Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Three in One
The spring sunshine was shrouded in an atmosphere of dark clouds looming over the city, and the air was as stiff as a rock.
Everyone looked at this confrontation nervously. Not only did Zhang Junyi shut her mouth, but even Princess Jingxuan was a little at a loss.
Zhang Xiaoman looked at Lu Jiayi coldly. "May I ask what this person's official position is? Does he have any special authorization from the emperor? He keeps calling me a lackey. Chen Ling'an is a lackey, and what are your uncles? Are they castrated dogs?"
Everyone present gasped.
"How dare you!" Lu Jiayi shouted angrily.
"You're talking nonsense!" Zhang Xiaoman yelled.
"You dare to insult my uncle? You're courting death!"
"You're looking for death! You're such a fool, you're asking for death and you're dragging your uncle down with you!"
Unable to scold him, Lu Jiayi raised his hand and hit him.
Zhang Xiaoman was quick-witted and quick-handed. He held her arm with his left hand and aimed his right fist at her face.
"You dare to hit me?" Lu Jiayi's face burned red with anger. Relying on the few boxing and kicking moves he had practiced with the palace guards, he rolled up his sleeves and started fighting.
Zhang Xiaoman was no pushover either. He was strong and powerful, with legs as strong as iron and fists as hard as steel. He was holding his breath and attacked without mercy.
She fought in an unconventional way, with each move being quick, accurate and ruthless, without any fancy moves, and for a while she managed to suppress Lu Jiayi.
Zhang Junyi saw that things were going badly. She was the one who dragged the person here. Now she was standing on the shore watching the fun. Lu Jiayi would tear her to pieces later.
I can't care about my ladylike demeanor anymore, I'll just go ahead and do it.
One against two, no matter how capable Zhang Xiaoman is, he will be at a disadvantage.
Zhang Anyi was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. When she came, her aunt repeatedly told her to learn more from her third sister. She really liked this cheerful and enthusiastic sister.
Seeing that the third sister was about to suffer...
Grit your teeth and stomp your feet, and go!
She was weak and could only pick the softer of the two persimmons. She immediately hugged Zhang Junyi from behind, shouting in fear, "Have mercy on me, have mercy on me," and her arms tightly wrapped around Zhang Junyi's waist.
After escaping from the most intense battle, Zhang Junyi couldn't help but feel relaxed all over, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he was almost strangled to death by Zhang Anyi.
She actually meant it!
Zhang Junyi was furious. "Zhang Xiaoman bullied me, and you, a lowly servant, are taking advantage of the situation to rob me? I'll beat you to death."
For a moment, clothes fluttered, hairpins and rings jingled, delicate shouts filled the sky, birds chirped on the branches, and the guards on the shore were stunned.
It’s even more lively than a cheering team beating drums and gongs!
Princess Jingxuan had never seen such a scene before. After being stunned, she began to regret getting involved in this mess.
Today's event is the dragon boat race that the emperor values very much. If something goes wrong, not only will those four suffer, but she will also be in trouble!
She was not afraid of her father reprimanding or fining her salary, but she was afraid that she would not be allowed to leave the palace.
That person is coming back from the academy soon. If I miss this opportunity, I don’t know when I’ll see him again...
Unfortunately, both sides were already furious at this time and no one paid any attention to her attempts to stop them.
At the other end of the long causeway, the chief eunuch Lu Liang, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Chen Ling'an, followed by three or five eunuchs, and a few people in crimson and blue official robes came towards this side.
It must be the emperor who sent someone to question me.
They are about to be condemned.
Princess Jingxuan looked at the four people fighting in despair: Stop, don’t fight anymore!
Zhang Junyi and Zhang Anyi were already lacking in confidence. When they saw someone coming, they let go without waiting for someone to stop them.
The other two were still holding each other, neither willing to let go first.
As soon as Lu Liang raised his chin, a guard came forward to pull them apart. Just as the guard was about to touch Zhang Xiaoman, a hand stopped him.
Chen Ling'an glanced at the guard coldly, and with a slight movement of his hand, he blocked Zhang Xiaoman behind him.
"Clean it up," he whispered.
Xiaoman was still immersed in anger, staring at Lu Jiayi angrily, and didn't react to what Chen Lingan was saying.
"clothing!"
Xiaoman was startled and quickly looked down, then turned around with a red face and hurriedly picked up her clothes that were torn into a mess.
After the girls had cleaned themselves up, Lü Liang bowed to Princess Jingxuan, then looked at the four people who had been fighting and said in a deep voice, "Your behavior is so disrespectful that it has disturbed the Holy Emperor. Do you acknowledge your guilt?"
Xiaoman had completely calmed down by now, and immediately bowed her head, "Your Highness knows your mistake."
The other three realized their mistakes later and admitted their mistakes. Lu Jiayi looked okay. Zhang Junyi was very scared at first, but when he saw his father was there, he couldn't help but feel relieved and seemed even calmer than Lu Jiayi.
Zhang Anyi was trembling with fear and could hardly speak clearly.
"Do you admit your mistake?" Lu Liang's eyes flashed, his slightly pale square face unable to discern any expression. "Then where did you go wrong?"
You can't say that you called him a castrated dog!
Zhang Xiaoman's mind was spinning rapidly. She had many excuses to prevaricate, but would Lu Jiayi expose her?
The air was stagnant.
Seeing that the thorn in her flesh was about to give out, Zhang Junyi's body was boiling with anger, burning her head, and she actually interrupted and said, "Eunuch Lu, I know!"
Her voice was so loud that it immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Lu Liang chuckled twice and said to Zhang Wen beside him, "I've heard that your daughter is smart and courageous. Seeing her today, I can see that her reputation is well-deserved."
This sounded like a good thing, but Lu Liang seldom praised others. Zhang Wen was unsure of what he meant, so he had to smile smugly.
Zhang Junyi also felt that these words were unclear, but Lu Liang's smile was kind and did not sound sarcastic. Moreover, he had some friendship with his niece and had just defended her.
No matter how you think about it, you're praising her!
She was suddenly encouraged. "To Eunuch Lu, it was Zhang Xiaoman who provoked us first. She used foul language and slandered the eunuch like crazy. Sister Jiayi was so angry that she started arguing with her."
Lu Jiayi looked at her with disbelief in his eyes.
Lu Liang glanced at his niece lightly, "Oh, what did she say?"
"She said..." Zhang Junyi suddenly felt Chen Ling'an's gaze sweeping over him, cold and sinister, like a knife about to cut off his neck.
Her scalp exploded, cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she couldn't utter a word.
Lu Liang frowned.
Zhang Wen next to him naturally thought that Jun Yi couldn't say anything because Zhang Xiaoman's words were too dirty.
He was already furious.
This was a rare opportunity to accompany the emperor, and he had prepared a lot of good poems to suit the occasion, waiting to perform them in front of the emperor today.
After waiting and waiting, he finally found a chance and was about to offer a poem when a young eunuch came with a message saying that his daughter was in a fight.
I thought it was just a quarrel between girls, but I didn't expect her to dare to insult Lu Liang!
This girl can't be kept.
He had to get rid of her today, and in front of Lu Liang, otherwise it would not be enough to show his sincerity.
Zhang Wen sighed deeply, bowed deeply to Lu Liang, and said with a look of shame, "I have failed to discipline you properly and have offended you, my lord..."
"Fourth sister, you heard wrong. I didn't slander my father-in-law!" Zhang Xiaoman's clear voice suddenly rang out. "Miss Lu and I had a disagreement about the dragon boat race. We got so excited that we couldn't help but fight."
"Right, Miss Lu?"
She was sure that Lu Jiayi would cooperate with her!
Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation, Lu Jiayi nodded and admitted, "That's right."
Zhang Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief. "This dragon boat race is different from previous ones. The Jinyiwei can also participate. Miss Lu thinks this is unfair and opposes the Jinyiwei's participation. Is that right, Miss Lu?"
It was difficult to back down, so Lu Jiayi could only continue nodding.
Lu Liang's expression became serious, and he asked his niece, "Why?"
Lu Jiayi had no idea, and asked Zhang Xiaoman for help with a bitter face: Why?
Zhang Xiaoman smiled slightly. "Miss Lu said that in the eyes of most people, the Jinyiwei represent the emperor. Who would dare to compete with the emperor's dragon boat team?"
After saying that, she winked at Lu Jiayi.
Lu Jiayi readily accepted the advice, "The Jinyiwei got the first place for nothing, while the others trained hard for days and shed countless sweat, but in the end, it was all for nothing. It's obviously unfair!"
Zhang Xiaoman shook his head. "When the Jinyiwei entered the competition, it was like a drop of water dropped into a frying pan. The whole place exploded in panic, everyone was speculating... It's just a dragon boat race, what's the big deal?"
Lu Jiayi retorted, "How could it be so? You're just talking nonsense."
"Every year it's the same few dragon boat teams, taking turns to be first. What's the point? Maybe the emperor wants to see something new. Maybe he'll allow civilians to participate next year!"
"You know this now? Look at how capable you are. You've only been here for a few days, and you're already guessing what the boss is thinking. Aren't you afraid of losing your head?"
"That's totally irrational. Weren't you just trying to guess the Emperor's intentions? You'd be the first to lose your head. No matter how capable your uncle is, he can't protect you!"
Lu Jiayi raised his eyes and said, "You are looking for death!"
Zhang Xiaoman spread his hands and looked at Lu Liang helplessly, "That's how we started arguing."
Lu Liang's expression calmed down a bit, "Is that really the case?"
Zhang Xiaoman nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, if you don't believe me, ask the princess."
Before Lu Liang could speak, Princess Jingxuan quickly agreed, "I can testify that everything they said is true."
"I shouldn't be making irresponsible remarks about state affairs, but I truly find such remarks outrageous." Zhang Xiaoman raised her face and said seriously, "Whether they are the Imperial Guards or members of noble families, they are all subjects of the Emperor. They differ only in rank, not in position."
"No matter who you are, you should give your all in the competition to show your worth to the emperor who has come to watch the game under the scorching sun."
Zhang Xiaoman lowered her head again. "I've finished speaking. I lost control of myself in the excitement and disturbed the emperor. It's my fault. I accept the punishment."
Lu Jiayi gritted his teeth and said, "She didn't slander Uncle, she just mentioned him a few times. I was the one who started it, and I accept the punishment."
Zhang Xiaoman couldn't help but look at Lu Jiayi, and they both curled their lips in tacit understanding and looked away at the same time.
Zhang Junyi, who was hiding behind, had a look of disbelief on his face, and then panic gradually spread over him.
If what they said was true, then she was the one lying!
How would others view her? They would sow discord, frame her sisters... Not to mention her father would be furious, wouldn't Liu Jinshu look down on her even more?
The panic made Zhang Junyi's mind confused again. She straightened her waist, straightened her back, and used all her strength to try to let Lu Liang see her: No, no, they are lying!
Unfortunately, Lu Liang didn't even glance at her.
Suddenly, someone approached with a hearty laugh. "Well said! No matter who we are, we are all subjects of the Emperor. There is no distinction between near and far, inside and outside. Only by doing our best can we live up to the Emperor's great grace."
It was Qin Boyan, the son of Marquis Pingyang.
He winked at Zhang Xiaoman and sighed with deep emotion, "I'm a tall, strong man, but I'm not as insightful as a ten-year-old girl. I'm so ashamed, so ashamed!"
"My Marquis Mansion's dragon boat team will definitely give it their all." Qin Boyan squinted at Chen Ling'an, "Master Chen, this is your first time competing, so take it easy and be careful not to capsize."
Chen Ling'an curled his lips and said with a forced smile, "How could we, the Jinyiwei, ever fear the wind and waves? But you, the mansion, have lived in luxury for so many years. If you fell into the water, you would sink immediately and there would be no way to rescue you."
The atmosphere, which had just become lively, became a little tense again.
Lu Liang coughed twice to cool down the increasingly heated atmosphere. "The third daughter of the Zhang family, right? Not bad, not bad, Master Zhang, you have raised a good daughter."
His smile was more sincere, and Zhang Wen knew that he was really praising him.
Although the person being praised was not the beloved fourth daughter, she was still a girl from the Zhang family, so it was equivalent to praising myself!
Zhang Wen felt very relieved, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face. "My daughter is very crude. I worked hard to raise her to what she is today. I don't expect her to be outstanding, I just hope she will not bring shame to the Zhang family's reputation."
Xiao Man said, "I grew up in the countryside and knew nothing. After returning to the Zhang family, thanks to my mother's careful teaching, I finally understood some of the principles of life."
laugh--
Someone laughed.
Zhang Wen's face suddenly turned purple.
Zhang Xiaoman sneered secretly. She would never give the credit to this cheap father for nothing!
With a flick of his whisk, Lu Liang said with a smile, "It's a rare occasion for the Emperor to go on an outing. Let's talk about something fun so as not to spoil the Emperor's mood. My Lords, what do you think?"
The censors who heard the news looked at each other. These girls neither bullied others nor disrupted the government. At most, they impeached them for being "improper and lacking dignity", which was meaningless and made them look petty.
What's more, Lu Liang has reminded them - this is not the right occasion, don't ask for trouble.
Therefore, those people had no objection.
"Uncle..." Lu Jiayi said cautiously and in a somewhat flattering manner, "Can we leave now?"
Lu Liang nodded at her from a distance and said, "For the sake of Princess Jingxuan and the care of you gentlemen, I will forgive you this time. If there is a next time, you can go back to your hometown in the countryside."
Lu Jiayi stuck out her tongue and said, "Yes."
The storm dissipated and Lu Liang and others left.
Zhang Wen originally wanted to teach Xiaoman a lesson, but when she saw Chen Ling'an standing beside her and not leaving, she couldn't vent her anger no matter how angry she was. She could only hold her chest, which was aching from holding it, and leave.
Chen Lingan glanced at Xiaoman and said, "Come here."
Xiaoman followed him with a smile, "This is called turning misfortune into fortune, turning disaster into blessing. I do have some luck."
Chen Ling'an turned around suddenly.
Xiaoman was chattering away and didn't pay attention. She bumped into him and said, "What are you doing? You bumped into me and my nose is sore."
Chen Ling'an sneered, "You're calling Lu Liang a castrated dog, do you really think you're lucky enough to have escaped this?"
Xiaoman was shocked, "How did you know?"
"Don't you see where we are? Everyone's every move is under surveillance by the Jinyiwei. How could I not know?"
"That……"
"Lü Liang is a cautious man. He doesn't want to spoil the emperor's good mood. He also has the reputation of the Pingyang Marquisate, so he raised it high and then put it down gently. Otherwise, how could you deceive him with your nonsense?"
Chen Ling'an said in a bad tone, "You are too reckless. It's just a few harsh words. If you don't like it, just ignore it. Why is it necessary to fight? You really disturbed the emperor. You have enough heads to chop off!"
Xiaoman lowered her head, her toes gently stepping on the pebbles on the ground, and said like a mosquito humming, "Is it worth it..."
Chen Lingan didn't hear clearly, "What did you say?"
"It's worth it!" Xiaoman raised her head suddenly. "No one can insult you. Even if they chop off my head, I will curse and fight back!"
Chen Ling'an was stunned.
The May breeze, carrying the fragrance of an unknown flower, blew in, swirling around the hem of his bright red clothes, raising some folds in his clothes, and then slipped away in a flash.
Chen Ling'an lowered his eyes. "I've heard countless words more vicious than this, and I don't care anymore."
"I care! They're just prejudiced against you, following the crowd and spreading rumors. They want to blame all the misfortunes on you!"
"If they were willing to spend even a little time to get to know you, they would know how good you are: kind, brave, honest, intelligent, and eager to learn..."
"It's not just because you saved me, you're also very kind to other people in the village. When Xiao Lengzi had a fever, you carried him to town to see a doctor overnight. When we didn't have enough money to buy medicine, you pawned your jade pendant for money."
"Widow Zhang has a young child, so you've been helping with all the rough work like fetching water and chopping firewood. It rained for days in June. If you hadn't spotted the signs of a flash flood, the whole village would have been ruined. And more..."
As if afraid that he would forget, Xiaoman counted the past events on her fingers, and sweat oozed from the tip of her nose in anxiety.
"Enough!" Chen Ling'an suddenly interrupted Xiaoman.
"Don't try to label me a 'good guy'. I saved you for a purpose, and I helped the villagers for a purpose as well."
"It's to win Mr. Lin Ting's favor and recommend me to Prince Yan's Mansion!"
The wind stopped and the scorching sun shone directly down, making Xiaoman shiver.
"I deceived Mr. Lin Ting and got to Prince Yan's Mansion as I wished. I worked hard all the way to get to my current position. Do you think my hands are clean?"
Chen Ling'an let out a breath, suppressing the inexplicable anxiety in his heart. "You must know my life story. How can I be a kind-hearted person with such a deep blood feud?"
"...You're a good person." Xiaoman took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to cry and smiled, "Don't be so stubborn, I'm very good at judging people."
"I'll say it again, to achieve my goal, I will stop at nothing and use everyone I can, including you."
He turned around and said, "I hate naive fools, stay away from me."
After taking two steps, he paused, "Let go!"
"No!" Xiaoman grabbed his sleeve tightly, her cheeks puffed up again, "Unless you beat me to death. I warn you, if you kill someone under the emperor's nose, you will be punished."
Chen Ling'an almost laughed out of anger. He pulled hard and the sleeve came back, causing Xiaoman to stagger.
Although he immediately reached out to support her, his tone was still cold, "Stop trying to joke around, I'm not kidding you."
"I'm serious too." Xiaoman muttered, realizing that this would only make things awkward for them, so she took out a snack from her purse and handed it to him, "Yanjin plums, your favorite."
Chen Lingan glanced at it and didn't take it. Before leaving, he said, "I hate eating this the most."
"You say one thing and mean another!" Xiaoman wrinkled her nose at his back, threw the salted plum into her mouth and chewed it.
It was sour and astringent, making my nose feel sore and tears almost fall.
A crisp sound interrupted Xiaoman's thoughts.
Under the shade of the willows in front of the pavilion, Zhang Junyi covered half of his face and ran away with his head down. Lu Jiayi shook his hands and smiled disdainfully.
Princess Jingxuan shouted a few times, hesitated for a moment, and was about to chase after him when a palace maid stopped her and said something. Princess Jingxuan looked in the direction Zhang Junyi ran, turned around and left with the palace maid.
The long embankment returned to tranquility.
Xiaoman walked slowly to the shade of the willows, nudged the dumbfounded Zhang Anyi, and said, "Let's go back."
"Stop," Lu Jiayi said, "I have something to ask you."
This time Zhang Anyi got smarter. Without waiting for anyone to say anything, she immediately lifted her skirt and ran away.
Lu Jiayi: "How dare you lie? Aren't you afraid that I'll expose you?"
Xiaoman smiled and said, "I didn't dare to do that at first, but when my good sister reported me, you looked so surprised that I knew you didn't want your uncle to know the whole story."
Lu Jiayi snorted, "You're smart."
After all, Chen Ling'an is the number one figure in the Jinyiwei. If the emperor had not intended to train him for a few years, the position of commander would have been his long ago.
It is true that Zhang Xiaoman scolded her uncle, but she also scolded Chen Ling'an.
Her uncle treats her like his own daughter, and what she says may seem to others to represent her uncle's intentions.
We must not let the emperor misunderstand that my uncle is suppressing Chen Ling'an with the intention of dominating alone.
It's a pity that she lost her mind for a moment and was provoked by Zhang Junyi's few words into doing such a stupid thing!
"I won't let her go." Lu Jiayi gritted her teeth. "She thinks she's of noble birth and has always looked down on me. I taught her a lesson a few times and she behaved herself. I didn't expect her to dare to use me as a pawn. Just wait and see."
Xiaoman silently mourned for Zhang Junyi for a moment.
"Do you like Liu Jinshu?" Xiaoman asked suddenly.
Lu Jiayi was startled, "Who told you that?"
"I guessed it." Xiaoman was secretly proud. "Today is the first time we meet, and you targeted me as soon as we met. I thought you were good friends with Fourth Sister and wanted to vent her anger, but now it seems that is not the case."
"If you're not venting your anger for her, then you must be displeased with me. There's no hatred between the Zhang and Lu families, and I've never offended you. After thinking about it, the reason might lie with the man."
Xiaoman stretched out two fingers and shook them. "I only spoke to two men alone today: Chen Ling'an and Liu Jinshu. You probably saw them both."
She smiled slyly and said teasingly, "You didn't even glance at Chen Ling'an just now. It definitely wasn't him. It could only be... As expected, I tricked you out! You really can't hide your thoughts."
Two red clouds flew up on Lu Jiayi's cheeks. Her unspeakable secret was suddenly exposed. The feeling of shame and fear made this arrogant young lady want to cry.
When Xiaoman saw her like this, he felt sad for no reason and could not say anything to tease her. He could only sigh softly.
Lu Jiayi was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage, "Do you need to pity me? You should pity yourself. The Liu family's Pingyang Marquis Mansion is all on the side of Elder Chen. Chen Ling'an will definitely take action against them. You're stuck in the middle, it's going to be so unbearable!"
She kicked the tree next to her hard, then fell to the ground in pain, holding her leg.
"Are you okay?" Xiaoman wanted to laugh but was too embarrassed to do so.
Lu Jiayi gasped in pain, "How can it be okay? Try kicking it."
"Um... do you want to call a doctor?" Zhang Anyi tiptoed over.
Lu Jiayi cried and choked her, "You don't need to be so attentive. There is no good person in the Zhang family."
Zhang Anyi shrank his neck and dared not speak anymore.
Lu Jiayi's tears fell down, but she covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from crying out loud.
Xiaoman silently blocked the curious gazes of passers-by.
Lu Jiayi wiped her face and said, "Don't think that we are friends just because we lied together. I don't like you."
"It's the same here. I don't want to be friends with you either." Xiaoman clapped her hands and stood up. "Let's say goodbye now."
-
On the way back, Zhang Anyi looked at Zhang Xiaoman's face and said, "I don't think Miss Lu is crying because of pain..."
Xiaoman didn't respond to her question.
As a family of scholars and a pillar of integrity, the Liu family would never marry the niece of a eunuch.
Lu Jiayi herself knew it very well, otherwise she wouldn't be so sad.
The more she suppressed herself, the more she desired it. She probably unconsciously revealed her admiration for Liu Jinshu, which allowed Zhang Junyi to take advantage of her.
Xiaoman sighed lightly, everyone has their own troubles.
When they came out from the shade of the willows, the sun was already high in the sky, shining the riverbank white. By the time they reached their own tent, the two sisters were covered in sweat.
Mrs. Jiang was anxious and angry. She started scolding Xiaoman and even hit her on the back a few times.
Xiaoman knew that her stepmother was worried about her, so she listened obediently to her mother's instructions and did not forget to coax her whenever she had the chance.
"Butler Lu gave up for the sake of the Crown Prince's uncle, and I knew that my mother must have begged the Marquis's Mansion to intervene to save me."
She buried her head in Mrs. Jiang's shoulder. "I was so scared at that time. I thought I was going to die. I almost cried. What would I do without my mother? What would I do without my mother..."
The voice gradually became nasal.
Mrs. Jiang's heart ached when she heard this, but her face remained stern. "You're still afraid? Even if I gave you a stick, you'd poke the sky open! If you do it again, I won't care whether you live or die."
Xiaoman sniffed, "I really won't dare to do that again."
"Learn your lesson!" Madam Jiang poked her forehead with a finger, and her tone towards Zhang Anyi softened considerably. "It's amazing that you're so young and still know how to protect your sister. Go down and change your clothes. Later, go to the Marquis' Mansion with your mother to express your gratitude."
Zhang Anyi nodded stiffly and was led by the maid to the back to wash up again. Zhang Xiaoman was left with Mrs. Jiang and was not allowed to leave until she had spoken to her for a long time.
Princess Xiaoqin was of a higher generation, so many people came to pay their respects. By the time they had packed up and sat back down in the colorful tent of Marquis Pingyang's mansion, several noble ladies were already sitting inside.
The girl from the Zhang family made such a big fuss that it was impossible to hide it. Several curious eyes were immediately cast at her.
Most people, proud of their status, glanced and then looked away, but there were also some who were not so tactful as to come over and ask, "Why don't you see your fourth daughter?"
Mrs. Jiang said calmly, "He had heatstroke and was sent home."
Suddenly, three cannon shots were heard, and the lake and the embankment immediately became boiling with excitement like thousands of troops.
The dragon boat race has begun!
Zhang Xiaoman looked nervously at the eight dragon boat teams on the lake, but unfortunately, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find Chen Ling'an.
"Looking for Jinshu?" An unfamiliar noblewoman glanced at her. "He must be accompanying the emperor at this time. Look, it's on the high platform over there. You can't see him from here."
Calling Liu Jinshu by his first name directly should indicate a close relationship.
Zhang Xiaoman didn't know how to address the other person, so he just smiled and said no.
The man obviously didn't believe her. He looked at the lake and smiled meaningfully, "It's so lively today. It's a pity that Cousin Qin didn't see it."
You don't think she's fighting for a man, do you? Xiaoman's brow ridges twitched twice, and she suddenly had a bad feeling.
People suddenly cried out in surprise.
Xiaoman hurriedly looked towards the lake.
But at the bend, an orange dragon boat deviated from its course and rushed straight towards the red dragon boat of the Jinyiwei next to it. The red team accelerated and narrowly passed by the orange team, avoiding a capsize.
But the black team on the other side of the red team was not so lucky. With a bang, they hit the one that was hit hard!
Small black and orange flowers were scattered on the water. Fortunately, there was a rescue boat nearby, which immediately rowed over to rescue the people.
"It's too dangerous! What if someone dies?" Mrs. Jiang sighed. "In a competition based on strength, even if the Jinyiwei take first place, what good will it do? Doing such things is unbecoming of a noble family."
Xiao Jiang coughed lightly, signaling her sister to stop talking.
Those sitting around are either aristocratic families or families of upright officials. Their stance is naturally opposed to that of the Jinyiwei, so it is better not to offend the public.
Perhaps stimulated by this, the red team held their breath and paddled hard, rushing from the middle position to third place, only one step away from the second place.
The grandstand not far away suddenly erupted in cheers, with colorful flags waving and gongs and drums roaring.
Especially the leader Zhou Yongchang, who clenched his fists and waved them constantly, opened his mouth wide and shouted loudly, more excited than all the Jinyiwei.
Little Jiang whispered to her sister, "The Zhou family's only son has gathered a group of playboys and is beating drums and gongs to cheer on the Jinyiwei. I don't know what he's thinking - his parents are still in prison, and people are scolding him for recognizing a thief as his father."
"Could it be that Chen Ling'an coerced him?" Mrs. Jiang said it herself, she didn't believe it. Zhou Yongchang was just a useless playboy who didn't even have an official position. How could he be used?
Little Jiang frowned.
Chen Ling'an made some kind of guarantee to the Liu family because he was afraid that Mr. Zhou would not be able to hold on and say something he shouldn't in the imperial prison. That's why Zhou Yongchang worked so hard!
Putting people in the imperial prison is also a form of protection - after all, the imperial prison is Chen Ling'an's territory, and even Lord Chen cannot reach in.
The prince who had previously worked for the Liu family was stabbed in the back by the Liu family!
What is even more worrying is that not all the officials who are affiliated with Lord Chen and the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion are clean. If Chen Ling'an finds any evidence against them and causes them to become alienated, it will be troublesome.
Little Jiang sighed heavily, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Zhang Xiaoman.
It would be great if I could get some information out of her...
Suddenly there was a cheer, and Xiaoman, who was staring at the lake intently, stood up.
The red team has taken the lead!
In the relatively quiet colorful tent of the Marquis' Mansion, her voice was particularly harsh.
Mrs. Jiang felt embarrassed for her and pulled her back, "Little girl, be quiet. Don't you see where you are sitting?"
Xiaoman also knew that he had gone a little too far, so he shrank his neck guiltily, sat down quietly, and made no more unnecessary movements.
In the end, the Embroidered Uniform Guard won the first place and the Pingyang Marquisate came in second.
Everyone expressed regret.
The eldest princess, however, smiled and said, "As long as I don't lose the house or the land, it's just for fun. What's the big deal? Besides, I'm tired of being number one all the time. Occasionally, being number two is quite refreshing."
He also instructed Xiao Jiang, "Twenty taels for each person participating in the competition, ten taels for each person not participating, and prepare ten tables of fine banquets to reward our fleet!"
Little Jiang guessed what the grandmother was up to. "Why not just distribute the reward money now? Holding the money in your hands, you won't have any random thoughts in your mind."
The eldest princess smiled and nodded.
Xiao Jiang immediately made the arrangements. Xiaoman looked at the servants coming in and out of the mansion, lost in thought.
"Do you understand?" Mrs. Jiang asked quietly.
Xiaoman nodded.
This is done for the emperor to see. If the Jinyiwei participates in the competition, the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion will definitely not make random guesses. Whether it is first or second, they will accept it happily.
The eldest princess must have reminded the prince, so in front of Manager Lu, his tone changed drastically and his behavior was completely different from before.
Mrs. Jiang was very satisfied, but when she turned around and saw Zhang Anyi with a confused look on his face, she couldn't help but sigh.
The daughter of a chancellor was a good girl, but the old lady raised her so dumb and wooden! Fortunately, she is not a bad person at heart. With proper education, she can be changed.
The dragon boat race ended and it was almost noon, and the guests of the Marquis' Mansion were about to say goodbye.
The guests were just saying something else when a eunuch in red tunic came in, lifting the door curtain and calling out, "Is the third daughter of the Zhang family here?"
The air suddenly became still.
Zhang Xiaoman and her daughter looked at each other in shock. Madam Jiang calmed herself down and pulled Xiaoman forward, saying, "This is my third daughter. May I ask what you may want from me, father-in-law?"
The eunuch laughed and said, "I dare not accept your order. The Emperor, after hearing your daughter's opinions on the dragon boat race, was greatly pleased and gave Miss Zhang the third daughter a white jade ruyi carved with lily and persimmon."
Then a young eunuch came forward with a tray, on which was placed a jade ruyi that was as white as snow.
No matter how smart Zhang Xiaoman was, he was dumbfounded by what he heard.
The eunuch reminded with a smile, "Third Miss?"
Zhang Xiaoman finally understood and quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, your humble servant respectfully thanks you for your grace!"
Amidst a sea of envious and puzzled gazes, Xiaoman took the heavy jade ruyi. "Eunuch, how did the emperor know what I said?" she asked in a low voice as she stood up.
The eunuch smiled and said, "Master Chen mentioned the girl when he was chatting with the emperor."
Xiaoman was stunned again.
Stay away from me!
open!
…
No matter how much he disliked her, he was still thinking about her. With this Ruyi, Manager Lu would not come after her, and her father would not blame her.
The blood in my body suddenly began to boil like water, my heart was beating wildly and I couldn't calm down. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and my mouth felt sweet, sour, and slightly spicy.
It's like eating a salted plum.
She was still a little dazed until she got on the carriage going home.
Madam Jiang laughed happily, "Are you so happy you're silly? Our Xiaoman has also been praised by the emperor. Let's see who dares to say anything bad about you in the future."
"Thanks to Chen Ling'an for speaking up for me," Xiaoman said with a smile, "I want to thank him very much."
This time, Mrs. Jiang did not reject the invitation outright. After a moment's thought, she said, "Thank you, but you don't have to show up. I'll go. If you can't come home, let's borrow Linyuan's space to set up a table for the thank-you banquet."
Lin Garden is one of the three most prestigious private gardens in Jiangnan. It was originally the residence of the renowned Confucian scholar Lin Weiqian. Twelve years ago, Lin Weiqian resigned from office and wandered the world, leaving the garden unused.
The garden is now managed by the Lin family. They not only rent out the fields, forests and ponds, but also set aside a place with the best scenery for scholars, dignitaries and nobles to hold banquets and have fun.
Moreover, the Lin family's private dishes are even more unique. No matter how picky Chen Ling'an is, he can't find any fault with them.
Xiaoman's eyes lit up. "This place is great, let me go too. I'm not bragging, but my mother alone may not be able to invite him."
"Come if you want!" Mrs. Jiang glared. "It's just right if you don't come. It saves me money."
"Mom..." Xiaoman gently shook her stepmother's arm.
The word "mother" made Mrs. Jiang's heart tremble.
It was the first time someone called her "mother".
Both of her children died in infancy, and the children in the mansion only called her "Madam," which was more respectful than affectionate. Only Xiaoman was willing to call her "Mother."
And "niang" sounds different from "mother".
Mrs. Jiang turned her head and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. When she looked back again, her face was stern.
"I don't know what's so good about the guy named Chen that makes you think about him day and night. Forget it, if I don't let you get what you want, you'll definitely be thinking of making trouble for me again and causing me another mess."
Xiaoman cheered and twisted around excitedly while hugging Mrs. Jiang. If it weren't for the car roof pressing down on her, she would have jumped up.
The carriage began to shake violently, and Mrs. Jiang groaned as if she had a headache, hiding from her. "Stop, you're shaking me dizzy!"
The laughter reached the carriage behind. Zhang Anyi was extremely envious. Although he couldn't see anything, he still lifted the curtain and secretly looked at it for a long time.
It was already afternoon when we returned to the Zhang family's gate.
Mrs. Jiang smiled and said, "Before I left, I asked the kitchen to keep the fire going. Just tell me what you want to eat. I'll cook a special meal just for you two today."
Zhang Xiaoman never treated himself badly. He had eaten plenty of snacks and refreshments in the morning and was not hungry at all at this moment.
I wanted to say no, but I saw Zhang Anyi's lips move, as if he wanted to say something, but in a moment he lowered his head awkwardly.
Xiaoman immediately changed her mind. "I want stir-fried beef, pork skin jelly, celery and lily bulbs, almond tofu, and a plate of rose and goose oil steamed buns. It's so hot, something cold would be best. I think...I'd like the Ice Snow Leng Yuanzi!"
Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes at her. "You're a bit smart. Everything else is easy to deal with, but beef is hard to come by. How can it be so perfect that when you want to eat beef, there just happens to be a sick or old cow that has died?"
"Mom told us to order whatever we want." Xiaoman hummed.
Mrs. Jiang tapped her forehead, smiled, and then looked at Zhang Anyi, "Where's the fifth girl?"
"I, I... can do anything."
He seemed so cautious, afraid of saying the wrong thing!
Mrs. Jiang sighed and put her arm around her soothingly. "I remember you like shrimp. Would you mind adding a plate of braised shrimp and two trays of mixed soup dumplings?"
Zhang Anyi nodded, a smile appearing on his face.
"I also want candied roses and licorice kumquats," Xiaoman chattered. "Please prepare some more. My fifth sister and I will take them back to make fruit tea. We'll rinse them with well water; they taste better when they're cold."
Mrs. Jiang held her forehead with her hand. "Okay, okay, we have everything. We also have your favorite Yanjin plums and the dried apricots that Fifth Girl likes. I always have them on hand!"
Zhang Anyi looked up at Mrs. Jiang with wet eyes.
Someone called out "Madam" from behind.
Following the sound, I saw Zhang Bi, the eldest son who was studying at Nancui Academy!
His face was covered in sweat, and he was still wearing the white academy robe. There was a large stain of ink on his cuff, as if he had knocked over the inkstone in a hurry.
His appearance inherited all the advantages of Zhang Wen and Aunt Yao. Even though he was covered in sweat and dust and his clothes were shabby, it did not diminish his handsome face in the slightest.
"Why are you back? Is everything okay?" Mrs. Jiang was very surprised. She hurriedly pulled him over and looked at him carefully for a while. She was slightly relieved after confirming that he was not injured.
Zhang Bi was fully focused on preparing for the Autumn Examination and had previously said that he would not be back for the holidays, but he suddenly showed up today. No wonder she was nervous.
"I..." Zhang Bi was about to speak when a woman's crying voice suddenly came from the second door.
Then I saw Aunt Yao with her hair disheveled, running towards this side crying, "My son, help me!"
Mrs. Jiang's face turned ashen.
"Son, you're finally back!" Aunt Yao threw herself into Zhang Bi's arms, hugging her son and crying non-stop, "If you had come a step later, you would never see me again!"
She covered her mouth and sobbed, looking like she had suffered a lot of injustice but couldn't express it.
There were melodious cries in front of the second gate, and the scene was full of pity. Anyone who heard it cried, and anyone who saw it felt sad.
Even the gatekeeper and the servant in the outer courtyard couldn't help but hide behind the door and peek.
Zhang Bi frowned, pushed Aunt Yao aside, stepped forward and bowed to Madam Jiang, "Greetings, Madam."
"Get up." Mrs. Jiang's tone was much colder than before. "If you have something to say, you're crying and making a fuss here, making people laugh at you."
Aunt Yao hid behind her son and shook her head in fear, "No, I won't go. I have no face. I'm not afraid of being laughed at, but I'm afraid of losing my life!"
Mrs. Jiang hated her behavior the most. Just as she was about to get angry, Xiaoman held her hand.
Xiaoman stepped forward, pointed at Aunt Yao, and shouted, "How did you lose your life? Who wants your life? You're so shameless, pretending to be pitiful by making insinuations. You have a pretty good idea of yourself."
Aunt Yao was so angry that she was fuming, but because her son was present, she had to continue crying weakly and unable to take care of herself.
"Son, look at what kind of life your mother has been living!" She hugged Zhang Bi again with a wronged look on her face.
Xiaoman turned sideways to reveal Mrs. Jiang behind her, "Your son's mother is here!"
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