Mr. Jiang Si just came to open the door for her, and then left without saying a word, and left with his hands folded.
Jiang Rao was confused.
She tried to take a step forward, and no one stopped her.
She walked slowly outside. Fine snow was falling from the sky and her breath turned into white mist.
Jiang Rao looked around, stepped on the thin snow, and walked out of the study.
She looked on both sides of the road, but couldn't find her father.
A few maids holding cloaks and heaters caught up with her, put the cloak on her, and put the heater into her palms, "Miss, don't rush to chase the Fourth Master. Someone is visiting the mansion today, and he is meeting the guests."
Jiang Rao was in a state of confusion.
He let her out without saying a word to her. Does this mean that her father agreed to her request or not?
She asked the maid beside her in confusion, "Do you know why my father let me out?"
The maid was just tying the buckle on Jiang Rao's cloak when she replied, "The Fourth Master asked us to tell you, young lady, that it's not him who wants to let you out, but the Imperial Concubine has sent a message, asking you to come to the palace to see her, and the Fourth Master has agreed."
…
The imperial city with snow falling is probably the most beautiful time of the year.
The red and green tiles are covered with a layer of white snow, which makes the colors bright. Everything was silent except for the sound of falling snowflakes.
Shuxiang Palace.
Concubine Yun was standing in the courtyard holding a green umbrella, waiting for Jiang Rao. As soon as the little girl in a red and white cloak appeared, she went up to her and took Jiang Rao under her umbrella.
She looked at Jiang Rao's face carefully. She had looked very worried while waiting, but now she burst into laughter. "You've been locked up for a few days. I was worried that you'd lose your appetite and get sick. I didn't expect that you'd become a little plumper."
Jiang Rao pinched her face.
Soft.
“…”
She shouldn't have eaten all the snacks that Wu Que brought in at night because she was afraid of being discovered.
Jiang Rao lowered her fair little face, dodging the hand of Concubine Yun that was poking her cheek, "Aunt, are you planning to help me, or are you planning to help my father persuade me?"
Concubine Yun laughed lazily, "You are a little devil, I can't hide anything from you, you even know that your father asked me to advise you."
"I promised your father that I would persuade you. But that was just an excuse to trick him into releasing you. You just stay here with me until your father changes his mind."
"You can be willful, no matter big or small, you can be willful here with your aunt." She looked at Jiang Rao lovingly, touched her head, her eyes gradually sour, "If I were in the world, free from worries, I would be like a kite in the sky, cut the string, and fly out of this palace wall without looking back. Unfortunately, I have parents behind me, and the old and young of the Qin family in front of me. The fate of the Qin family is closely related to me. I look arrogant and domineering, but I have never really obeyed my heart. I accept my fate and have no dissatisfaction. I just hope you can live a little more willfully and fulfill my wish."
Jiang Rao looked at Concubine Yun.
Her aunt was really pretty, with fair skin and red lips.
Qin Yun is not only beautiful, she is also aware of her own advantages. Her scheming and family background can support her extremely beautiful appearance. She relies on her beauty to commit crimes and acts flamboyantly. She always looks domineering and never takes others seriously. She will never let herself suffer any loss and will never fall behind.
This red-eyed but pretending nothing happened was rare and short-lived. Qin Yun raised his lips again and glanced behind Jiang Rao with a smile. Seeing a few unfamiliar maids, he changed the subject and asked, "Where is the maid named Ming Shao who was with you? Why can't I see her?"
Jiang Rao remained silent, but took the green umbrella from Concubine Yun's hand, raised it high above their heads, and turned the umbrella towards Concubine Yun.
The two strands of her hair hanging by her face were blown up by the cold wind and were covered with fine snow.
Others only knew that Qin Yun was favored by Emperor Zhaowu when she first entered the palace, and became a noble concubine in just a few years. They were extremely favored and envied and tried to please her.
But no one knew that when Qin Yun first entered the palace, he was just a shield used by Emperor Zhaowu to divert attention and protect his true love.
But the emperor's heart was fickle, and True Love gradually fell out of favor. One year, she offended Qin Yun, causing Qin Yun to be injured and bedridden for several months. True Love was then banished to the cold palace by Emperor Zhaowu. Emperor Zhaowu truly liked Qin Yun, but Qin Yun had never been truly sincere towards Emperor Zhaowu from beginning to end.
Her sadness and heartbreak are never because of men, but only because she is not living a good enough life.
A few days ago, that true love died in the cold palace.
It is said that Emperor Zhaowu never visited her until her death.
The concubine died with hatred in her heart. Before her death, she looked in the direction of Shuxiang Palace and screamed. Her voice was hoarse but it sounded unclear.
A palace servant said that the sound was full of resentment, as if someone was shouting: Qin Yun.
No matter how tough Qin Yun looks, she is made of flesh and blood. She will be afraid and have nightmares.
During that time, she called Jiang Rao into the palace to accompany her. At night, she was half asleep and half awake, and in panic, she inadvertently revealed this past event to Jiang Rao.
Concubine Yun's expression now was the same as her expression under the moonlight that night, fragile and sad.
Jiang Rao thought to herself, it’s no wonder that her father was prejudiced against the imperial family, she was too. Brothers from farming families in the fields would fight over an acre of land. In the palace, where power is magnified to the extreme, people's hearts are like devils, and everyone has their own ulterior motives.
Although she had decided to get engaged to Rong Ting, as he became successful, she wanted to leave. He is so understanding, he will definitely agree.
It would be great if I could take my aunt away from the palace at that time.
"Where's your maid?"
Concubine Yun's voice brought her back to her senses, and she answered, "Ming Shao was demoted to a second-class maid by my father and was sent to work under my mother. She can no longer follow me."
She found out about this when she chatted with the new maid in the carriage.
This was all because of her. If Ming Shao had insisted on not helping her, she would not have been punished like this.
Jiang Rao frowned, and said with guilt but certainty, "I will find a way to bring her back to me."
"Your father is just taking his anger out on others. Everything will be fine once he calms down."
Concubine Yun glanced at the snow on the ends of Jiang Rao's hair and pulled her into the house. She untied the buckle for Jiang Rao and took off her cloak. After sitting down beside the beauty couch, she wrapped Jiang Rao's head with a velvet blanket, held her hand, and asked very seriously, "Niannian, do you really want to marry the Ninth Prince?"
Concubine Yun was a little worried, "Don't get angry just to help me. Queen, you'll lose yourself."
"It's not a loss." Jiang Rao said solemnly, "I've thought it through."
Concubine Yun looked at Jiang Rao's face carefully.
But something didn't feel right.
The little girl's eyes were so clear. She didn't have the slightest shyness that a girl about to get married should have when talking about her lover. She didn't even blush. Instead, she looked out the window, absent-mindedly.
The snow outside was getting heavier.
Jiang Rao looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky.
She really doesn't like snowy days.
In the dream, it was snowing when her house was ransacked, and the scene of snow falling outside the window was exactly the same as now.
I don’t know if it’s cold today or it was even colder that day.
"Aunt." Jiang Rao stared at the snowflakes in a trance, "When do you think my father will agree to my request?"
…
Ning'an Marquis's Mansion.
Jiang Xingzhou and Chen Bing sat opposite each other in front of the desk.
When Rong Ting went to Yunling before, Jiang Xingzhou had visited Chen Bing with generous gifts. Today, Chen Bing came to exchange gifts, which was considered a give and take. Jiang Xingzhou treated him well, and the two of them drank and talked happily. Chen Bing took advantage of his drunkenness to ask Jiang Xingzhou for a painting.
Jiang Xingzhou agreed very readily.
He brought Chen Bing to his study and went to the bookshelf to look for the old paintings. Chen Bing stood in front of Jiang Xingzhou's desk, looking at the meticulous painting spread out on the table, pointing at it and asking, "Who is this child in your painting?"
Jiang Xingzhou walked out from behind the bookshelf and said, "It's my daughter."
On the rice paper, there is a little girl of about four or five years old, with two flower-bud buns on both sides of her head. Her cheeks are soft and she smiles sweetly, with particularly deep dimples.
Jiang Xingzhou's eyes softened. "This was her fourth birthday. When she was little, she spoke slowly and unskillfully, but when she called dad, she had to say a long string of words."
It’s not like he hasn’t had his share of drunkenness and debauchery.
In the first few years after his marriage, his calligraphy and painting had just gained some fame, and he was getting carried away by his success, but was criticized as worthless by the old gentleman he most respected.
For a long time, he seemed to be ill and could not draw anything. It was as if he had reached a dead end. He would often dream of the old man scolding him in the middle of the night and wake up in a sweat.
He went to his eldest brother to complain, but his eldest brother would just take him out for a drink. When he was drunk, he would forget everything. But after he sobered up, he was still stuck in that dead end with no way out.
Everyone thought he had lost his talent at such a young age, except his wife and daughter.
Jiang Rao was a little kid at that time. She looked like she was not walking steadily. She took small staggering steps every day, and as if she only knew this one sentence, she kept shouting "Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy". She held the paintbrush and followed him unwaveringly.
No matter what he painted, she loved it.
How come you suddenly grew up?
He has recently been thinking about the time when his two children were very young.
When Jiang Xingzhou thought about what happened recently, his brows furrowed. He pinched his eyebrows and sighed.
Chen Bing asked him, "Brother Zihuai, is there anything bothering you?"
"It's not a big deal." He pointed at the little kid in the painting. "My daughter has grown up now and is old enough to get married. I'm worried about her marriage."
"Didn't you exchange the engagement letter between her and Pei Shaoqing?" Chen Bing asked in surprise, "I heard people talking about this during the morning court session. I was looking forward to the wedding banquet of both your families."
"I'm afraid she and her cousin are not destined to be together."
"Incompatible horoscopes?"
Jiang Xingzhou's eyes were gloomy and he shook his head. "My daughter has no interest in her cousin, and I don't want to force her."
"Hey, what's that?" Chen Bing looked puzzled. "Which girl's marriage isn't decided by her parents? Parents only decide, matchmakers only say, this is the most important thing. How can you let the child decide for herself? What knowledge can a little girl have? You are better at judging people than she is."
Jiang Xingzhou frowned and looked at Chen Bing unhappily.
Chen Bing also has a reputation outside for loving his daughter dearly. Because of this, and because he felt that his daughter had a similar personality to his, he easily gave his priceless calligraphy and paintings to his daughter.
But what he said today made him feel very uncomfortable.
"I don't care what other people's children are like. My daughter can make her own decisions. Her judgment of people is no worse than mine."
His daughter, he said it was okay, but others said it was not okay.
Chen Bing couldn't respond and coughed, "Yes, yes."
I just feel that Jiang Xingzhou is just like the rumors say, a person who lives outside of etiquette and laws.
His eyes suddenly became dark, and he asked Jiang Xingzhou, "You said that, but your daughter already has a lover?"
Jiang Xingzhou didn't say anything, but his silence showed his agreement.
"I have used both hard and soft tactics. If she comes back today and doesn't change her mind..." Jiang Xingzhou paused as he spoke, his voice becoming a little hoarse. "I won't stop her anymore."
He asked the kitchen to prepare her favorite food for breakfast, lunch and dinner that were delivered every day, but the food was sent out almost untouched.
This morning he went to the study to take a look at his daughter. The little girl, who was not fat to begin with, seemed to have become even thinner, as thin as a piece of paper. If she continued to be locked up, she would probably starve to death.
Chen Bing asked curiously, "Even Pei Shaoqing can't beat him, who is that person?"
Fourth Master Jiang looked at Chen Bing deeply.
He knew that Chen Bing wanted his youngest daughter, Chen Congyun, to marry Rong Ting.
Otherwise, he would not have said these words to him today.
Even though he didn't like Rong Ting, since it was something his daughter liked, he didn't want others to covet it.
"It's the Ninth Prince, Rong Ting."
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