Sister-in-law, open the door and I am your brother?
The banquet was over, and a group of drunken nobles staggered away with the help of servants. Ruan Yunsheng, who returned home, avoided Song Tinghe's inquiring gaze guiltily, and threw himself into the quilt pretending to sleep, but his mind was in turmoil.
She was clearly just there to make up the numbers, so how did she become the protagonist?
She tossed and turned like a pancake all night, and the next day she appeared in front of everyone with a pair of huge dark circles under her eyes, like a rare national treasure.
"Boss Ruan!"
Qi Xiuming's voice was as loud as a gong, and he arrived before he even showed up. He pushed open the door and rushed in: "I heard that you were at the palace banquet yesterday -"
Ruan Yunsheng was so frightened that he shuddered, and all sleepiness disappeared. He almost rushed over to cover his mouth. Song Tinghe was still there, his fingers tightly clamped around him, as if he wanted to press his chin into his chest: "Mm! Mm!"
Qi Xiuming was strangled so hard that his eyes rolled back and he kicked around with his hands and feet. It took a lot of effort for him to pry her fingers open.
"You're committing murder!" Qi Xiuming gasped. "I came here out of kindness to give you a gift!"
"What are you doing here?" Ruan Yunsheng lowered her voice and gritted her teeth. Was this guy here to cause trouble for her?
Qi Xiuming was completely oblivious to Ruan Yunsheng's panic and continued to boast, "I have something good..."
Before she could finish her words, Hua Rong let out a thunderous scream outside the courtyard, completely shattering Ruan Yunsheng's hopes: "Miss! This is bad! The whole capital is saying that His Majesty has granted you a marriage to the Prime Minister!!!"
Ruan Yunsheng's eyes went dark and his head buzzed, as if he heard the death knell. It was game over!
She turned her head stiffly, inch by inch—
The blood color on Song Tinghe's face instantly faded away. His lips were slightly opened, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't make a sound.
The pair of eyes that always looked at her with sparkling eyes were quickly covered with a layer of mist, the corners of the eyes turned red, and the tears accumulated in the eye sockets hung there, about to fall, like a puppy that had suffered a great injustice.
But Qi Xiuming, this foolish guy, actually put his arm around her shoulders and said cheerfully, "You're great, brother. Don't forget to help me when you have something good to eat and drink in the future."
"Stop talking."
Ruan Yunsheng felt that her life was coming to an end, and she seemed to be too tired to see her.
Qi Xiuming was still talking non-stop: "Oh right! Can I be a best man at your wedding, the kind that wears red and flowers?"
"What on earth are you doing here?" Ruan Yunsheng pushed Qi Xiuming's back unhappily, just wanting to get rid of this plague god as soon as possible.
Qi Xiuming pleaded against the door frame, looking aggrieved. "I came to congratulate you! And I want to give you something."
He pulled out a scroll from his bosom. "This is a portrait of your future husband! Come and take a look! I used all my connections to get this!"
"I don't need it! Thank you!" Ruan Yunsheng pushed him out expressionlessly.
Qi Xiuming pressed against the door desperately: "I heard she's pretty good looking! Boss Ruan, you're not at a loss!"
As the two pushed each other, the scroll fell to the ground with a "bang" and rolled down the stairs and unfolded.
"Hey, why does this person look familiar?" Qi Xiuming's attention was instantly drawn to him.
Ruan Yunsheng stiffened her neck and didn't dare to look over there, until Hua Rong quietly tugged at her sleeve and lowered her voice: "The lady has found it."
What did I find? Did I lose something? Ruan Yunsheng was confused for a moment.
Qi Xiuming suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I remember now! Isn't this Song Tinghe, the one who always lingered with you in Chuzhou?"
Ruan Yunsheng turned his head suddenly——
The man in the scroll has cold eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and tightly pursed lips. His dark official uniform makes his posture stand out like a pine tree. His facial features and outline are exactly the same as Song Tinghe!
She looked up at Song Tinghe, who also had a look of surprise on his face. Her heart was beating like a drum. What was going on?
But yesterday Murong Huanyun clearly said that the Prime Minister was "cold as ice" and "his eyes could freeze you to death." And her Song Tinghe was clearly a little ancestor who would act like a spoiled brat and be jealous enough to lift the roof off a house! They were clearly not the same!
Ruan Yunsheng suddenly had an epiphany: he understood! This Prime Minister must have a twin brother!
Qi Xiuming suddenly seemed to have a sudden realization: "Wait!"
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Boss Ruan! You were so angry just now, wasn't it because of that Song Tinghe? But why does he look so much like the Prime Minister? Are they brothers?"
Ruan Yunsheng's body stiffened. He immediately knew that he had guessed correctly. He immediately approached Ruan Yunsheng like a loach and winked, "Do you have a special relationship? Tell me about it."
Good guess! Don't guess next time. Ruan Yunsheng didn't want to talk to someone so tactless, so he pushed Qi Xiuming out the door and said, "Since the gift has been delivered, please return, Second Young Master Qi!"
"Bang!" The door slammed shut.
"Tsk, so stingy."
Qi Xiuming didn't continue to pester him. He felt relieved at the thought of letting Boss Ruan suffer a loss once. But why did this painting look exactly like that person?
He felt like his brain was about to burn out, and muttered in a daze: "I have to ask my brother. He is so smart, he must know."
Song Tinghe's figure emerged from under the plum tree in the courtyard. He lowered his eyelids, and his long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his pale face. His fingertips unconsciously tugged at his sleeves, and he looked like a little bird drenched by the rain.
Seeing this, Hua Rong immediately shrank her neck and laughed dryly: "Well, well, there is still soup stewing in the kitchen! I'll go and take a look!" After that, she picked up her skirt and ran away faster than a rabbit.
Ruan Yunsheng walked over with gritted teeth and reached out to pull his sleeve: "Ah He, listen to my explanation..."
Song Tinghe turned her head away abruptly, her shoulders tensed, leaving her with only a puffy back of her head.
"I really have nothing to do with that Prime Minister!"
Ruan Yunsheng walked around to him and said anxiously, "This marriage was forced upon me by the Emperor. I had no knowledge of it! But there is a way..."
Her eyes suddenly lit up, "I suspect you are the Prime Minister's long-lost twin brother! Let's go to the Prime Minister's Mansion."
Song Tinghe turned his head suddenly, his pupils constricted violently, his lips trembling as if struck by lightning. After a long while, he squeezed out a word from between his teeth: "You want me to discuss sharing a wife with Wen Ciyuan?"
The corners of his eyes quickly turned red, and his voice trembled uncomfortably. "From now on, you will be his dignified and virtuous prime minister's wife during the day, and at night you will climb over the wall to meet with a 'wild man' like me, and you will have to act like you don't know me in front of outsiders."
Ruan Yunsheng was so shocked by his outrageous interpretation that his jaw almost dropped. Is this what I meant? And what kind of lewd words are these!
Isn't this the modern version of 'Sister-in-law, open the door, I am your brother'?
Song Tinghe became more and more excited as he spoke, his pale cheeks flushing strangely, and his fingertips unconsciously twisted the corner of his clothes and tightened it: "If you really want to do this, it's not impossible..."
His Adam's apple rolled, and his voice suddenly became hoarse. "After all, disobeying the imperial decree will punish all of your clan. I just have to make it clear to the Prime Minister that he can't even touch you."
"stop!"
Ruan Yunsheng pounced forward and covered his mouth, his ears red as blood. "I wanted you to take advantage of this opportunity to enter his body and pretend to be him, asking His Majesty to revoke the order. If the Emperor sees that the Prime Minister has woken up before the marriage, he will surely realize that I am of no use to him, and the engagement will naturally be cancelled."
"oh……"
Song Tinghe's long eyelashes slowly drooped, casting a small shadow under her eyes. The subtle curve at the corner of her lips, which had not been able to be retracted in time, instantly calmed down. Her tone was as light as a cup of cold tea: "So that's how it is."
Ruan Yunsheng let out a long sigh, but he always felt that the corners of his mouth seemed to turn down a little when he lowered his eyes. Why did that subtle pause reveal a hint of regret?
It must be an illusion! Her Ah He is so innocent that even a kiss on the tip of her ear would turn red. How could she be interested in such an immoral scene?
She pulled his sleeve and dragged him out: "There is no time to lose, let's sneak into the Prime Minister's Mansion and take a look!"
Song Tinghe obediently followed him out of the doorway, but suddenly turned around when he stepped over the door frame. The candlelight passed over half of his profile, and a fleeting strange arc appeared at the corner of his lips, and an almost weird dark light surged in his eyes.
Anyway, no matter what, Sheng'er can only be his!
The two of them crouched down and crept into the bluestone alley at the back door of the Wen Mansion, where they saw a donkey cart loaded with vegetables and radishes creaking towards them. The driver was dozing off, his head nodding like a chicken pecking at rice.
Ruan Yunsheng's eyes lit up, and he nimbly grabbed the car board and huddled into the cabbage basket piled up like a little mouse stealing oil. He then stuck half of his body out and reached out to pull the still dazed Song Tinghe in. The two of them squeezed into the pile of vegetables, their noses wrinkled by the strong smell of soil and vegetables.
The donkey cart slowly drove into the side yard. When there was no one around, Ruan Yunsheng came out with a head full of cabbage scraps, and dragged Song Tinghe to the back of the rockery. She patted the vegetable scraps on her skirt and looked around with a frown.
The courtyard was filled with guards, all wearing light black iron armor and wearing long swords at their waists. Their eyes were as sharp as hawks, scanning every corner. There was a guard post every five steps and a sentry every ten steps. The defense was three times stricter than that of the general's mansion.
"Why are all the servants here guards?"
Ruan Yunsheng lowered his voice and muttered, "How much sin has Wen Ciyuan committed to be so wary of his enemies?"
She poked Song Tinghe's waist and said, "Quickly activate the Soul Returning Pill and sense where your body is!"
Song Tinghe closed his eyes and concentrated, pinching his fingers together. Light golden ripples appeared around him, spreading out like ripples on the water. After a moment, he opened his eyes and pointed to the northwest corner: "There's a very faint pulling sensation over there, almost imperceptible."
It seems that my guess was right, Song Tinghe is indeed the Prime Minister's brother!
Ruan Yunsheng looked in the direction he was looking, and his face immediately fell—
There were more than twenty guards armed with swords standing densely in that direction, taking turns patrolling, making it impossible to get through.
"How am I going to get in here?" She pulled her hair anxiously. "I'm not invisible like you."
Suddenly her eyes lit up and she slapped her forehead: "Silly! I still have a magic weapon!"
It’s all because I’ve been with living people for so long that I forgot I even had this treasure.
She opened the space on her person and took out a shimmering invisible cloak that was as thin as a cicada's wing. The moment she put it on, her whole body swayed like water waves and then disappeared into the air.
"Can you see me?" Her proud and smiling voice came from the transparent air.
Song Tinghe shook his head honestly.
Ruan Yunsheng suddenly became bolder. She jumped in front of a guard, twisted her hips and made a face, then waved her hands in front of the man. Seeing that the man didn't even move his eyes, she immediately put her hands on her hips, laughed silently towards the sky, and her shoulders shook violently.
She walked over with a swagger, and when she passed the kitchen, she didn't forget to grab a piece of Poria cocos cake and put it in her mouth.
Song Tinghe looked at the pastry that disappeared out of thin air and then reappeared out of thin air with two neat rows of teeth marks, and sighed silently.
With Song Tinghe's guidance, the two of them quickly found a courtyard filled with a strong and pungent smell of medicine.
Eight guards holding knives stood on both sides like stone sculptures. Ruan Yunsheng pulled the invisibility cloak tightly and made a "go around the back" gesture to Song Tinghe.
She stepped on the uneven ground at the base of the wall and climbed up the window frame like a cat. She wet her fingertips, poked a hole in the window paper, and squinted to look inside.
The furnishings in the room were simple, almost bland, with only a sandalwood couch on which lay a man in white clothes quietly.
Ruan Yunsheng gently pried open the window bolt, turned over and rolled in. When he landed, a breeze was created, and the gauze curtain beside the couch swayed slightly.
She held her breath and moved closer, taking a closer look in the dim light coming in from the window.
The person on the couch had loose black hair, eyebrows like distant mountains, a high nose bridge, and pale lips. His facial features were exactly the same as Song Tinghe's!
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