Chapter 89 Who is better? They argue and argue until they are finally able to calm down.
The Battle of Qingjiang ended, and it was the autumn harvest season. Most of the soldiers took off their armor and returned to the fields.
On the way back to Yunjing, we passed by golden wheat fields, one after another, stretching all the way to the horizon.
The heavy ears of wheat hang low, receiving the golden rays of the morning sun.
When I returned to General Lingyun's mansion, it seemed that nothing had changed. The housekeeper was still the same housekeeper, and the servant sweeping the front yard was still the same servant.
But Luo Wan's state of mind has changed completely. She is braver and more calm than before.
The housekeeper had received the news early and had the house spotlessly clean. The servants were busy unloading the luggage from the carriage and were about to deliver it to the side courtyard where Luo Wan used to live.
Jiang Cichen got off the carriage before Luo Wan and said, "Send me to the yard."
The servant seemed to be stunned. The experienced butler immediately understood and urged him, "What are you standing there for?! Hurry up! We'll give you extra chicken legs tonight!"
Rewards and luggage were moved into the main courtyard like water. Luo Wan got off the carriage and entered the courtyard. He habitually wanted to walk back to his original courtyard, but was pulled back by Jiang Cichen.
Luo Wan looked at him in surprise.
"You won't sleep with me?" he asked bluntly.
"Oh..." Luo Wan turned around, and Jiang Cichen held her shoulders again, gently turning to the other side.
"This way."
The main wing had clearly been meticulously maintained; there was no musty, unoccupied smell; instead, a faint sandalwood scent lingered. The quilt was fluffy and exuded the scent of sunshine; it was obvious it had been aired beforehand.
Luo Wan looked around the house curiously. It was completely different from the side courtyard where she had lived before.
This was originally the boudoir of Princess Xiao Qing. Not only was the house spacious, but there was also a small garden with bamboo shadows and white walls behind it, with a pond in which several goldfish as fat as pigs swam.
Jiang Cichen changed into court clothes and prepared to enter the palace.
"Go." Luo Wan placed the little fox he brought back in the yard. Several servants were curious about the snow-white little fox and gathered around to look at it.
"You won't come with me?" Jiang Cichen asked.
"You came to the palace to report, and His Majesty and His Majesty did not summon me."
Jiang Cichen glanced at the servants around him, and after they tactfully retreated, he whispered, "You know that the Royal Grandfather and the Royal Grandmother have been urging me to get married. I will definitely be treated like this when I enter the palace this time. You have been disrespectful to me, so shouldn't you give me some status in front of the Royal Grandmother?"
"Or do you really want to just walk away from me after a brief fling, and then just wait and see who else they'll find me?"
Luo Wan was shocked, and the little fox took the opportunity to escape from her arms: "I flirted with you?"
"Isn't it?"
Luo Wan was shocked by Jiang Cichen's self-righteous look, but then she remembered that he had publicly refused the marriage proposal and left the palace banquet, and everyone in Yunjing would definitely talk about General Lingyun having a mistress behind his back.
Since she has decided to be with Jiang Cichen, they should face everything together.
"Then go." Luo Wan said.
After all, Xiao Qing is the only legitimate princess of Yunjing and is quite favored by the emperor and empress, so General Lingyun's mansion is not far from the imperial palace.
There was once a rumor in Yunjing that the eldest princess did not like to enter the palace through the Xuanwu Gate, but often used her Qinggong skills to climb over the wall. The emperor and empress always turned a blind eye and let her do as she pleased.
The palace guards spotted Jiang Cichen's carriage from afar and let him pass. The eunuch on duty outside Xuanzheng Hall was already waiting with his head bowed. When he glanced up at the figure beside Jiang Cichen, he was startled. He recognized Luo Wan.
Although some things hadn't spread throughout Yunjing, they were no longer secrets within the harem. Last time, he had firmly rejected her in the Queen's Palace, so why were they holding hands again today?
The young eunuch hurriedly turned around and went into the house to report the matter to Emperor Yun.
Emperor Yun was reviewing a memorial and said, "Summon them together."
Luo Wan followed Jiang Cichen into the side hall of Xuan Zheng Palace. Her first impression of Emperor Yun was completely different from that of Emperor Bei.
The Northern Emperor is free and easy, while the Cloud Emperor is dignified and steady. Perhaps it is because of his deep facial features and the precipitation of being an emperor for a long time that Luo Wan feels that he is a perfect match for the one in Kunning Palace.
Jiang Cichen reported to Emperor Yun about military matters. After the discussion, Emperor Yun turned his gaze to Luo Wan and said, "Are you bringing her here to show off to me?"
First, she was picky about the noble lady from Yunjing, then she refused the marriage proposal and walked out of the peace talks banquet, and finally she brought the person to him.
"I dare not," Jiang Cichen said calmly, showing no fear at all. "Haven't you always wanted me to get married? I have brought the only candidate here. Let's see when you will grant the marriage."
Emperor Yun said, "I will not bother with these trivial matters. I will go to Kunning Palace to discuss this with your Imperial Grandmother."
This is tacit consent.
Jiang Cichen bowed and took his leave, then headed towards Kunning Palace with Luo Wan. Every time he returned from leaving the capital, he would always go to see the Queen.
It seems that as people get older, they pay more attention to family affection.
Before the two arrived, the news had already reached Kunning Palace.
Outsiders are always more clear-headed than those involved, especially the queen, who is well versed in the ways of the world. Jiang Cichen had initially been stubborn in saying he didn't like Luo Wan, but she knew exactly who her grandson was refusing marriage to.
The Queen particularly favors Jiang Cichen, not only because he is Xiao Qing's son, but more because he looks too much like Xiao Qing.
Back then, many young men from Yunjing's aristocratic families wanted to marry Xiao Qing, but she only wanted Jiang Shu. Now, a young lady from a Yunjing family is allowed to be chosen by Jiang Cichen, and he only wants Luo Wan.
The Queen asked directly when they planned to get married.
What was said in the Xuanzheng Hall was for Emperor Yun to hear. Luo Wan and Jiang Cichen had no plans to get married immediately. Their great hatred had not been avenged, and there would be many troubles and restrictions after marriage.
Anyway, our hearts are with each other, and we can't escape.
Nowadays, wars are frequent and the overall situation is more important. The queen naturally understands this, but the rewards prepared for her grandson's wife were still sent to General Lingyun's mansion.
Before the palace gates were locked, the two returned to the mansion. Luo Wan looked at the room full of rare treasures and said, "I heard that the Cloud Kingdom is not as wealthy as the Northern Kingdom. Is that a rumor?"
These rewards were given out as if they were free.
Jiang Cichen said, "It's probably the dowry that the Empress Dowager prepared for my mother."
The Queen's family was already wealthy, and she doted on Xiao Qing, so the dowry she prepared for her was naturally countless. These countless gifts were a nuisance in the house, so Jiang Cichen ordered the housekeeper to put them all in the storeroom.
During the days they were away, the housekeeper kept the mansion in perfect order. Luo Wan saw that the servants who ran errands were much stronger than before.
*
Not long after Luo Wan returned to Beijing, Miss Xu came to visit him.
She spoke in the same soft voice: "I should have come to thank you as soon as I recovered from my illness, but by the time I recovered, you had already left Yunjing."
Luo Wan invited her to take a seat and said, "I didn't save you. I was also saved by someone."
"But the young lady didn't leave me at that time," said Miss Xu. "You kept talking to me and holding me up. Lian'er will never forget this kindness."
Luo Wan said calmly, "Perhaps I just don't understand why you are willing to die for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Madam Xu smiled slightly: "I also don't understand. The person the young lady loved at the beginning was clearly not General Lingyun, but now she is still with General Lingyun."
Without waiting for Luo Wan to answer, she continued softly, "Miss, you don't know, I was fourteen when I drowned because I was playing around, and it was His Highness who passed by and saved me. He is a very good person, the only shortcoming is that he doesn't love me."
"I have always been clear-headed and rational. Just like the general's love for the girl, it was all done willingly. He was determined to save you regardless of life or death because he felt your life was more precious than his. I was unwilling to betray His Highness because I believed His Highness's safety was more precious than my own."
"If one day General Lingyun is on the verge of death, will you give up everything to save him?"
Luo Wan has always been a person who clearly distinguishes between love and hate. Love is love, and hate is hate.
If Miss Xu had asked this question in her previous life, she would have answered "yes" without hesitation. At that time, she was alone, and her love was pure and strong.
But things are different now. She has too many concerns, Shen Zhiyan's death and her hatred.
What does Miss Xu mean by "everything"?
Luo Wan said, "There's no point in asking about something that didn't happen."
Anyone can talk nonsense, but real action is much more difficult than an empty promise.
At that moment, the housekeeper suddenly came in and announced that the Crown Princess had arrived.
Xu Lian'er wasn't obsessed with Luo Wan's answer. She said, "Since the young lady has guests, I won't disturb you."
In the front yard, Miss Xu squatted and saluted when she saw the Crown Princess.
The smile on the Crown Princess's face froze instantly. She looked at Luo Wan, who had just turned into the front yard, with great disappointment, and turned away without saying a word.
The Crown Princess has always disliked Miss Xu. Many of her friends have distanced themselves from her because of her friendship with Xu Lian'er. Now that she saw Miss Xu in General Lingyun's Mansion, Luo Wan didn't need to guess, she knew what she had misunderstood.
Luo Wan saw the Crown Princess and Miss Xu leave the house one after another, and did not think of going up to explain anything.
The Crown Princess has a straightforward personality. If she could really listen to the explanation now, she would not turn around and leave the General's Mansion.
She didn't have a close relationship with either of them, and her relationship with the Crown Princess wasn't worth her effort to maintain.
*
This year, the Yun Kingdom experienced a rare bumper harvest, with the harvest reaching a record high. The Yun Emperor was delighted and rewarded numerous officials, bringing joy to the court and the people.
Life in Yunjing gradually returned to normal, ordinary but not boring. However, Luo Wan could not write to Shen Zhiyan in Yunjing, and did not know whether Liu Shuyi had given birth, a boy or a girl.
It was a cold night in late autumn when news came from the secret agent of Tingyu Tower that Liu Shuyi had safely given birth to a boy.
When Jiang Cichen found out, he became dissatisfied with her for caring so much about other people's affairs, and he would always push her onto the bed and push her around before he would calm down.
Luo Wan told him: "I don't have any relatives. There are not many people in this world who are kind to me, and Shen Zhiyan is one of them."
The days spent with Madam Shen and Shen Zhiyan were the happiest and most carefree time in Luo Wan's life. It was the first time she felt the kindness of the world. She had never known that people could be so kind.
Between the curtains, Jiang Cichen leaned over and looked at her: "Who treats you better, me or Shen Zhiyan?"
"These are different and cannot be lumped together."
"Why is it different?"
Luo Wan's gaze shifted from the quilt to the young man's face, and he said, "One is your most precious friend, and the other is your most cherished lover. Naturally, they are different."
Jiang Cichen curled his lips, extremely satisfied with the answer. He stretched out his arm and took the person back into his arms.
"sleep."
…
This winter, Yunjing had a heavy snowfall for the first time in history, and Xie Yan's journey back to the capital was delayed for several days.
The New Year atmosphere in Yunjing seems to be stronger than that in the capital. The housekeeper has been busy arranging the decorations for the mansion these days. Because of his tall stature, Chen Nanyuan was asked by the housekeeper to hang lanterns and paste window decorations early in the morning, and was just seen by Luo Wan and Jiang Cichen.
"A little to the left."
"Is it okay?"
Jiang Cichen crossed his arms and directed from the side: "Too left, a little to the right."
"Is it okay?"
Jiang Cichen frowned: "Too crooked."
Chen Nanyuan finally couldn't hold on any longer and lowered his arm, which was sore from lifting it. "It used to be Master Xie who hung the lanterns. He has a better sense of direction than I do."
"Practice more."
It took a lot of effort and Chen Nanyuan was sweating before he finished hanging up the lanterns in the entire backyard. When he arrived at the front yard, he found that the lanterns had already been hung by the servants.
In the evening, Crown Prince Xiao Ce sent someone to invite Jiang Cichen and Luo Wan to Tianlu Ju for a chat. They heard that Tianlu Ju had a new dish. A copper pot was placed on the table with charcoal fire burning continuously. The beef and mutton were cut into thin slices and cooked in boiling soup. Eating it hot in winter is the best way to keep warm and warm the body.
When I stepped into the elegant room of Tianluju, I saw Crown Prince Xiao Ce and the Crown Princess already sitting there.
The atmosphere between the two was still tense, Xiao Ce pretended not to be nice to the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess didn't treat Xiao Ce well because he didn't treat her well.
The four of them sat around the table. The Crown Princess lowered her eyes and remained silent. It was not until the waiter brought the copper pot that her eyes lit up slightly.
There were many people in Tianlu Residence, so Jiang Cichen and Xiao Ce just pretended to chat about some unimportant military affairs.
Luo Wan understood in his heart that Xiao Ce had not invited them to this meal. It was obvious that Xiao Ce wanted to bring the Crown Princess to taste new dishes, but it was not convenient for him to show his goodwill openly, so he used them as a cover.
At the end of the meal, except for Luo Wan, the other three had sweat on their foreheads.
When they were about to leave, Jiang Cichen went to hold her hand and couldn't help but frowned: "Why are your hands still so cold?"
Luo Wan shook his head: "It's okay."
Xiao Ce, who had just left, suddenly turned back and handed over a round object: "Hand warmer, for warming your hands."
He met Jiang Cichen's gaze: "Do you think I would carry something like this with me? You can't imagine who gave it to me?"
Luo Wan looked at the Crown Princess's cloaked back and took the hand warmer: "Thank the Crown Princess for me."
"You can go and thank her yourself," Xiao Ce said, "She's been really sulking."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com