendant and learned that Lu Xusheng did not have time to return home for dinner, so he ate in his own yard. He seemed not to have slept enough, and went to bed early after digesting the food. He was woken up by that man in the middle of the night.

He was patient in dealing with her, like a seasoned hunter slowly luring his prey into the trap. After Cheng Yian came to his senses, he looked at the man who was looking down at him, as unshakable as a mountain. He was so angry that he pushed him.

"Why are you touching me? Aren't you just trying to show off your anger?"

Lu Xusheng laughed, grabbed her flailing arms, and pressed them against her face. "What about you? You keep talking about Fan Yulin. Why is it so hard to forget you?"

When he was just reborn, he occasionally asked about her life in Yizhou. He heard the name Fan Yulin every day. He didn't think much of it at that time, but now, gradually, he can't stand hearing those three words. Unconsciously, his possessiveness towards her is growing stronger. He had long forgotten about his cousin. Even in her dreams, she calls out Fan Yulin's name.

Wouldn't that make him angry?

Cheng Yian then realized that he was just jealous. No wonder he was so stubborn some time ago.

She sneered, "I just mentioned it today, but you still insisted on throwing it at me. Who can you blame? When did I ever mention him?"

"Why not?" Lu Xusheng said aggrievedly, "You were sick a few days ago, and I served you tea and water. But you were fine, and you kept calling his name in your dreams."

Cheng Yian was stunned, and the man took advantage of this moment to rush in, causing Cheng Yian to hit him with a red face.

Lu Xusheng succeeded, but he had to let her beat him.

Cheng Yian tried to recall the scene of that day, his voice intermittent, "I dreamed that he was locked in a dungeon. I went to find him to ask for a divorce letter, but he grabbed my clothes and wouldn't let go. That's why I started to yell at him... But it's true that I can't forget him. I'll only feel better if I think about him to death!"

After he finished speaking, Lu Xusheng didn't say anything for a long time. He reached up and grabbed his strong arm. He didn't feel it until he touched it. He realized that the man's skin was as hard as iron, invulnerable to swords and guns, and immune to all kinds of poisons. He made people feel at ease.

"Why don't you speak?"

Her voice was exceptionally soft in the night, like the moonlight shining in, or like the wisp of green smoke hovering on the eaves.

The hot breath burned her heart, and the man replied vaguely, "Do I have time to talk?"

Cheng Yian quickly understood what he meant and was too shy to say a word.

As if she wanted to torture her to death, her arms and limbs trembled as she wrapped them around his neck, arms, and back. Wherever her fingertips touched, there were scars. Her mind couldn't help but recall how high-spirited he was at the racecourse during the day. He didn't like to laugh, but the hint of weariness on his brows had a unique charm, as if he was a spectator in the world of games and had never truly integrated into this luxurious world.

Cheng Yian suddenly wondered, in their two lives together, how could she have ever peeked into this man's heart? Did he ever frown? Did he ever get hurt? What on earth did he go through in Silver Mountain? He never spoke, not even to his wife.

Afterwards, Cheng Yian stroked his chest and confirmed that it was hard.

A sound of greed.

Cheng Yian rested for five full days before she finally recovered. No wonder she was so spoiled. She hadn't ridden a horse for a long time yesterday and her legs were rubbed red. Her elbows were also sore. Lu Xusheng tortured her for more than an hour at night and her limbs almost felt like they belonged to her.

On the sixth day, which was October 15, the Empress Dowager summoned the officials and their wives to the palace to serve the emperor. This day is also called the "Xia Yuan Day". On this day, the people would hold a ceremony to commemorate the deceased. Every year, the Empress Dowager would pray for the deceased emperor in the Fengxian Hall on this day and order

He ordered the female members of the family to make some snacks and tie some flowers and go to Taiye Lake to worship the Water God, dispel evil and pray for good weather in the coming year.

On this day, not only does the palace hold worship ceremonies, but each government office also has to prepare to hang sky lanterns and fast to worship the gods.

The women who were in charge of the family stayed at home to take care of the housework, while the idle young ladies or girls in the house were allowed to enter the palace to attend the sacrifice.

The idle man in Duke Lu’s Mansion is Cheng Yian.

He washed up early in the morning, changed into simple clothes, went to the kitchen for a walk, and finally got on the car to the palace with the food box.

The maidservant could not go with her, so Lu Xusheng personally escorted her to Donghua Gate.

When we parted, he was still worried. "I have to go out of the city today and won't be back for a while. If you have any problems, send someone to inform your father."

Cheng Yian glared at him, "What can happen to me? Are you afraid that someone will eat me?"

He took the food box from his hand and walked toward the corridor with confidence.

From a distance, he saw a eunuch waiting inside the door, and he was very attentive to taking the food box for Cheng Yian. Lu Xusheng thought that he did not ask any eunuch to take care of Cheng Yian, so was this done by his father-in-law?

My father-in-law's care is really silent.

Lu Xusheng left with peace of mind.

At the beginning of the Si hour, the female members of the family were waiting in the skirt room outside the Fengxian Hall. After the Empress Dowager, the Crown Prince and the officials from the Ministry of Rites came out of the Fengtian Hall, they met the etiquette and then went with the Crown Princess to the Taiye Lake to pray for blessings.

The women entering the palace today were either rich or noble, and Cheng Yian met several familiar faces here.

The first two people were naturally the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, Shi Feiyan, and her cousin Yao Yuzhuang.

It was obvious that the two sides had become enemies because of the polo match, and they kept glaring at Cheng Yian, but Cheng Yian turned a blind eye.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Ying immediately came to Cheng Yian's side and pulled her behind the crowd to go to Taiye Lake.

"This morning when I entered the palace, I met my cousin Yi Yan." Zheng Ying's father is Cheng Yi Yan's uncle, and she and Cheng Yi Yan are first cousins. "My cousin Yi Yan asked me to take care of you."

Cheng Yian was immediately embarrassed, "Second brother is really something, he treats me like a child."

She is already a married woman, while Zheng Ying is still an unmarried girl. Shouldn't she take care of Zheng Ying?

But Zheng Ying is also older than Cheng Yian, so she smiled and said, "It's inevitable that I will love my new sister more."

Soon, more than 20 female relatives accompanied the Crown Princess to Lingyun Terrace of Taiye Lake. Palace servants had already set up a long table there. The girls placed snacks on the table one by one and followed the Crown Princess's instructions to kneel and pay respect.

The sky was getting overcast and the wind was chilly by the lake, making the girls shiver. The Crown Princess did not dare to delay for fear of freezing these precious ladies, so as soon as the ceremony was over, she ordered the palace maids to take the girls to the Guanghan Palace on Qionghua Island to rest.

Although Guanghan Palace is named Guanghan, it is actually very warm. There are ground dragons burning inside the huge palace, and twelve eight-sided goat-horn palace lanterns are hung above. Colorful tassels sway slowly under the lanterns, illuminating the entire palace with golden and magnificent splendor.

As usual, everyone had to eat the gift banquet before going back today. The Crown Princess is still busy with the aftermath of the ceremony at Lingyun Terrace, so the female family members should wait here first.

Snacks and fruits were laid out on the table. Cheng Yian and Zheng Ying sat at the easternmost side, drinking goat's milk to warm their stomachs.

Zheng Ying and Cheng Yian talked about their cousin Cheng Yixin. Cheng Yiyan and Cheng Yixin were born to Cheng Mingyu's first wife Zheng. Cheng Yixin married into the residence of He Hou, the Minister of Dali Temple. Last year, Mrs. He passed away, and the whole family returned to their hometown to observe the mourning period. They will not be able to return to Beijing until next spring.

"My cousin is lucky. She married her childhood sweetheart, brother-in-law. The couple is very loving and has a lovely daughter. Now all they need is a son. It's a pity that the Marquis's absence has delayed them for another year..."

In Cheng Yian's impression, this elder sister is generous and capable. People often praise her for having the demeanor of the old lady. Before she got married, Cheng Yian was still young and they didn't meet often. After she got married, there was no chance at all. It has been several years since he last saw Cheng Yixin.

The two were chatting about family matters when suddenly a man passed by Cheng Yian and fell without warning. The man crawled on the ground, twisted his body and cried to Cheng Yian,

"Cheng Yian, why did you kick me for no reason?"

Her voice was very loud and tearful, which quickly attracted everyone's attention.

Cheng Yian was confused at first, but when he saw Yao Yuzhuang's tearful eyes with a hint of pride in them, he suddenly understood.

"I didn't stretch my legs, so don't make trouble for no reason."

Yao Yuzhen hid her tears and said, "How could there be no such thing? Could it be that I fell on myself? I think you are holding a grudge against me because I accidentally said something to you that day."

"Cheng Yian, you are from a rich family, why are you so narrow-minded? Last time I let you win, but you were not satisfied. Today you have to make up for it. Do you think you can do whatever you want in the palace just because you have a husband who is in a high position and has great power?"

This is a serious crime.

Zheng Ying was so angry that she stood up.

"You are talking nonsense. Yi An and I were sitting there without moving. I didn't even see you. How could I stop you? Don't accuse Lai An An."

Yao Yuzhuang quickly retorted, "Ms. Zheng, a great lady, can lie with her eyes open. You two are together, so you should help her."

Zheng Ying was choking to death.

Cheng Yian also stood up and looked at her with disdain.

"What evidence do you have that it was me?"

"Then what makes you say it wasn't you? Anyway, it's a fact that I fell, and everyone saw it." She spread out the bracelet and looked around.

Cheng Yian followed her line of sight and glanced around the hall. Except for Shi Feiyan and Kong Zhen, most of the others were unwilling to join in and turned their faces away.

Shi Feiyan, with her arms around her chest, leaned against the pillar and said,

"It really looked to me like An An stretched her legs."

Zheng Ying said angrily, "Aren't you guys in the same group? Of course you will help her!"

No one was willing to give in, and the situation was deadlocked.

Cheng Yian ignored her and continued to sit and drink tea.

When Yao Yuzhen saw that she had failed to accuse Cheng Yian, she deliberately threw herself at Cheng Yian.

"If you dare to attack me, I will fight you!"

She raised her claws and tried to grab Cheng Yian's hair, but luckily Cheng Yian was quick-witted and dodged quickly. Shi Feiyan and Kong Zhen said they didn't want to fight anymore, but took advantage of the fight to push her around.

Zheng Ying also joined the battle.

Cheng Yian was forced to the foot of the table. He grabbed a handful of melon seeds and threw them at the three people's faces. When Yao Yuzhuang turned her head to dodge, he grabbed her hair and pushed her backwards. The three people fell backwards one after another like dominoes.

Kong Zhen was pressed at the bottom, and Shi Feiyan hit her chest hard. Shi Feiyan hit her elbow on the table leg and cried out in pain. Yao Yuzhuang's hair was in disarray and she looked terrible. She was so angry that she started to curse.

"I see you married a butcher, and you learned some crude kung fu yourself, and you can beat three of us by yourself."

Cheng Yian didn't expect that he would be so strong today, and he actually won?

nice.

She could tolerate others framing her, but she could not tolerate others insulting Lu Xusheng. She narrowed her eyes a little, "Who are you talking about, the executioner?"

"Who else could it be, your Lu Xusheng?" Yao Yuzhen didn't care that she was disheveled and looked extremely arrogant, thinking that she had touched Cheng Yian's sore spot.

"He is a murderer. He survived by eating human blood. He crawled out of a pile of dead bodies. Wouldn't you be scared to live with a man like this..."

Before she could finish her words, a slap hit her on the face.

After all, the action has already been taken, so I might as well vent my anger.

Cheng Yian had never been so angry before, with a livid look on his forehead. He glared at her and said word by word,

"Yao Yuzhen, today is October 15th, the Lower Yuan Festival. We should worship the dead. Do you know which souls the Empress Dowager is worshipping? I tell you, she is worshipping the soldiers who died following the late emperor. They are 300,000 living lives. They are the fathers of children, the sons of mothers, the husbands of women, and the brothers of sisters."

"You can insult me, but I won't allow you to insult Lu Xusheng. It was he and his brothers who used their flesh and blood to plug the gap in the border town, giving you the opportunity to brag here and indulge in pleasure while wearing all kinds of silk and satin!"

Zheng Ying was moved by what she said, and her eyes were red for a moment. It was hard to imagine that such a delicate girl could have such an imposing aura, so she straightened her back as she did.

When the Crown Princess came in, she heard such enlightening words and looked at Cheng Yian with a complicated expression.

The Crown Princess was born in the Duke of Qin's Mansion. Her grandfather, father, and brother were all soldiers who fought on the battlefield. Of the 34 men in the Duke of Qin's Mansion, half died on the battlefield, and the survivors were missing limbs and ended their lives in disarray. No one understood the weight of these words better than her.

But in the end, a fight took place in the Imperial Palace, which was a violation of palace discipline. The Crown Princess was very troubled after asking about the whole process, and as the wives of important officials were involved, the Crown Princess did not dare to take charge on her own, so she first settled the people here and went to report to the Emperor in person.

As soon as the Crown Princess left, Shi Feiyan secretly stuffed silver into the palace maids' pockets and asked them to secretly complain to her father, asking him to make the decision for her.

Seeing them busy trying to find their own way, Zheng Ying was worried about Cheng Yian.

"An An, we have to find a way. We can't let those evil people file a complaint first."

Cheng Yian didn't say anything. She was hungry, and she wanted to fill her stomach first, even if the sky fell.

The palace maid had brought lunch, and Cheng Yian ate in silence. He knew that something bad had happened today, and he was afraid that

To end.

She has no regrets.

Go before His Majesty, she will have her say.

People cannot empathize with each other. Cheng Yian felt sad when he thought about the suffering Lu Xusheng had endured, which had become a weapon for others to attack him.

She feels sorry for her man.

Forget it, just go for it and accept the consequences.

*

The noon bell rang. Cheng Mingyu finished his last piece of paperwork, put down his brush, and looked up at the sky. It was windy today, and the Taiye Lake was very cold and damp. He wondered if the apples were frozen.

As soon as I thought of this, the door of the duty room was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a thin figure came in. It looked like he had run, and he was breathing heavily when he spoke.

"Master, please come to the palace quickly. Your concubine is causing trouble in the palace!"

Cheng Mingyu was obviously stunned, and quickly stood up and took off the Liang Guan. As he walked out, he asked him,

"Tell me the whole story."

The officer told him what he had learned, and said worriedly,

"When I came out of Fengtian Palace, I ran into General Shi and Lord Yao going to Fengtian Palace. Seeing their angry expressions, I thought they were going to complain to His Majesty."

Cheng Mingyu didn't care about this, he just turned his head and asked him,

"What do you think, eunuch? My daughter is injured. Does your hand hurt?"

The official was stunned for a moment, thinking that the point you are focusing on is a bit off-topic, "It seems that you have never mentioned it."

Cheng Mingyu felt slightly relieved, then he straightened his Liang Guan, lifted his robe and stepped onto the Danxiang Tree in front of the Fengtian Hall.