Chapter 60 Chapter 60 "What should I do? My father seems to have misunderstood..."
"Why are you still outside?"
The moonlight was as bright as a silver thread, and the sound of hurried horse hooves tore through the quiet night.
The reins were tightened, and a dark black warhorse stopped in front of the gate of Duke Jingguo's Mansion. The white mist from the horse's nose had not yet dissipated when a tall figure jumped down from the horse's back.
Xie Huaiqian stepped forward, whip in hand. Having galloped all night outside Chang'an, his temples were frosted. He glared disapprovingly at his son, who didn't understand romance: "Zhiyan, you're not cold, but Puzhu isn't either?"
He took big steps, and his cloak fluttered, revealing the round-necked jujube-brown robe underneath. He looked very tall and domineering.
"Father."
Xie Zhiyan came back to his senses from his astonishment. He loosened his hand that was loosely resting on Sheng Puju's waist, and when he saluted, he happened to block half of her body.
Sheng Puzhu's cheeks were a little red, but it didn't seem to be caused by the wind.
"Yeah." Xie Huaiqian responded briefly.
He raised his hand and patted his son's strong shoulder, suddenly chuckling, his voice full of teasing.
“Tsk…”
"What kind of man would be out there trying to please a girl in front of his house in the middle of the night? How foolish!"
After saying this, he didn't wait for the two to react. He patted the snow off his body and strode into the mansion.
"What should I do? Father seems to have misunderstood."
"Will this make me look inappropriate?"
Sheng Puzhu raised his head awkwardly, rubbed his hands, and pressed them on his burning cheeks.
The Duke's half-smile just now clearly made her think that the couple was being intimate in front of the Marquis's mansion. She was so embarrassed that even a thin layer of red appeared on her neck.
"How could that be?" Xie Zhiyan stood there, still expressionless, except for his eyes which darkened a little.
He raised his hand to brush away the fallen snow on her hair, but his fingertips 'accidentally' brushed against her blushing cheek, startling Sheng Puzhu so much that she almost bit her tongue.
"My dear."
Xie Zhiyan hummed in agreement, then looked at her for a long time and said calmly, "It should be me who is inappropriate."
Sheng Puzhu didn't understand, and frowned slightly, looking at him with a pair of confused almond-shaped eyes.
Xie Zhiyan didn't intend to explain anything. His slender hand silently passed through her soft fingers and slowly closed his palm.
"Let's go."
"Mother must be getting impatient."
Sheng Puzhu lowered his eyes and fell on the two people's clasped hands.
His palms were broad, and his knuckles were covered with thin calluses from years of holding a sword. The faint light from the lamp in front of the steps overlapped the shadows of the two people, as if they had long been indistinguishable from each other.
The corridor was quiet. Sheng Puzhu lagged behind him by a small step, being led by him. She looked very well-behaved and docile.
Yunyu Hall.
Princess Duanyang leaned back in the armchair as if she had no bones. She held a cup of hot tea in her hand, squinting her eyes, and looked like she was enjoying herself very much.
"well."
"Puzhu, my dear, you have no idea how hard life was for me in Tianchang Monastery."
"Why did my aunt suddenly go to Tianchang Temple?" Sheng Puzhu asked in confusion.
Princess Duanyang waved her hand, her expression indescribable: "Don't ask anymore. You'll blame yourself if you do."
Sheng Puzhu became even more curious. She stood up and took out a drawing from an inconspicuous but locked sandalwood box in the warm room.
"What is this?" Princess Duanyang stopped drinking her tea, put the snacks on the plate, straightened her back, and pointed at the drawing with a trembling index finger.
Sheng Puzhu lowered her voice and asked, "Linlang Pavilion wants to sell jewelry on the third floor after the New Year. What do you think of the styles, aunt?"
Princess Duanyang's eyes sparkled, and she longed to hug Sheng Puzhu and give her a big kiss: "Such a good idea, why didn't you think of it earlier?"
Then, with her slender and beautiful fingertips, she pointed at the man's perfect figure and handsome face in the drawing. "The more I look at this man, the more he looks like Sanlang."
Sheng Puzhu gave her a look that said, "You're not going to die!" "Shhhhhh...be quiet, don't let anyone hear."
"I just drew it casually, how could it be him?"
Princess Duanyang was amazed and said, "Why are you painting clothes? Jewelry like this should be worn naked, with necklaces of gold, silver and pearls, inlaid with various gems, and lit brightly by candles."
"Hanging on the body in all its colors, making jingling sounds when moving, it would be so beautiful that it would kill you."
Sheng Puzhu's eyes moved, and she didn't dare to look at Princess Duan Yang.
In fact, her inspiration came from Xie Zhiyan's uncovered upper body, especially when he was sweating from the heat. The tent was dim, and the light trembled with her body, swaying up and down like broken stars.
He was too strong and too fierce. Every time she couldn't bear it, she would have the urge to make a chain to tie him up.
The more I thought about it, the hotter my cheeks became.
This drawing was particularly difficult for her to draw. She hid in the house every day like a thief. Not only did it take a lot of thought, but sometimes when she thought too much, her body would uncontrollably feel hot.
I have to live in fear every day, afraid that Xie Zhiyan will suddenly come back.
It took her nearly a month of revisions before she was satisfied.
"My aunt hasn't told you yet, why did you go to Tianchang Temple for no reason?" Sheng Puju put away the draft and teased Princess Duanyang like fishing.
"well."
"I didn't want to tell you at first, but since you asked, I'll tell you." Princess Duanyang had a melancholy expression on her face.
"Sanlang said that you and I have learned bad things."
"It's nothing outrageous. She just wants to imitate me and keep eight or ten handsome men to entertain herself at home."
"So he kidnapped you and took you to Tianchang Temple overnight?" Sheng Puzhu's voice became louder and his eyes widened. It was unbelievable.
"Shh, shh, shh...keep your voice down." Princess Duanyang was so scared that she almost jumped up from her chair.
Sheng Puzhu was shocked: "I was just making it up that day, how could he take it seriously?"
"And he clearly punished me at night... well." Sheng Puzhu realized that he had said something wrong and quickly covered his mouth. His almond-shaped eyes were clear and watery.
Fortunately, Princess Duanyang was completely focused on the drawing and couldn't let it go.
“When will the first piece of jewelry be ready?”
"Have you made the arrangements?"
Sheng Puzhu helplessly spread her hands and said, "I'm afraid we have to wait until after the New Year. My aunt is ill and I need to help with the household. My father and mother are at home, so it's not easy for me to go out."
"Besides, the court will also have its annual holiday in a few days, which will be even more inconvenient for me."
Princess Duanyang's eyebrows were almost twisted into knots. "Qin was so wary of my sister, the housekeeper, that she would eat three bowls of rice a day and kept herself strong. How could she become so sick out of nowhere?"
Sheng Puzhu had no choice but to tell her about Xue Qinghui's premature birth. Princess Duanyang was silent for a long time after listening to her. She patted Sheng Puzhu's hand and said earnestly: "If you are pregnant, you must not take supplements like she did. It is better to have a small child than to raise it too big to avoid difficulties in childbirth."
Sheng Puzhu nodded: "Don't worry, I know what's going on."
"I just wonder if Auntie will rest here with me tonight, or go to Mother's yard?"
Princess Duanyang shook her hand and said, "No need. I'll leave in another hour, after curfew."
"If it weren't for your father and mother returning home, I would probably have to stay at Tianchang Temple until the end of the year. It's a pity for those handsome young men in my palace. They haven't seen me for more than a month. I think they miss me too much."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly scoffed, "I came here today to see the fun that Xie Juyuan was doing, but unfortunately your grandmother wanted to save him some face and asked the younger generations in the mansion to stay away from him."
"With you not here, and me being an outsider, it's naturally not appropriate for me to stay any longer."
"I heard that the punishment will be one hundred lashes, and my father will do the whipping." Sheng Puzhu picked up the silver scissors on the table and casually plucking the candle wick.
The candlelight flickered, and the light illuminated her slender neck, making it look as delicate as snow-white satin. The plump and undulating lines under her collarbone were faintly visible, revealing a quiet beauty.
Sheng Puzhu curled her lips intriguingly. "During the punishment, although my husband will not enter the ancestral hall, as the prince, he will be waiting outside the door. If my aunt is curious, she can ask him later."
Princess Duanyang thought of Xie Huaiqian's tall physique and felt a pang of pain in her teeth. "Even her own niece is plotting against him. It's a pity that these hundred lashes can't kill that old bastard Xie Juyuan."
Sheng Puzhu shook his head. "I've never understood why he would resort to such a desperate measure. He's a man of great authority in the court and highly regarded by the sage. He doesn't seem like someone who would do something so foolish as to cut off his own arm."
"It's clear that if Lingyi marries His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the eldest branch won't necessarily gain any benefits."
Princess Duanyang sneered, "Who knows? Maybe Xie Juyuan has really gone crazy. After all, he is the eldest son and the legitimate heir, yet he just missed out on the title."
"Ever since I met him, I've known him for a lifetime."
"When he was little, he also learned martial arts from Old Master Xie, and his learning was no worse than Xie Huaiqian. Later, he refused to do so, and would rather be a companion to the emperor than study with your grandfather."
Sheng Puzhu was shocked: "He is my grandfather's student?"
Princess Duanyang nodded and said, "Yes, at that time my brother was still the crown prince. Xie Juyuan studied with my brother in the palace, and he also worshipped your grandfather as his teacher."
"But later on, for some unknown reason, he became a disciple of the Zhang family and even became the top scholar in the 23rd year of Mingguan."
When Sheng Puzhu heard this, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder she had never heard her grandparents mention this since she was a child. It turned out that there was such a secret.
I don’t know how Xie Juyuan will deal with himself in the future.
He was already a grandfather, yet he had to be punished in the ancestral hall. He was also an official in the court, and the youngest Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the history of the Great Yan State. He would go crazy if he faced the ridicule of his colleagues in the future.
Tingtaoju is next to the water and it is cold in winter, so the floor heating in the house is hotter than in other courtyards.
Qin leaned on the couch sickly. She did not go to the ancestral hall tonight. Instead, she wrapped a fist-sized piece of ice in a soft handkerchief and applied it to Xie Qingshu's face.
Xie Qingshu was restless: "Mother, father is being punished, why don't you stop him?"
"Or ask for mercy from your grandmother?"
Seeing that the ice had melted a little, Qin untied her handkerchief and took a new piece from the basin.
"I could only watch helplessly as your eldest brother was punished. I didn't even see your uncle go to the elders to plead for mercy that day. I knelt on the ground and kowtowed, crying my heart out, but he just watched without saying a word."
"What he has done is more serious than your eldest brother's. What can I do?"
"Besides, I'm still sick. If I go to the ancestral hall and cry a few more times, I'll probably die."
Every word Qin said made sense. Xie Qingshu opened her mouth but couldn't refute it. She felt uneasy: "Although my father beat me, I never thought he would be punished like this."
Qin interrupted her: "What do you have to feel guilty about? Who made him force Lingyi into a concubine? Do you think being the Crown Prince's Consort is a good fate?"
Xie Qingshu shrank her shoulders and stared at Qin's calm face. She suddenly felt cold, the kind of helplessness that sent chills down her spine.
"Don't press on it when you sleep at night, and remember to ask Mammy to apply medicine for you every day."
Qin Shi seemed completely oblivious and kept nagging, "You'd better not go to Yunyu Hall anymore. The relationship between our first and second houses isn't good to begin with, and now something like this has happened."
"Although your father won't hold this matter against you, if you continue to stay close to the eldest branch of the family, it will not be good for your brothers in the future."
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The author has something to say: p.s. Qin’s mind did not suddenly become clear, but in her heart, her son was higher than her daughter, and her daughter was higher than her husband.
Husband = the cattle and horses that brought her the imperial edict.
She was the legal wife and her husband had no concubines.
She is benefiting from this era.
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