Chapter 77: Calculation. He Ruxi looked up instantly, she was being calculated...
He Zhiliao appeared in front of the door at some point, looking coldly at Xu Xinran who was talking to Pei Ji.
He always had good intentions towards men and women in the same situation, knowing that if allowed, everyone would want to become a man. But this did not mean that he would be so kind as to tolerate the other party forcing his husband in the street, or even threatening to marry him.
He could not stand the other party's behavior, whether he was jealous or ignorant of etiquette. If he continued to pester her, it would probably attract people to watch and talk, which would not be a good thing.
Not to mention that Pei Ji had already refused it himself.
What surprised Xu Xinran even more than He Zhiliao's crude words was that he could actually speak!
Everyone knows that the eldest son of the He family is a mute who was born unable to speak. This disease is incurable and this is something everyone knows.
But she didn't expect that He Zhiliao was actually talking at this moment!
"You, you can actually speak?" Xu Xinran was shocked, but she quickly realized that this was not the time to say such things. "Lord Pei Sizheng, you misunderstood me. It was His Majesty who intended to arrange a marriage for us. Harmony between our two families is also beneficial to the government!"
He Zhiliao remained silent, thinking about how to say it briefly and effectively without letting the other party realize that he was not completely recovered yet!
But his silence made Pei Ji feel uneasy. He couldn't possibly be truly thinking about what that crazy woman said, right?
This little mute is really outrageous!
"Don't listen to her nonsense. His Majesty has already agreed not to grant the marriage, and I have already expressed my feelings to His Majesty. You are the only one in my life. Don't be bewitched by her. She is very bad." Pei Ji hugged him as if no one was around, and blew into his ear, fearing that he would really consider it.
He Zhiliao didn't expect him to say this, but since Pei Ji didn't want to, he had to go along with what he wanted.
He wouldn't say it directly, and he doesn't want to.
Xu Xinran didn't expect Pei Ji to say that. She licked her dry lips, her beautiful eyes filled with anticipation. "I just hope you two don't misunderstand me. If the benefits of our two families marrying outweigh the disadvantages, I won't compete with Zhengjun for it."
Listen to your fart.
He Zhiliao wondered silently, how could Emperor An really want the Pei and Xu families to marry?
Not to mention what the Xu family is like, just because the Xu family has the support of Master Jin and is the family of the Queen and the Crown Prince, they will definitely not allow powerful families to marry each other.
This logic does not need to be explained to others. Your Majesty is not only on guard against the Pei family and the Jin family, but also against all the aristocratic families.
Even if His Majesty had said he would allow the marriage between the two families, it must have been just a superficial test. How could he agree so easily? I think the reason they were willing to let him marry into the Pei family was because he was a mute and unpopular member of the He family, which would greatly weaken the Pei family's arrogance.
We are not fools, so why do we have to say those specious words here?
"Go away." Pei Ji raised his hand and ruthlessly chose to drive away Xu Xinran who was talking nonsense.
Xu Xinran's eyes widened instantly as she looked at the Pei family guards who were gradually approaching him. She was nervous and scared. She thought her identity would make them wary.
But he forgot that this is the Pei family's territory.
The only one that can make them afraid is the Pei family.
"Miss Xu, please."
Xu Xinran looked at the tall and strong guards. She wanted to say a few more words, but she didn't want her reputation to be ruined here. She could only get on the carriage with red eyes and great reluctance.
Only after watching him leave did He Zhiliao feel a little relieved.
It can barely be considered as defeating the enemy without fighting.
"Why did you come out? Could it be that we have telepathy? You came to greet me as soon as I arrived at the door!" Pei Ji still held him tightly and refused to let go. He put his arm around his shoulders and led him inside, handing him the things in his hand. "Freshly baked pastries, still warm, with thin skin and rich fillings!"
Unlike his arrogant and domineering personality, Pei Ji does not like to eat strong-flavored food, and even does not eat sweet snacks to go with tea.
His diet is extremely light, perhaps that is why he has developed such a good physique.
Everyone knows that the skin is thin, the filling is rich and sweet, so you must have tasted it.
He Zhiliao was easy to coax. She just held some snacks and let the matter go. Pei Ji couldn't be blamed.
Now that he knew about this, Pei Ji naturally would not hide it from him anymore, so he told him the whole truth, emphasizing that he had never been tempted by the so-called interests. After all, he was not stupid.
"Try, it's okay!" He Zhiliao wanted to say it to test the water, but his throat became hoarse and his voice became cracked.
Pei Ji was amused by him and laughed, "Yes, it was a test, but I was wondering why the Queen did this? Can you guess?"
He Zhiliao thought about it carefully. She didn't know much about the queen during this period. After all, she was the queen of the central palace. As long as the Jin family did not fall and she did not commit the mistake of killing nine generations of her family, her position would still be stable.
But knowing that she had already torn her relationship with the Pei family, she still pushed Xu Xinran to the Pei family. Was she trying to win her over, or was she going to fight against the Pei family openly?
"I don't know." He Zhiliao shook his head. He really couldn't figure it out.
After all, the Queen had falsely accused Concubine Rong of wanting to kill her unborn child, which had caused such an embarrassing situation. How could she still think about repairing relations with the Pei family?
When something is abnormal, there must be something wrong. No matter what, we must be vigilant.
"Then we'll just deal with them as they come. Don't think about them." Pei Ji took him to sit down and opened the oil-paper package. "Try it and see if it tastes good. If you like it, I'll buy it for you every day."
"No... every day..." He Zhiliao swallowed a mouthful of tea to moisten his throat. These snacks were already sweet and greasy. If he had to eat them every day, wouldn't he get tired of them? He didn't want that.
Pei Ji quickly nodded in agreement. Seeing that he was eating happily, he reminded him, "Eat less. It will be time for dinner later. Don't overeat."
He Zhiliao nodded obediently and gave Pei Ji a thumbs up to show that he understood.
After eating two snacks and drinking a cup of tea, I felt that my stomach was full, and I felt at ease and comfortable.
Perhaps he really believed in Pei Ji's determination, Emperor An never mentioned the matter again, and even scolded the empress for making such a suggestion.
Ever since the last attempt to frame Concubine Rong failed, the Queen had been completely ignored by Emperor An. He even told her in person that there must not be any problems with Concubine Rong's fetus. It was obvious that he was on guard against her.
The Queen knew that Emperor An was completely unreliable and her only hope was the Crown Prince. Now the Crown Princess had a prominent family background and concubines to entertain him, so the most important thing now was to give him two concubines.
Therefore, the queen prepared to hold another flower-viewing banquet.
Unfortunately, the date of the flower viewing banquet overlapped with the date of the banquet that Meng Wanxin was originally planning to hold, so she destroyed all the invitations that had not yet been sent out.
He Zhiliao never cared much about the Queen's flower-viewing banquet. He didn't need to establish a deep friendship with the Queen, and the Pei family didn't expect anything from the Queen. It was enough for them to get along on a daily basis.
What's more, they had already fallen out in the first place, so he only needed to find a pretext to shirk the responsibility.
That's what he originally thought, but Meng Wanxin wanted him to go.
This was what he had promised. In order to get rid of He Ruxi without dirtying his hands, he chose to form an alliance with Meng Wanxin. This was not a bad thing, because compared with the last situation, no matter what she did this time, it would not harm him.
He Zhiliao still chose to go. It was also based on the servants' message that he learned that Meng Wanxin had somehow persuaded the queen to allow her to bring He Ruxi into the palace.
I think they are going to attack her in the palace.
He Zhiliao didn't really care when or how to take action. All he wanted was a result, a result that He Ruxi would die.
Living a life worse than death is certainly torturous, but wouldn't you feel even more resentful when you think about her still being able to linger on?
On the day of the flower viewing banquet.
Pei Ji was particularly worried about him entering the palace. After all, there was a previous experience. If something happened to him in the palace again, he really should ask the Imperial Observatory to calculate the feng shui.
He Zhiliao was amused by him. This time when he entered the palace, he was not the protagonist, so those people naturally would not stare at him, so he would be much safer.
It’s a pity that Pei Ji’s finally-earned day off today will be delayed for the whole morning.
"Wait for me to come back." He Zhiliao reminded before leaving.
"I won't go anywhere until my sweetheart comes back." Pei Ji leaned against the door frame like a boneless person, lowered his head and kissed him, "I'm angry, remember to come back and comfort me."
Little Zhiliao immediately patted his chest and promised, "Remember...really!"
Pei Ji was satisfied, and ate the light rouge on his lips with particular reluctance before letting him go.
Why put on rouge when seeing those crazy women...
The flower viewing banquet was held in the Queen's Palace as usual. Now that he had been to the palace several times, he was familiar with the place. He Zhiliao didn't come early. When he arrived, the other rich ladies and gentlemen had already arrived.
As the queen's daughter-in-law, Meng Wanxin should have helped with the reception. However, this was the imperial palace and she couldn't take the spotlight. So she waited anxiously for He Zhiliao to arrive, and only felt relieved when she saw him.
She turned to look at He Ruxi beside her, "You saw it, I said he would come, I don't bother to lie."
She used this excuse to trick He Ruxi into coming. As early as after He Ruxi entered the Prince's Mansion, she found that the other party seemed to care about He Zhi very much. If he were there, she would definitely be willing to come.
He Ruxi's eyes darkened. She tried to meet He Zhiliao many times, but was rejected every time. She really didn't understand why he hated her so much. The slap marks on her face had just disappeared not long ago. She didn't dare to provoke him, but she couldn't help but hate him.
"Crown Princess, are you really unaware that he can already speak?" He Ruxi followed Meng Wanxin closely, trying to sow discord between them, not to mention that she was not wrong.
Meng Wanxin didn't believe her at all. She glanced at her and chuckled, "Instead of spouting nonsense like that, you might as well use some powder to cover up the slap marks on your face, so others won't think the prince is abusing you."
These were ordinary words, but she didn't know which words hurt He Ruxi. She subconsciously touched her face and gently covered her face and neck with powder.
Meng Wanxin took a deep breath and walked closer to He Zhiliao, "Si Zhengjun, I didn't expect you to be invited here. It's been a long time since we last met. Zhengjun seems to have gained a lot of weight."
This means he has gained weight.
He Zhiliao smiled slightly, that was because he ate well.
"Our Zhengjun thanks the Crown Princess for her concern." Chun Jian thanked her with a smile, almost accusing her of meddling in other people's business.
Meng Wanxin knew why this flower viewing banquet was held, so she felt complicated. The girls who came were of some family background, but not above her, which would also make it easier for her to control them in the future.
But when it comes to choosing wives and concubines for their husband, no one can be so calm.
She didn't want to waste any more time with He Zhiliao, so she just smiled and asked him to sit anywhere, then she turned to chat with the young ladies, so that she could get to know them better and choose the one that was easier to control as her concubine.
But He Zhiliao didn't expect that he actually saw Sun Qin.
"Azhi." Sun Qin walked over to him and called him softly, "I came here because I knew you were coming."
【This is to select a concubine. 】
He Zhiliao nodded slightly and told her the purpose of the banquet. If she was really chosen, she would probably be tortured to death by Meng Wanxin when she entered the Prince's Mansion.
Sun Qin shook her head repeatedly, "I dare not. No one would look down upon me with my personality. I just sent you an invitation and came to see you since I knew you were coming."
【Be careful.】
"I know." Sun Qin said it very seriously. They all knew that the harem was a man-eating den of devils, and if they were not careful, they might be doomed.
He Zhiliao didn't say anything more. All his thoughts were on Meng Wanxin. He really wanted to know how she was going to get rid of He Ruxi without making any noise.
If she ruined the Queen's flower-viewing banquet, even if she was the Crown Princess, she probably wouldn't be able to get away easily.
After all, He Ruxi was not from a noble family, and was ultimately just a concubine who was not presentable. Meng Wanxin allowed her to enter the palace, probably to humiliate her more.
She had never seen such a scene, so she could only follow Meng Wanxin. It seemed that the Crown Princess had taught her well, and even the concubines were respectful to her.
The queen quickly dressed neatly and came out, greeted by all the young ladies from the aristocratic families. Although she had been neglected by Emperor An for many days, she was still graceful and elegant.
After all, a queen is a queen.
"The flowers in my courtyard are in full bloom. You can enjoy them as much as you like. Don't feel uncomfortable." The queen had a smile on her face, and she looked like a truly gentle and loving mother.
Sun Qin muttered something and then stuffed the cake into his mouth.
He Zhiliao heard her words clearly. It was really bold of him to whisper about the Queen in the Queen's Palace.
But he wouldn't say anything. After all, he also felt that the queen was very hypocritical and could push people into the abyss if she was not careful.
The young ladies all knew the purpose of this banquet, and some of them kept trying to show off in front of the queen.
Some were reciting poems, some were playing the piano to liven up the atmosphere... Everyone around them had a special skill, and their beautiful young faces were filled with joy and excitement. They all thought that if they could marry into the prince's mansion, it would be a blessing that they had accumulated for several lifetimes.
"Pei Sizhengjun, please take a look too. After all, you are an experienced person. What do you think of their performance?" The queen's words drew everyone's attention to him.
There was a hint of pride in those eyes that were full of experience.
They were deliberately using him as a scapegoat to make him offend those young ladies. Even though those young ladies' family backgrounds were not as prominent as the Pei family's, a thousand-mile dam could be breached by a single ant. If the weak gathered together, they could do both good and bad things.
He Zhiliao, of course, wouldn't speak easily. He made a few random gestures, and Chun Jian followed suit. "Reporting to the Queen, our Lord Zhengjun means that the young ladies you have selected are all very good. If they become your daughters-in-law in the future, it will be a blessing for them."
The Queen became even more interested. "This gesture is rare. Just by moving it casually, you can say these words. With your eloquence, it's no wonder that you can capture Pei Si's heart so firmly."
She was just looking for trouble on purpose.
He Zhiliao was sure.
But the person in front of him was the queen. Even if she made sarcastic remarks and insults, he could only bear it. As he said, the queen was still the queen after all.
After the queen finished speaking, no one in the courtyard dared to respond, and most people were just waiting to watch the show. At this moment, a voice was transmitted to everyone's ears.
"Empress Rong has arrived—"
Everyone looked towards the door of the Queen's Palace and saw Concubine Rong coming in late with a bulging belly. She was more than seven months pregnant, and the bulging belly represented her future honor and favor.
She didn't need to find wives and concubines for the Ninth Prince. It was obvious who she came here for.
Rong Fei smiled and saluted the Queen, "Your Highness, I greet you."
"Hurry up and get up! You're pregnant, how can you perform such a grand ceremony?" The Queen said, standing up and actually coming down to greet her. "Come sit next to me."
Rong Fei was supported by her maid and sat next to her. She breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at He Zhi who was pushed out.
She smiled and said, "This brother-in-law of mine has always been sensible and has no bad heart. Not only Yunzhou, but even I like him very much. Even His Majesty said that Yunzhou is well managed by him and asked him to come to the palace to pay his respects often."
Oh, His Majesty said he was good?
Then it doesn't matter whether he is really good or not.
The Queen laughed. "It was just a joke. My sister is pregnant and should take good care of herself. If anything goes wrong, I will be blamed."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will naturally not let anyone harm the baby in my womb. Besides, Your Majesty has been ordered to take care of my baby. I think no one dares to cause trouble for You." Rong Fei's expression and posture were very humble, as if she respected and feared the Queen very much.
No one could find fault with her, even if she was a little careless in her words, but she was now pregnant with the dragon seed and was favored by the emperor, so who could really go against her?
"Yes, sister, please take good care of me." The smile on the queen's face did not diminish, but it did not reach her eyes.
Rong Fei didn't care whether she was really happy or not, she waved to He Zhiliao and said with a smile: "It's rare for you to come to the palace, you should also taste the palace cakes. When you leave the palace, I will ask the kitchen to make some more for you, you like it."
Thank you, elder sister.
He Zhiliao smiled and bowed to her. This was the most intimate way of addressing her. He knew that Concubine Rong had come despite being pregnant just to support him.
Rong Fei then signaled the servants to bring another stool for him to sit next to her. She didn't believe that anyone would dare to find fault with him.
Because He Zhiliao sits high up, he can see clearly.
He Ruxi's family background is not good enough to fit in with those young ladies. And for those young ladies, they will all be competing for status in the future and vying with each other for the prince's favor. But the crown princess is different from them. The crown princess will be their backer, so their attitude towards He Ruxi is obviously resistant.
After all, a concubine is only slightly higher than a maid, and she is just the prince's concubine.
The young ladies had all gained the favor of the Queen, so they began to talk to each other in groups of two or three. They had to get to know each other better in order to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses.
They soon dispersed in front of the queen, but the queen didn't seem to care much about them, as if she had already decided which lady to choose as a concubine, and even mentioned the idea of marrying a second wife for Pei Ji.
She sighed, "It's all Xinran's fault. She had to fall so deeply in love with Pei Si that it almost caused misunderstandings."
"They are deeply in love, how can it be called a misunderstanding? The Queen's words are really funny." Rong Fei said and laughed, "But the Queen should also remind her not to chase him to his house again, otherwise people will think she is throwing herself at him."
The relaxed expression on the queen's face faded, and she seemed too lazy to talk to Pei Yueting anymore, so she picked up the teacup and drank it.
The Queen's Palace is exceptionally spacious, and there are mountains and water in the courtyard outside, which makes it convenient for the concubines to relax even in the palace. Besides, she is the queen, who was once the most favored in the six palaces. What doesn't she want?
Meng Wanxin brought He Ruxi to talk to those young ladies. He Ruxi more or less knew what she meant. She just wanted to personally select a suitable concubine so as to form a united front.
If the other person can do it, then naturally she can do it too.
"Ms. He, just find someone you can talk to, just think of it as having another friend. I see the lady in front of you, she is alone, why don't you chat with her." Meng Wanxin was too lazy to see her stand out in front of her, so she spoke to send her away and continued talking to the lady in front of her.
Even if she didn't say anything, He Ruxi would find an excuse to leave. After hearing what she said, she hurried to find the single lady. She also needed a friend to talk to.
"Miss, why don't you talk to them?" She walked up to the young lady and asked with a smile, trying her best to appear gentle, and a faint fragrance spread out.
The young lady looked at her and smiled, "We just chatted for a long time, and I'm a little bored now. But you are kind-hearted and thought I was lonely."
Seeing how easy it was to talk to her, He Ruxi immediately started chatting with her. She smiled and said, "I just want to find a friend I can get along with. If you can enter the Prince's Mansion, we can become even closer."
"If it's really as sister said, then I will definitely get along well with sister, cough cough..." The girl coughed a few times after she finished speaking.
He Ruxi didn't know her identity and thought that her throat was blown by the wind, so she took her to another place. But the further they walked, the heavier the girl's cough became, and even her face looked a little ugly.
She was frightened and hurriedly supported her, "What's wrong with you?"
The girl leaned against her, her face was abnormally flushed, and even breathing became difficult. Her throat seemed to be torn, and it was hissing.
She chuckled softly, "You smell really good, what's that smell?"
He Ruxi didn't know why she brought this up at this time, but she still patiently replied, "It's lilac water, what's wrong?"
"I have insufficient vital energy and suffer from hay fever. I just can't stand the smell of lilac flowers." She laughed after she said that, but she was in He Ruxi's arms. No one could see her smile, only her discomfort.
He Ruxi didn't understand how she laughed, but at this moment she vaguely sensed a bad premonition. She quickly called for help, and everyone gathered around her in a moment.
“Snap—”
A crisp slapping sound was heard as the nanny's heavy slap landed on He Ruxi's face, leaving finger marks on her face. She fell to the ground in pain, but quickly knelt down again.
"Please spare me, Queen, I didn't know she had this disease!"
"He, you are so arrogant! Even if I had told you before that she had the possibility of becoming a concubine, you couldn't do such a thing today in my mother's palace!"
He Ruxi looked up instantly and realized that she had been tricked!
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The author has something to say: Little Zhiliao: "Let me take a look!" [covering face to peek][covering face to peek][covering face to peek]
Pei Gouzi: "Old witches, don't try to bully my Zhiliao. I'm calling for help!" [Angry][Angry][Angry]
Pei Yueting: "The baby is about to be born, and you still have to take care of the child..." [melted][melted][melted]
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