Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Lu Xusheng, why are you panicking?

Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Lu Xusheng, why are you panicking?

Has Cheng Yian ever met Wang Yunyi? No, she only heard about this person from the second wife and the servants. She was always compared to her in the past. It would be a lie to say that she didn't mind. But if she thought about it carefully, she and this Miss Wang actually had little connection. There was no need for her to be angry with Lu Xusheng because of this person.

She instructed Sister Ming, "She has just arrived, and as the head of the household, I should show some appreciation. Take a pair of the silk flowers that you saw in the palace a while ago and give them to Miss Cousin as a gift to the Lu family."

Some time ago, the Queen gave some silk flowers to the mansions of various nobles. Every girl and young wife in the mansion received one. Cheng Yian and her husband haven't used it yet. Wang Yunyi is the mansion's cousin, so it's just right to give it to her.

Sister-in-law Ming personally delivered the silk flowers to Mingxi Hall.

When I entered, I caught a glimpse of the Second Wife talking to the cousin. The girl was wearing a crabapple red dress with a thin double-breasted jacket over it and a rich pleated skirt underneath. She was wearing a headpiece inlaid with kingfisher feathers and gemstones. Her outfit was very bright and ostentatious, and she was sitting very straight. I couldn't see her face from the front, but from her profile I could tell she was a very charismatic girl.

Mrs. Ming brought the things and then left.

The second wife sent someone to bring the silk flowers to Wang Yunyi and said with a smile,

"It's your cousin's wife's kindness. You can wear it for fun."

The Fifth Lady Lu Shuzhi beside him also stared at the silk flowers and said, "I have a pair too. Mine is pink, and yours is peacock blue. I think this pair suits your temperament very well."

Wang Yunyi glanced at the pair of silk flowers without moving, picked up the teacup and drank tea, and asked the second wife, "Aunt, grandfather asked mother to hold a flower viewing banquet in two days to show that our Wang family has returned to the capital. Aunt must bring the women of the Lu family to show their support."

"It's natural."

When the second wife saw that Wang Yunyi had no interest in the pair of silk flowers, she knew that she had some feelings for Cheng Yian.

"You haven't met your cousin's wife yet, right? She's a beautiful lady, and she and your cousin are very much in love. They just had a baby recently, and the baby is so cute. You should go and see her later, and you'll definitely like her."

Wang Yunyi and Lu Xusheng were childhood sweethearts. In the past, their two families wanted to marry them, but later the two families had different opinions and Lu Chang rejected the idea. However, she always felt regretful until Cheng Yian got married. The regret has almost faded away. Now that she has a precious grandson, she has put the idea behind her.

The second wife's words have two meanings.

Firstly, Lu Xusheng and Cheng Yian were very good friends, which made Wang Yunyi give up. Secondly, it was also to remind Wang Yunyi that she had to pay her respects to Cheng Yian later.

Wang Yunyi understood what the Second Wife meant and silently sipped her tea.

"Then I congratulate my cousin on marrying a virtuous wife."

The second wife secretly looked at her niece. She had a pretty face and outstanding talent. It was a pity for such a girl to remain unmarried.

"How is your marriage going? Why not take this opportunity to finalize it while you are in Beijing? Do you want your aunt to help you choose a suitable match?"

Wang Yunyi forced a smile, "The fortune teller said that I shouldn't get married early, and my grandfather wants to keep me for two more years."

The second wife said anxiously, "If you stay for another two years, you will be 22 years old, and there will be no good husband for you to choose by then." At this point, the second wife sighed and held her forehead, saying, "It's my fault. I delayed you back then."

At that time, someone in Qingzhou proposed to Wang Yunyi, but unfortunately she wanted Wang Yunyi to marry Lu Xusheng at that time, so she blocked the marriage. In the end, the marriage fell through.

Wang Yunyi saw her aunt's guilty expression and stroked the back of her hand, saying, "Aunt, it's all in the past. Maybe my cousin and I are not destined to be together."

"Then you should quickly find a good family to marry into, so that I can feel better."

Wang Yunyi smiled gently and didn't respond.

Seeing that the two had stopped talking, Lu Shuzhi asked Wang Yunyi,

"Cousin, is my cousin here? I think he will be at the flower viewing party the day after tomorrow."

Wang Yunyi has a pair of twin brothers who were born only a cup of tea apart. When Lu Shuzhi lived in the Wang family, this cousin would take everyone horse riding and archery, and Lu Shuzhi liked him very much.

Wang Yunyi took a deep look at her cousin and laughed, "Shuzhi, my brother left later than us, I don't know if he can make it in time."

Lu Shuzhi looked disappointed and held onto her mother's clothes, "Mom, you said my cousin had already arrived in the capital, but he hasn't."

In the past year or so, many families have come to ask for Lu Shuzhi's hand in marriage. She is Lu Xusheng's biological sister and is very popular in the capital.

But the second wife had a plan. The Wang family had always wanted to form an alliance with the Lu family. Since Wang Yunyi could not marry Lu Xusheng, the second wife wanted to marry Lu Shuzhi to Wang Yunxiu.

Therefore, he had been waiting for the Wang family to come to Beijing so that he could discuss the marriage in person.

The second wife comforted her daughter, "Why rush? It will only take a few days." Then she told Wang Yunyi,

"I will go to your house tomorrow to help your mother."

I'll also mention it to my sister-in-law.

Wang Yunyi was silent for a while and agreed.

Now that she understood her aunt's intention, Wang Yunyi was unwilling to continue the idle talk and excused herself on the pretext that it was late.

"It's late today, and my mother is waiting for me to go back and check the guest list. I'll go say hello to my cousin's wife another day."

The second wife did not force her. She walked her to the courtyard hall and told her daughter to see her out. When she left, she asked Wang Yunyi to take the pair of silk flowers with her.

Wang Yunyi left first, and Lu Xusheng walked into the house after her. As usual, he went to the study to take a shower and change his clothes, and then came to Ningjitang after changing into casual clothes. Cheng Yian had never asked him to do this in the past, but now that they had a child, he was afraid that Lu Xusheng would be exhausted and disturb the child, so he asked him to take a shower before coming back.

Lu Xusheng entered the room and saw Cheng Yian sitting quietly beside the cradle. He asked softly,

"Not awake yet?"

Cheng Yian fanned his son from time to time and replied, "He was awake for an hour, and just drank enough and fell asleep again."

Little Jiusi was very eager to grow and would eat once every two hours. Cheng Yian found a

Two wet nurses.

Lu Xusheng took her fan and fanned the child. The man was strong, and the wind covered his face with a fan.

Cheng Yian hurriedly reminded, "Don't swing it so hard, it's freezing him."

Lu Xusheng could only slow down for a moment.

As Xiao Jiusi grows older, his eyebrows and eyes become more open, and he becomes more handsome.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of him. Lu Xusheng laughed to himself.

As I was laughing, I heard Cheng Yian suddenly say,

"Your cousin is here."

"What cousin..."

As soon as he reacted, Lu Xusheng's eyes slowly met Cheng Yian's. His expression gradually became deep and solemn, and in the end he even looked a little panicked.

"You came over today?"

Cheng Yian pointed towards the direction of the Second Madam's yard and said, "Maybe he is still in your mother's yard. My mother-in-law asked me to meet a guest just now, but I didn't go. Are you going?"

"I'm not going." Lu Xusheng shook his head like a wave drum, "Why should I see her?"

Seeing the nervous look on his face, Cheng Yi'an pursed his lips and smiled. He took the fan and fanned himself. He tilted his head and stared with pretty eyes, "Why are you panicking? I didn't say anything to you."

Lu Xusheng felt like he was facing a powerful enemy. "The look in your eyes is more frightening than if you said nothing."

Cheng Yian glared at him, "Aren't I smiling?"

"It's the laughter that's scary."

"So you mean to cry?"

"That's even more impossible."

If Cheng Yian really started crying, he should go to his father-in-law and apologize.

It was the first time that Cheng Yian saw Lu Xusheng so flustered, and he asked hurriedly, "After all, you were husband and wife for several years in your previous life. Are you really not going to see her?"

"I won't go." Lu Xusheng stood up and took a step back. "The relationship between her and me is not what you think..."

Before he finished speaking, Cheng Yian narrowed his eyes and looked at him, "Lu Xusheng, I see that you feel guilty. You have never felt guilty in your life. This is the first time, right?"

Lu Xusheng felt that he could not clear himself even if he jumped into the Yellow River. Compared with himself, he did not want Fan Yulin and Cheng Yian to have anything to do with each other anymore, so he was also wary of Wang Yunyi.

He rubbed his brow, feeling a headache,

"I swear, I will never see her, under any circumstances."

Cheng Yian calmed down and thought about it, then said, "I didn't stop you from seeing her. After all, it was a matter of a lifetime. If you meet her, just say hello. If you don't meet her, forget it. Don't do anything deliberately, lest she thinks you take her seriously. If she really comes to your house, just explain it to her."

Lu Xusheng married Wang Yunyi after divorcing her. At least on the surface, she did not see Wang Yunyi interfering in their affairs.

Lu Xusheng didn't know how to respond to her, so he kept silent. Compared to his reaction to Fan Yulin, he felt that Cheng Yian was too nonchalant.

After dinner, Lu Xusheng went to pay his respects to the Second Wife. As expected, the Second Wife mentioned that she wanted to marry Lu Shuzhi to Wang Yunxiu. Lu Xusheng refused without mercy.

"No way, mother, give up the idea."

Seeing her son's determination, the Second Wife became anxious, "Xu'er, I delayed your cousin's marriage. You know this well. Your maternal family has always wanted to marry into the Lu family, and Shuzhi likes Yunxiu. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

"There is no such thing as having the best of both worlds. The prince is already in bad shape, so why do you still want to get on board the Wang family?"

The second wife fell into the armchair, tears streaming down her face, "My child, after all, I am a member of the Wang family. I have to consider my family. Even if something happens to the Wang family, your sister's marriage can save the life of the Wang family's male heir."

There was no warmth in Lu Xusheng's eyes. "The Wang family's affairs are not as simple as you think. If you want to stick with the Wang family, don't sacrifice your sister's lifelong happiness."

The second wife was suddenly speechless.

When Lu Xusheng returned to Ningjitang, he found an invitation from the Wang family on his desk, inviting him and his wife to have a drink at the Wang family the day after tomorrow.

Cheng Yian pushed the invitation to Lu Xusheng, "I'm sorry, I can't go. Your cousin came to my house today and didn't greet me. The Wang family was rude first, and I can't give them this face."

"I'm not going either." Lu Xusheng handed the invitation to Ding Xiang and asked her to deal with it.

Cheng Yian worriedly asked, "Your grandfather personally sent an invitation to you. If you don't go, will someone accuse you of being disrespectful to your elders?"

Lu Xusheng said unhappily,

"Do I look like someone who's afraid of impeachment?"

Cheng Yian sneered, took out an embroidered handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Okay, then don't go."

The next day, when the court was in session, Old Lady Wang entered the palace as a guest official of the Ministry of Rites to pay respect to the emperor. When leaving the court, Old Lady Wang stepped over the threshold and saw Cheng Mingyu surrounded by officials. She bowed to him.

"It's been a while since we last met. Mingyu is still as charming as ever."

Cheng Mingyu also bowed to him, "Is your Majesty still in good health?"

"Just try your best. I heard that my grandson is Mingyu's son-in-law. He often opposes you in the court. You should consider that he is young and inexperienced, so don't bother with him."

Cheng Mingyu put his hands behind his back and smiled, "Shenzhi loves soldiers and takes risks when he is in power. I value stability, so there are some disputes, but it is all for the court, and it does no harm to the public."

Old Lady Wang stepped forward and motioned Cheng Mingyu to follow him down the hall. The two discussed a few court affairs. When they parted, Old Lady Wang invited him, "Mingyu, I will host a banquet at my house the day after tomorrow. I wonder if you would like to come and enjoy it?"

Cheng Mingyu said with regret,

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I haven't been to a banquet for many years, even to my in-laws' house. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Old Lady Wang also guessed that Cheng Mingyu could not be moved.

"Then let the eldest son of the mansion come and have a drink."

Cheng Mingyu rolled up his sleeves, his smile deepening, "I'm afraid he doesn't have time."

Old Lady Wang was a little unhappy. "Mingyu, I traveled with your father in the past. Your father even stayed in our Wang family for a few days. To be frank, if your father were still alive, you would be considered my junior. Why don't you even give me this little bit of face today?"

Cheng Mingyu smiled and said, "It's not that I don't give you face, it's just that the Wang family's family tradition is not as good as before, which makes me very disappointed."

Old Lady Wang's face darkened. Cheng Mingyu would not do evil to others for no reason. There must be a reason behind it.

After returning home, they immediately interrogated her and found out that the granddaughter did not visit Cheng Yian when she went to Lu Mansion. Cheng Yian was conferred the title of Princess and was the mistress of Lu Mansion. It was indeed rude of Wang Yunyi not to pay her a visit, but it was not a big deal.

Cheng Mingyu really protects his own people.

Wang Yunyi's father, the eldest patriarch of the Wang family, asked him, "What do you think we should do? Should we let Yun'er go to the Lu residence again?"

Old Lady Wang shook her head and said, "No need. Even if we go, the Cheng family won't come. They won't accept compensation afterwards. Let's just leave it at that."

Old Mrs. Wang would not let her granddaughter suffer for the sake of saving face.

However, Old Lady Wang had not returned to the capital for many years, so she did not have an accurate grasp of the capital's movements. The Cheng family and their in-laws had never shown up, and many officials in the capital heard the news and found excuses to decline to attend the banquet. As a result, not many people actually showed up at the Wang family's flower-viewing banquet.

Old Mrs. Wang looked at the deserted gate and pressed her brows heavily.

It is clear that the prince is in danger.

After the banquet, Mr. Wang helped his father back to the study. Thinking back to the second wife's description today, he said with some concern,

"My sister didn't look very well when she came home today."

Old Lady Wang knew it all. "She felt guilty when she saw Yun'er couldn't marry Xusheng, so she wanted to let Shuzhi marry Yunxiu instead. Unfortunately, Xusheng must have rejected her idea, so she was tormented."

Master Wang also wanted his son to marry Shuzhi. After all, he didn't think highly of the crown prince. If the crown prince lost power, the emperor might spare the Wang family for Lu Xusheng's sake with Shuzhi as his relative.

"Father, I think this marriage is a good one. We are like a cunning rabbit with three burrows."

When Old Lady Wang heard the words "a cunning rabbit has three burrows", she looked at her son carefully and realized that he was planning to back out, so she shook off her son's arm, walked into the study, and ignored him.

Mr. Wang was so embarrassed that he went back to his room and saw Mrs. Wang arranging flowers. He complained to her.

"Father is really something. He sacrificed the entire Wang family because of the Queen Mother. Look how smart Cheng Mingyu is. The whole family does not participate in party struggles. Even though his daughter married Lu Xusheng, he did not blindly follow the emperor's orders in the court. He did whatever mattered to the people. He truly took the country as his own responsibility. No wonder all the scholars in the world respect him."

"We, the Wang family, don't have to go through this trouble. Father was bewitched by the Queen Mother."

Mrs. Wang sneered at what she said, and inserted the last bunch of peonies. She looked at her husband coldly and said, "What do you call this? This is called always thinking about what you can't get. When my father failed to marry the Queen Mother, he was still brooding over it. As long as the Queen Mother gives him a little sweet thing, he is willing to go through fire and water for it."

Mrs. Wang complained, but she still had to find a way out for herself. "My idea is to let Shuzhi marry in, at least to save our branch."

Mr. Wang agreed very much and said, "You can take the two children with you tomorrow if you have time.

"You should go to Lu's mansion. Since my sister has this idea, it won't be difficult."

The next day, Mrs. Wang brought her daughter and son to visit the Lu family on the pretext of congratulating the Lu family on the birth of a grandson. They first visited the old lady and then went straight to Cheng Yian to deliver the visiting card.

Mrs. Wang came as an elder, so Cheng Yian had no reason to refuse her and ordered Sister Ming to bring the guest to the flower hall near the Chuihua Gate to entertain the guest.

Madam Wang and Wang Yunyi followed Mrs. Ming to the backyard, while Wang Yunxiu stayed in the front yard of the Lu Mansion. The two brothers Lu Jisheng and Lu Xisheng entertained him in the front hall.

The second wife recalled how glorious the Wang family of Langya was in the past, but now it has fallen to a deserted situation. She was extremely sad. She wanted to mediate between her family and Lu Xusheng, so she sent someone to the government office to inform Lu Xusheng early. Lu Xusheng went back home and stepped into the front hall, where he saw a gentle man in a white shirt sitting in the guest seat.

Wang Yunxiu is twenty years old this year. Probably because of his twins, he is thinner than the average man. He is not very tall, not much different from his twin sister, but his appearance is extremely outstanding, and he has a reputation in Qingzhou for being a talented and beautiful person.

When he saw Lu Xusheng coming in, he immediately stood up and bowed, "Hello, cousin."

However, Lu Xusheng strode forward, held his left arm very intimately, and said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for several years. My cousin is even more charming than before."

Lu Xusheng smiled deeply, and as the strength of his wrist increased, he looked fixedly into his eyes, not missing a single detail of his expression.

Wang Yunxiu felt a chill in his heart, but he endured the pain and said calmly, "Cousin, I am too humble to accept the award."