Chapter 92 Chapter 92 "Thank you for today."
The eldest wife returns home, and the atmosphere in the Jingguo Mansion becomes tense.
Within a few days, Princess An came in person to propose marriage, making the already delicate atmosphere in the mansion even more complicated.
Even though the old lady had many dissatisfactions in her heart, she finally cheered up and personally received Princess An Lu. The marriage was finally settled and the wedding date was set.
Princess An is indeed as rumored by the outside world. She is graceful and generous in her speech and behavior, and has just the right amount of friendliness. She is a beautiful woman with a gentle personality and easy to get along with.
Xie Qingshu hid behind the screen and watched secretly for a long time. Later, Prince An entered the mansion, and the two "met by chance" again by the lotus pond in the water pavilion.
Xiao Xuan was dressed in gorgeous clothes. He had handsome features to begin with, and he had dressed up specially, deliberately restraining his usual dandy behavior. He spoke and laughed, and was quite graceful.
Xie Qingshu was just a young girl who was raised in seclusion and was just beginning to fall in love. She once admired the prince but was unable to get him. Now she met a man who was as good-looking and as high-ranking as the prince. At first sight, her resistance to her father's arbitrary marriage arrangement turned into longing and expectation.
After the betrothal gifts were paid, Xie Qingshu happily went to Yunyu Hall without telling her parents.
Sheng Puzhu was leaning on the soft couch under the window. The window was wide open and the sky was bright. She was looking down at the pattern on the embroidery frame intently. On the dark green satin, a pair of mandarin ducks had taken shape. However, her embroidery skills were not very good, and it would take a lot of time to make it exquisite.
"Madam, Madam Qingshu is here." Madam Du reported in a low voice.
Sheng Puzhu's fingers holding the needle and thread paused slightly, and his brows frowned slightly, barely perceptible.
Her relationship with Xie Qingshu was not actually very close. When Princess An came to propose marriage today, she even found an excuse to avoid her because she did not want to be involved in the engagement with the eldest wife.
"Please ask her to come in." Sheng Puzhu lost interest in embroidery. She put the embroidery frame in her hand into a bamboo basket beside her and pinched her eyebrows in annoyance.
She knew clearly what kind of personality Xie Qingshu had.
Because she is the youngest daughter in the family, she has been spoiled a little bit since she was a child. She has a simple mind and her emotions are all visible on her face. To put it bluntly, she is a girl with no scheming. Even though the two rooms have such a bad situation, she still came here specially. I am afraid that she can't hide her feelings at all and wants to find someone to talk to.
Nanny Du responded and left. Soon, a pretty figure came forward, walking around the screen with a gust of fragrant wind.
"Sister-in-law, I heard from mother that you were sick. I hope I didn't disturb you by coming here."
It was a hot day, and Xie Qingshu walked hurriedly. The blush on her face had not yet faded, and even the corners of her eyes revealed shyness.
Sheng Puju only needed to take a glance to guess that perhaps Xie Qingshu had initially written to her to complain about the marriage, but after meeting Prince An today, she must be quite satisfied with the marriage.
"Has the wedding date been set?" Sheng Puzhu smiled and pretended not to know.
Xie Qingshu's face flushed even more when she heard this, and she nodded gently: "Well, let's stick to what we said before, July 26th. Princess An specially asked the Imperial Observatory to check, and it's an auspicious day."
Sheng Puzhu remained silent for a few breaths, then looked her over carefully. "You're willing too, right?"
The words were direct, and his expression was calm but scrutinizing.
Xie Qingshu was stunned by the question, then lowered her head in embarrassment: "Yeah."
She quietly raised her eyes and saw that Sheng Puzhu had no intention of blaming her. She quickly added, "Prince An is a handsome and well-mannered man, not as frivolous and mischievous as the rumors say."
really.
Sheng Puzhu sighed silently in his heart, as Xie Zhiyan's words came true.
This girl Xie Qingshu really fell in love with Prince An's good looks.
This reason was so pure that it made people laugh. After all, when she was looking for a date, she chose the most handsome one from the thick list of men prepared by the Sheng family.
I sneered inwardly, feeling that I had no right to criticize anything.
But if she didn't say what she needed to say today, she would feel guilty about Xie Qingshu coming to her, and her conscience would be uneasy.
Sheng Puzhu pondered for a moment, then called her softly, "Fourth sister."
Xie Qingshu picked up the embroidery frame in the bamboo basket and looked at it carefully for a long time, then slowly raised her head: "What does sister-in-law want to tell me?"
Sheng Puzhu looked normal, even with a hint of a smile on her lips: "You have to understand that just because a man is handsome doesn't necessarily mean he has a gentle temperament."
"Prince An is a noble and only son. I'm afraid he won't be as indulgent as your brothers are to you. He might not be as easy to get along with as you think."
"No one is perfect. I'm not saying that a husband like this is necessarily bad, but are you able to accept the problems you'll face after marriage?"
Xie Qingshu raised her head, there was not much worry in her eyes, but rather a clarity that was almost innocent.
"Sister-in-law, I understand all these principles."
"It's not that I haven't hesitated, but after meeting him today, I'm afraid I won't be able to find a better husband than him in terms of appearance and family background."
Having said this, Sheng Puzhu finally nodded and said no more. She raised her hand to signal Madam Du who was standing beside her.
Nanny Du understood, turned around, and took out a rosewood box with gold decoration from the inner room and opened it in front of Xie Qingshu.
"This is the gift I prepared for you, please keep it."
The box contained a set of pure gold filigree headpieces inlaid with rubies. The workmanship was exquisite and the gems were as big as pigeon eggs. It was obvious at first glance that they were of great value.
"this……?"
"Is this custom-made from Linlang Pavilion?"
Xie Qingshu's eyes sparkled as she looked at the gorgeous headgear in Madam Du's hands with surprise. She smiled and took Sheng Puzhu's hand, saying, "Good sister-in-law, I knew you were good to me."
"I've had my eye on this headgear for a long time, and finally I managed to get my mother to agree to buy it for me. But when I went to ask about it that day, they said all the orders from Linlang Pavilion were sent to the end of the year, so there was no way it would be my turn."
She had a bright smile on her face, her emotions were very obvious, and her eyes were sparkling: "How did sister-in-law know that I like it?"
Sheng Puzhu's rosy lips curled up slightly as she made up a story, "I dreamed about it last night."
Xie Qingshu really believed it: "I said that my sister-in-law must have me in her heart."
*
At the end of July, the heat has not yet dissipated and the cicadas are chirping.
The Duke Jingguo's Mansion was decorated with lights and there was a festive atmosphere everywhere, but beneath the bustle, there was an indescribable sense of depression.
In Yishou Hall, the bitter smell of medicine was stronger than in the past few days. The old lady fell ill again. This time, she had heatstroke in the bitter summer and her illness was severe and urgent. She was visibly losing weight.
"She seemed much better a few days ago, even able to sit in the waterside pavilion with Madam Jiang's help to enjoy the cool air. How come on Qingshu's wedding day, she is so ill again that she can't get up?"
"What can I do? It has to happen at this critical moment today."
Inside Tingtao Residence, the eldest lady Qin kept complaining.
Although her voice was not loud, it still frightened Nanny Wang so much that her face turned pale. She quickly spoke out to stop her, "Master, be careful with your words."
"If your words get out, it will be disrespectful to your mother-in-law, and people will criticize you."
"Why can't I tell you?" Qin was getting angrier the more she thought about it. "She didn't get sick earlier or later. It's as if our eldest wife's wedding has brought bad luck to her."
These words were truly heartbreaking. Qin had always treated her youngest daughter like the apple of her eye. Seeing how resentful she was towards the old lady's illness today, she felt very resentful.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the room except Nanny Wang.
After Qin had vented her nameless anger, a maidservant respectfully stood outside the door and announced, "Madam, someone from Yongzhou has arrived."
Qin was delighted: "But Qingwan is back with the child?"
"Madam." Nanny Chen stepped forward and bowed with a smile. "Madam is pregnant and should not travel by car. The old lady at home has asked me to bring gifts to congratulate you and Madam Qingshu."
"After the eldest lady gives birth, let her go back to her parents' home to stay for a few days."
In fact, Qin had not seen her eldest daughter for many years. The last time she returned to Boling, she should have taken a detour to visit her, but Xie Juyuan refused to agree no matter what. In addition, it was snowing heavily and winter was cold, so she gave up.
I had thought that since my youngest daughter was getting married, I would definitely let her go home and live there peacefully for a while, but I didn't expect that she would be pregnant again.
She frowned, looked at the old woman and asked, "She mentioned in a letter she wrote to me last year that she might be pregnant. Should she be about to give birth now?"
Nanny Chen's eyes flickered, not daring to look at Qin. She smiled stiffly and said, "We lost the previous child, so this one was conceived with great difficulty. The old ancestor of the family would never let the eldest lady go out."
Qin was stunned: "Not saved?"
"This child, she never told me anything. When I wrote to her, she always said everything was fine."
Nanny Chen just smiled and didn't respond, as if she was deliberately avoiding the topic.
Fortunately, Qin was busy. Although the auspicious time for her wedding was still far away, she had so many things to do that she had no energy to care about her eldest daughter's affairs.
In front of the hanging flower gate of Yishou Hall, Xie Juyuan, wearing a brand new brocade robe, was stopped by the nanny guarding the gate.
"Master, the old lady has just taken medicine and gone to bed. The imperial physician ordered that she must rest quietly, so it is really inconvenient for her to see anyone." Nanny Yan's attitude was tougher than ever before.
"Get out of my way." Xie Juyuan frowned and scolded.
"Even if you want me to be beaten to death, I won't give in."
"Which courtyard do you serve in?"
Nanny Yan said calmly, "My lord, my master is Princess Shoukang."
"The Prince Consort accompanied the Princess back to Tianchang Monastery to recuperate, and specially left this servant to serve the Madam."
The "big lady" that Nanny Yan mentioned was naturally Sheng Puzhu.
It was quiet all around, with only the wind blowing through the corridor bringing a hint of scorching heat.
Compared with the bustling front yard, Yishou Hall actually seems to be deserted.
Xie Juyuan was standing in front of the hanging flower gate, his eyes fixed on the flower and bird patterns on the pillars that had shown signs of time, as if he wanted to see through them.
I don't know how much time passed, but the tightly closed door never opened for him.
"Sanlang, how come you are free today?" The old lady was extremely ill and her voice was intermittent.
Xie Zhiyan sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the dark medicine with emotionless eyes. The outline of his profile was sharp and clear in the dim candlelight, and only the slightly furrowed brows revealed a solemn look.
"I happen to be not busy today."
"Really?" The old lady smiled weakly, "It seems I'm sick at the right time."
At this point, she coughed violently and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm afraid your aunt will blame me again. Today is Qingshu's wedding, and I just happened to have some health problems."
Xie Zhiyan pursed his lips and said nothing. Everyone knew what kind of personality Qin had.
For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the sound of the spoon hitting the edge of the bowl and the old lady's occasional suppressed cough.
After a long time, the bowl of medicine was finally empty.
Sheng Puzhu handed over the warm water at the right time, and Xie Zhiyan took it with meticulous movements, which was completely different from his usual cold appearance.
"Master, the master is outside and wants to see you. Would you like to let him in?" Nanny Jiang was holding a food box in her hand.
The old lady helped Xie Zhiyan sit up with her hand. She shook her head with difficulty: "I won't see him."
Nanny Jiang fell silent and quietly retreated away.
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyan reached out to lift the brocade quilt, but his movement paused slightly before returning to normal.
He didn't even look up, but ordered in a very calm voice, "No one is allowed to disturb Grandmother until she is well again."
When Nanny Jiang saw that the old lady had her eyes closed, she knew that this was her tacit approval of everything her eldest grandson did.
After this wedding, things are probably going to change in the Jingguo Mansion.
As the night deepens, the bustle of the day has faded.
Xie Zhiyan and Sheng Puzhu came out of Yishou Hall and walked side by side in the corridor.
The midsummer moonlight was like a silver curtain of water, stretching the two people's shadows into long and slender ones, gradually blending into one.
It was not until he entered the Yunyu Hall and dismissed his attendants that a hint of fatigue could be seen between Xie Zhiyan's brows. He did not change his clothes immediately, but hugged Sheng Puzhu from behind, looking at the dark sky outside the window, his back straight and cold.
"My dear, is there something on your mind?"
Xie Zhiyan came back to his senses, his voice hoarse from not speaking for a long time. He deliberately slowed down his voice, and spoke each word with difficulty: "The imperial physician said that grandma's health may not be good anymore, so we should be prepared."
Sheng Puzhu was stunned, as if unable to react.
She raised her head, her clear almond eyes blank, as if she didn't immediately understand the meaning of this sentence. She moved her lips to say something, but Xie Zhiyan held her head down: "It's what you think."
"How could that be?" Sheng Puzhu finally found her voice. "She was fine before. The imperial physician also said she just needed to rest."
Xie Zhiyan stretched out his hand and gently wiped the corners of her eyes. The hot and wet tears made his mouth tremble for no reason.
"In fact, my grandmother's health has not been good since my grandfather passed away."
"It's just that this time the emotional fluctuations were too much. I lost control of it all at once and it was like a spent force."
No wonder Xie Zhiyan looked a little off in Yishou Hall today. Sheng Puzhu squeezed his broad palm with her fingertips, "When will Master Yundeng arrive in Chang'an? Didn't you say there was news before?"
Xie Zhiyan looked up, not wanting Sheng Puzhu to see the sadness welling up in his eyes. He took a deep breath and said, "It will be soon. Before autumn comes, I will find a way to invite him back to Chang'an."
"Bozhu."
Sheng Puzhu hummed, her voice trembling slightly. She bit her lower lip hard. She was obviously very sad, but she was still trying to hold it in.
"Thank you for today." Xie Zhiyan suppressed his anxiety and said every word seriously, "Thank you for your consideration and thank you for always taking the time to talk to her."
"I have sent a letter to my father. He will return home with my mother."
Sheng Puzhu lowered her eyes, her throat choking with sobs. "Grandmother treated me well, and being filial to her is my duty." She paused, her voice gentle and full of pity. "Besides, I know you're not feeling well."
Yeah, how could he feel good?
Xie Zhiyan nodded, hugged her, and quickly adjusted his mood.
He was not good at expressing himself, let alone saying sweet words. When Meng Lang was being carefree, he would at most tease her during sex. As for the gratitude and guilt buried in his heart, he thought he just had to digest it himself.
Life has an end, but it all happened too quickly and too suddenly.
It takes people completely off guard.
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