The look on Fourth Master Jiang's face was that of someone who had competed with himself but lost.
"I trust you to know your limits. If you really want to go, go ahead."
"Like your mother said, go tomorrow." He instructed worriedly, "Take Jiang Ping with you, and bring good guards."
Before Jiang Rao came, she had already made up her mind to kneel down and beg her parents. Unexpectedly, she got what she wanted with just a few words. Her eyes were full of joy, as if they were full of stars. "Dad, thank you."
After she left, Fourth Master Jiang tapped the table with his hand, then rested it on his temple, his face looking a little tired.
“How annoying.”
Jiang Qinshi already knew the result would be like this.
She returned to his side and comforted him softly, "Each of your children has their own blessings. Why are you so upset?"
"She knows that I indulge her, so she always has a kind of confidence - the confidence to dare to be willful. This is the temper that I indulged her, but I can't do anything about her. Qingshan, I am happy and sad at the same time."
"She knows someone is protecting her, so she won't let herself be wronged or bullied." Fourth Master Jiang used a wooden stick to prop open the window in the room, and looked at his daughter's figure going away, feeling a little dazed, "But if there is no one like me who pampers her in the future, she will be very sad."
The sunlight covered the entire windowsill. The osmanthus flowers in the yard were as bright yellow as gold, and clusters of them were in full bloom. The fragrance leaped over the window lattice and filled in.
Osmanthus is a very delicate flower and cannot tolerate any cold, otherwise it will wither and die.
It rained a few days ago, and Fourth Master Jiang ordered people to move the osmanthus flowers to the warm room. The rain stopped these two days and the sun was shining during the day, so he moved the osmanthus flowers out again.
He had spent all his time and effort to carefully nurture this young seedling, and he wouldn't let her suffer even the slightest bit of wind and rain, so how could he have the heart to push her to let others suffer?
"Even if it's not Pei Songyu, it can't be the prince or the grandson of the emperor." Fourth Master Jiang's eyes were gloomy and he hated himself. "Why can't I be so cruel as to lock her up at home?"
Jiang Qin's hand fell softly on his shoulder, "Please relax a little. You haven't had a good night's sleep for a long time because of your wedding. If you continue like this, your body will collapse."
Outside the house, a figure stopped at the door, stayed for a while, and left silently.
…
Ming Shao heard the news that Jiang Xingzhou had agreed to let Jiang Rao go to Yunling Mountain. She was not in the mood to pack her luggage. When she saw Jiang Rao appear at the Moon Gate, she went to meet her and said worriedly, "Miss, Yunling is full of mountains and ridges. The terrain is more complicated than the mountains in Yecheng. Now they are building a plank road, so the road must be difficult to walk on. Do you really have to go there to suffer?"
Jiang Rao's steps were heavy, and his face was gloomy. When he passed Ming Shao, he said dully, "I'm not going."
Ming Shao: "You stay in Jinling, stay in Jinling, look at the flowers, taste tea, and go to a banquet from time to time. It's so leisurely... Not going?"
Ming Shao was stunned.
Jiang Rao nodded and walked into the house. Ming Shao caught up with her and asked, "Girl, are you really not going?"
"I'm not going."
The autumn wind blew away the fallen leaves from the sycamore tree in the yard, and they swirled down to Jiang Rao's feet.
When she stepped on them, there was a crisp sound under her feet. The color of the fallen leaves was not much different from her gloomy face. Seeing that Ming Shao seemed to have something to ask, Jiang Rao said, "Daddy hasn't been sleeping well recently. Find a maid and go to see Doctor Li. Ask him for a recipe for medicinal food to nourish Daddy's body."
After Ming Shao left, Jiang Rao buried her head in the pillow on the beauty bed.
Unhappy.
Why isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds, so that she can see Rong Ting whenever she wants, and her father won't stop her?
It seems that ever since what happened with my uncle, my father's prejudice against the prince has become even deeper.
It would be great if her father didn't have any prejudice against Rong Ting.
If he had no prejudice, perhaps he would not think Pei Songyu is so good.
Originally, she thought that no matter how many times Pei Songyu and Jiang Rao would remain indifferent, but if it was Rong Ting, her fair ears would suddenly turn pink. She turned over and sat up, her cheeks also pink. She glanced into the yard and saw the maids who helped her pack her luggage moving things out. She opened the window and said to them, "Don't move it back."
A second-class maid replied, "Miss, Sister Mingshao said that since you are not going to Yunling, let us move these back."
"I'm not going. But even if I don't go, I can still send the things in exchange." Jiang Rao poked his head out from the window, counting on his fingers and saying, "Sleeve stove, charcoal fire, incense."
It's cold now. If you don't bring something to keep warm, it's easy to get sick because it's so cold in the mountains.
Jiang Rao leaned against the window and looked at the maids, "Nothing can be left out, and everything must be sent over."
…
At the foot of Yunling Mountain, at the end of the village, there are several temporary houses for officials who come to supervise the construction to live in.
At this moment, it was midnight in the west building. The moon was dim and the stars were cold. The sky was as dark as a crow's feathers and the corners were pitch black.
Huai Qing hurriedly knocked on the door and
The door of the west wing was lit, "Your Highness, Master Chen is here again."
As soon as he finished his report, Chen Bing's hearty laughter spread to the courtyard, "Your Highness, I am here to talk to you."
Although Chen Bing was a civil servant, his face was rough and he had a beard on half of his face, which he usually shaved off, so nothing could be seen. I have been busy with the construction of the Yunling Plank Road these days and have had no time to take care of myself, so half of my face is covered with stubble.
After being exposed to the wind and sun for many days, his face became much darker. If he took off his official uniform, he would look no different from the farmers rolling around in the fields.
He had no airs as an official and after only a few days he had become close friends with the local people.
Chen Bing strode into Rong Ting's room and placed the two baskets of eggs in his hands on the table. "These were given to me by Zhou Er's family in the east of the village. I took two baskets and gave them to the young prince."
"Your Highness's idea is really good. Since we told the people that they can also use the plank road, not many people oppose it." Chen Bing sat down and said with emotion, "But your move has cut off the financial resources of many people. Now the plank road pass is meaningless. The officials in charge of this area have no more money to make. They are probably holding a grudge against you. The people who threw rotten eggs at you this morning are probably related to them."
Rong Ting said calmly: "It doesn't matter."
Chen Bing saw that there was not even a trace of anger on his face. He was still holding the knife in his hand and carving the model in his hand seriously. His eyes were also drawn to him and he said, "You made this model very exquisitely."
"Now that the people who are making trouble have been suppressed, it's time to discuss how to repair the plank road."
Chen Bing saw Rong Ting talking about serious matters, so he also straightened up. He said, "Yunling Mountain is not steep, but there are many fallen rocks on the mountain, and there is a cliff in the middle. If a plank road is built, the iron rope connecting the two peaks will be easily broken by the fallen rocks. This is the most difficult part. If the plank road is not built well, I will not be able to go back to see His Majesty."
“We can find a way to divert the falling rocks.” Rong Ting pointed to the drawings he had spread out on the table.
Chen Bing became interested and said, "Let me take a look."
He picked up the paper, frowned and looked at it for a long time, pinched his thigh with his fingers, and said angrily: "Why didn't I think of it again."
Rong Ting glanced at Chen Bing and saw the place where Chen Bing's sight was. "The pavilion is to protect the wooden piles and planks on the plank road from erosion by rain, not to protect them from falling rocks. Lord Chen is wrong. My method is to change the route."
Chen Bing blushed, "That's a good idea."
He took the blueprint in his hand and looked at the
"Once this model is ready, can you lend it to me?"
After getting Rong Ting's response, he put the blueprint back on the table and said, "I will send someone to pick it up another day."
The wind blew at night, and the mica paper pasted on the windows was blown like some kind of musical instrument, playing a whimpering sound, as if it would run out of air in the next second and be torn into pieces by the night wind.
Chen Bing stood here for a while, frowning in dissatisfaction, "I invited Your Highness to live with me before, but Your Highness refused. Now that the weather has suddenly turned cold, Your Highness has not changed his mind? I have a cook and maids, and my daughter often sends here some snacks she made. The room is also spacious and bright, and it is much more comfortable to live in, not worse than your life in the palace. The emperor has entrusted you to me, and I can't let you suffer."
He is clearly a child who grew up in the palace, but he seems to have no happiness. A table and a bed are all the furnishings in the west wing where he lives now. Even he, an official from a humble family, feels shabby.
Rong Ting laughed.
Even when he's not smiling, the first word that comes to mind when you see his face is "handsome".
Her smile was even more amazing; it softened the cold lines in the corners of her eyes and melted the frost and snow on her body. The coldness and hostility in her eyes were obscured by her drooping eyelashes, which instead gave off a sense of purity and innocence.
Such a well-behaved smile will make people feel that no matter what others ask him to do, he will do it.
Chen Bing was bewitched by this smile and thought Rong Ting had finally listened to him. He was overjoyed and said before Rong Ting could answer him, "I will go find someone to clean up your house right now."
"No need, thank you, Master Chen." Rong Ting turned his wheelchair, grasped the embroidery knife on the table, flicked the wood chips on the table with the handle of the knife, and stood on the two sides of this small room with Chen Bing, as if they were separated by the Chu-Han River. The two were separated by their shadows on the wall. "I'm used to living here, so there's no need to trouble Master Chen."
Chen Bing choked up and put his hands behind his back. "What do you want here? There's nothing. How can you get used to living here..."
He saw that Rong Ting didn't look like he would change his mind. He had been rejected three times, so he knew that there was no hope for this matter. Chen Bing's eyes dimmed slightly, and he looked at Rong Ting for a second longer, and said, "It's late, I'll take my leave now."
Wu Que saw his guest off and when he came back, before he even got close to the courtyard, he ran into Huai Qing who was carrying two baskets.
Take a closer look
"Aren't these the eggs sent by Master Chen?"
Huai Qing stopped walking.
Replied to him, "His Highness the Ninth Prince told me to find a place to throw it away."
Wu Que took the basket from Huai Qing, weighed it, and said with a look of pity, "Just throw it away if you say so."
"Lord Chen really cares about His Highness the Ninth Prince. When I sent him back just now, he kept asking His Highness if he could eat and stay well. It's not good to just throw away his kindness like that..."
"That's the nature of His Highness the Ninth Prince."
Huai Qing sighed. He was not surprised. "After all, there are people who want to kill him everywhere."
Huai Qing said to Wu Que, "Remember this: the only person who can make His Highness the Ninth Prince feel no grudge is the fourth lady from the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion. Didn't you see how happy His Highness the Ninth Prince was when the carriage from the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion arrived in the daytime today?"
Wu Que touched his head and went to throw away the eggs with Huai Qing. He was reluctant to throw them all away, so he kept a few and planned to feed them to the dog the next day. When he came back to report, he saw Rong Ting holding a sleeve stove with a pattern of plum blossoms.
The copper of the sleeve incense burner was clean and even, and there was no charcoal fire or incense burning inside. It was just a lifeless object, but when Rong Ting held it, his pupils were filled with joy. The charcoal fire, the sleeve incense burner, and the osmanthus candy were neatly arranged in a row by him and placed on the table.
The carriage that came to the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion today was welcomed by Wu Que. Of course he recognized them; those were the things Jiang Rao had sent him.
This neat row of things can be seen as soon as you enter the door, and it makes you think of the people around you. Compared with the fate of those thrown away eggs, there is a huge difference.
After Wu Que returned, he touched Huai Qing's shoulder with a convinced look and said to him, "You are right."
…
A month passed in a flash, and it was already late September.
Seeing that Jiang Rao was ultimately unable to go to Yunling Mountain, Hu Tang often went to the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion to accompany her and entertain her.
Obviously, she was not so happy to change in the middle of September, but after late September, she could obviously see that this little beauty who had been cold as ice for almost a month became happy in the last few days. There was light in her eyes, and her face was well made up, looking radiant.
Hu Tang: There is something fishy.
But she didn't figure out what the trick was until she came back to find Jiang Rao and ran into Jiang Jinxing talking to Jiang Rao in her room.
Jiang Jinxing's height grew rapidly like a willow leaf, but even so, he was still small, just much thinner. When he pounced on Jiang Rao and hugged her, he finally no longer looked like a ball stuck to her.
He arched his back in Jiang Rao's arms, shouting "Ah!"
"Sister, sister," "Isn't the Ninth Prince coming back soon? I want to see His Majesty the Ninth Prince. ”
Jiang Jinxing was studying in the academy and was extremely afraid of his teachers. Mr. Wu was fine, but meeting Mr. Wen was like the end of him. When Rong Ting was around, he could teach him to do his homework, so his life was easier with Mr. Wen. But now that Rong Ting went to Yunling, Jiang Jinxing's life became harder.
He pulled his cheeks towards Jiang Rao, pulling his small face into a pancake, "Look at how thin I have become."
Jiang Rao touched his head and said, "I also want to see His Majesty the Ninth Prince."
"Together!"
"Ahem." Hu Tang knocked on the door with her finger. After Jiang Rao agreed, she stepped in and placed a small box with a flower pattern in front of Jiang Rao. "This is for you. Flower dew rouge. It will look good on your lips and cheeks."
Jiang Rao took it and smelled it, "Don't you dislike visiting rouge shops?"
"I don't like shopping, and I don't use rouge. But you do. When I think about how good these things look on you, I want to buy them, and that's why I like shopping in rouge shops." Hu Tang took the rouge box from Jiang Rao again, unscrewed the rouge, pressed it with his fingertips, and dotted it on Jiang Rao's cheek, "It looks really good."
She looked at Jiang Rao and said, "I will definitely have a daughter in the future. It would be nice to dress her up beautifully."
Jiang Rao laughed, "What if your daughter is like you?"
Hu Tang hissed, "Forget it, raising a monkey is better than raising me."
Jiang Jinxing parroted, "It's better to raise a monkey than to raise me."
Hu Tang: “…”
She lifted Jiang Jinxing from Jiang Rao's arms with one hand, put him on the ground, and gave him her whip, "Be good, go play somewhere else."
Jiang Jinxing took the new toy and ran away.
As soon as Jiang Jinxing left, Hu Tang's face was filled with a hint of ridicule, and he looked at Jiang Rao: "When will the Ninth Prince come back?"
Jiang Rao lowered her head, holding a small mirror, looking at her rouge-covered face. She didn't notice the teasing in Hu Tang's expression, and said, "It's only been a few days."
Hu Tang snickered, took the small mirror from Jiang Rao's hand, poked Jiang Rao's hand, and said with a rising tone, "You were unhappy just now, was it because of the Ninth Prince?"
Jiang Rao's hands were empty, and she finally met Hu Tang's interested gaze.
Of course.
But when she looked at the familiar expression on Hu Tang's face, she suddenly remembered that she had seen such an expression on the old doctor in Yecheng.
The old doctor insisted that she and Rong Ting were an engaged couple and never changed his mind.
Jiang Rao: “…”
She decided to keep it a secret from Hu Tang, but unexpectedly, Hu Tang got there first and said, "You didn't deny it right away, which means you admitted it."
"The Ninth Prince..." Hu Tang thought about Rong Ting's appearance.
He is a good-looking man, prettier than a woman, but not too feminine.
But unfortunately, he is disabled.
Hu Tang frowned and said worriedly, "If it's him, will your parents agree?"
"No."
Hu Tang looked very sad and said with emotion: "Poor mandarin duck."
Jiang Rao: “…”
She explained to her, "It's not what you think. There's nothing between him and me. I helped him and he helped me. We are indebted to each other."
Hu Tang stared at Jiang Rao's face and said, "Don't lie to yourself."
Hu Tang has deep eye sockets, as if he has the blood of people from the Western Regions. His eyes are deep and bright, as if he can see through people. "Just say he left, are you sad? He is coming back, are you happy?"
Jiang Rao was speechless for a moment. After a while, she slowly said, "If my brother was far away from me, I would be worried and sad. If he came back, I would be happy."
Hu Tang looked smart, but was actually only one year older than Jiang Rao. She thought about what Jiang Rao said, but couldn't find a way to refute it. But she felt that it was not like what Jiang Rao said, "He is a prince, you can't treat him as your brother, right?"
"Not my brother."
It's a golden thigh...
But how could I say such words to Hu Tang?
"Don't talk about that."
Jiang Rao was a little overwhelmed by Hu Tang's continuous questions, so she changed the subject, "Are you free tomorrow to accompany me to Sanqing Temple?"
"What are you going there for?"
"Change your wish."
She had prayed to the Buddha, asking His Majesty the Ninth Prince to be safe and come back on time. Now her wish had been fulfilled. She should go and ask the Buddha who helped her to make her wish come true to change her wish.
Unexpectedly, when the day came when Rong Ting was supposed to come back, she was in a restaurant with a spacious view near the city gate, looking in the direction of the city gate. Jiang Jinxing accompanied her. She slept when she was tired, and stayed there from the sunrise to the nightfall. A whole day passed, but there was no sign of Rong Ting.
Jiang Jinxing finally woke up rubbing his eyes, and said in a soft and sleepy voice, "Sister, why didn't he come back?"
Jiang Rao looked down at him and said, "I have already asked someone to inquire about it. Wait a minute."
Jiang Jinxing's face fell, looking at the moon and stars in the sky, "It's almost curfew time, the city gate will be closed soon, he can't be brought back, will anything happen to him?"
Jiang Rao immediately tightened her grip around his fingers and without even thinking, she retorted, "No."
Her calm expression cracked, revealing panic, but she insisted, "No."
Jiang Jinxing had never seen his sister look so serious. He pursed his lips and said, "Sister, it hurts."
Jiang Rao then realized that she had unconsciously clenched her fingers and just pinched her brother's stomach.
She quickly let go of her hand. At this time, Yu'er, who she had sent out to get information, came back and came to Jiang Rao, bowed and said, "The Ninth Prince didn't come back. In Yun Ling's case, although the one-month deadline was up, he asked to stay and said he would not come back until the plank road was built."
Jiang Rao covered his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Change it, change it.
Nothing happened.
She almost cursed Buddha just now.
But she felt a little empty inside.
Maybe it was because he waited too long, believing that he would come back today, but he never saw him.
If he wanted to stay in Yunling until the plank road was repaired and then come back, when would that be?
"Have you found out when the plank road will be repaired?" Jiang Rao asked Yu'er.
Yu'er replied, "No one knows. People outside say that there are many falling rocks and frequent rains at Yunling Mountain. It is probably impossible to build a plank road. Many people in the previous dynasty have never done it. It is just wishful thinking to want to build a plank road."
At the same time, inside Jinxiu Palace.
"He said he would wait until the plank road was repaired before coming back?"
Queen Jiahe raised her voice, her face full of disbelief.
The palace maid picked lychees for Empress Jiahe, and she replied respectfully, "Yes."
Empress Jiahe ate a lychee and smiled coldly and complacently, "What a fool! He swore like this. If the plank road can't be repaired, then he won't have to come back, right?"
"It's just right that you don't come back."
When the Seventeenth Prince heard that Rong Ting would not be coming back, his face revealed a bit of excitement, but he asked with some concern: "Mother, is it really that difficult to repair the plank road?"
"Of course, otherwise, why would the emperor send Chen Bing there? With Chen Bing's ability, it would be a waste of talent to spend several months to build a simple plank road."
The Seventeenth Prince felt relieved and said, "It's such a difficult matter, why force it? Just let the caravans take a longer route. Otherwise, after investing so much manpower and resources, it will end up in vain."
"That's exactly the truth." Queen Jiahe smiled. "Building the plank road will make it easier for the caravans, but it will offend the guards on other roads. If there is no plank road, the caravans will not pass through. Those who want to get the pass from them will have to bribe them. Once the plank road is built, no one will bribe them. Naturally, they are not happy. Did you hear that when he first arrived at the foot of Yunling Mountain, he was thrown rotten eggs all over his body."
The seventeenth prince could not hide his joy in his heart, a smile climbed up his face, and he sneered: "It's really like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating his own ability. He is seeking profits for those people on the trade routes, which is simply muddled. Those who travel on the trade routes and do business are all inferior low-class people. How can you get the most benefits by helping them?"
Empress Jiahe swung her fingers, which were painted red, leisurely, looking forward to a good show. "If the plank road cannot be repaired, I wonder how disappointed your father will be."
Day after day passed.
The leaves on the trees gradually turned yellow, and the last autumn wind blew away all the faded leaves, leaving only bare tree trunks.
There was no news from the other side of the plank road. Some people were delighted by this, while others were worried about it.
Jiang Rao was holding Xiao Fugui by the window with a worried look on her face.
Its feathers become much thicker in autumn, with more fluff that feels very soft.
Jiang Rao would hold it in her arms every day and wait under the window for the maid to come back and report news from Yun Ling.
There is no news in October, and there is no news in November. If we wait any longer, it seems like this winter will be over.
On the day Rong Ting was supposed to come back, she didn't see him, but two days later, she received a letter from him.
The letter reached her a few days late because of the delay of the courier, and it explained why he did not come back.
Although there were rumors that the plank road could not be repaired at all and would be smashed by falling rocks even if it was repaired, his letter downplayed the issue without any complaints or grumbling.
It's so simple...
"When will you be back?"
Jiang Rao was really worried that the plank road could not be repaired as others said, and she was even more worried that he would not come back if the plank road could not be repaired as he said.
If both of these things come true, won't he never come back?
Jiang Rao couldn't help but shiver, and the little Fugui in her arms also began to tremble, and the bird feathers on his body shook rapidly.
"If he doesn't come back, I'm really going to look for him."
Jiang Rao lowered her head and spoke to Xiao Fugui.
Xiao Fugui was still shaking his feathers.
Jiang Rao's temper flared up.
Li thought angrily that when he came back, she would ignore him for a while.
"When will you come back?" She shook Xiao Fugui, feeling angry and annoyed.
Ming Shao brought in a cup of hot tea and held it in front of Jiang Rao, "Miss, the weather is dry, drink some tea to moisten your throat."
She took Xiao Fugui away from Jiang Rao's arms and tapped his beak. "Other mynah birds can talk, but when it first got together with Shi Liu, it learned to meow instead of talking like a human."
Jiang Rao drank half a cup of tea and her throat felt much clearer, but she did not respond.
Ever since she knew that Mingshao would tell her father and Pei Songyu about her whereabouts, although she did not scold Mingshao, she was no longer as trusting and friendly to Mingshao as before.
Ming Shao could naturally sense Jiang Rao's indifference towards her and felt a little regretful.
After two or three months, she finally realized that no matter what she said, Jiang Rao would not change his mind and look at Pei Songyu more.
Her heart is always with the Ninth Prince.
Originally, she was a slave, of low status and with little influence. If she had not relied on her master's indulgence, she might not even have the chance to speak in front of her master.
Ever since she figured this out, she never mentioned Pei Songyu in front of Jiang Rao again, nor did she listen to Fourth Master Jiang and tell Pei Songyu where Jiang Rao was.
Even though Pei Songyu still frequently went in and out of the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion as usual, he rarely met Jiang Rao.
After stepping down, Ming Shao began to think about how to make up for her previous mistakes.
She was the first-class maid in Jiang Rao's courtyard, and the one who had served Jiang Rao the longest. She had the highest status among the maids in the mansion. She gathered all the maids together and said, "If any of you have news about Yun Ling, tell me as soon as possible, or tell the young lady. I will reward you. If your hometown is in the capital area, go and ask your family."
It was early December, the sun rose late, and the branches were covered with thick frost. Jiang Rao was asleep when she was suddenly awakened.
She rubbed her eyes, watching the lights shining on Ming Shao's happy face, then looked at the darkening sky outside. She didn't react for a moment, and asked with a tired voice, "It's not even day yet, what's going on?"
Ming Shao said to her, "Miss, it's good news! Ah Liu, who was in the kitchen buying vegetables at the morning market, came back and told me that His Highness the Ninth Prince is back."
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