In the spring of the thirteenth year of Da Chu, in front of the Qi Mansion.
The spring sunshine shone obliquely on the bluestone floor. Outside the gate of Qi Mansion, the sound of gongs and drums was deafening. The place was extremely lively and the surrounding area was crowded with people who came to watch the fun.
Chu Qingniang stood in front of the vermilion lacquered door, her white fingertips gently resting on the food box - inside was the freshly steamed osmanthus cake, still steaming.
"Madam Chu, you are so lucky. The top scholar has come back this time and he will earn you a royal title!"
"That's right! But having said that, Qi Zhuangyuan's current success is all thanks to Madam Chu."
The neighbors were talking about it in a buzz, with envy in their eyes.
Chu Qingniang raised the corners of her lips slightly, and responded to everyone with a graceful smile.
At this moment, the sound of gongs clearing the way suddenly came from a distance.
“Here it comes!”
"The top scholar is back!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and there was a commotion in front of the Qi residence.
Chu Qingniang stood on tiptoe and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the vermilion procession turning the corner. A dazzling figure was riding a tall horse, slowly walking towards them.
The man was wearing a top scholar's red robe, which was very eye-catching in the sun. The python pattern embroidered with gold thread was faintly visible as the horse's body rose and fell. It was her husband, Qi Che, whom she had not seen for several months!
The yamen runners blew gongs to clear the way for him. Wherever the number one scholar's procession went, firecrackers exploded and pedestrians got out of the way. Everyone cast envious glances at the number one scholar on the horse.
Chu Qingniang looked up at Qi Che who was riding towards her on horseback. His red brocade robe and top scholar hat made him look even more handsome and elegant, with a face like a crown of jade.
He rode his horse through the bustling crowd and walked towards Chu Qingniang step by step.
This scene made others envious.
Chu Qingniang looked at the scene in front of her, her eyes smiling and her heart beating faster.
She knew that Qi Che was a man with ideals and ambitions. He cared about his country and studied hard day and night just to benefit the world.
It's only a matter of time before he goes to high school.
"Husband——"
Just as Chu Qingniang was about to speak, a gentle female voice came from behind Qi Che from a sedan chair painted in gold and embroidered with phoenixes!
Then, the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, revealing a slender hand wearing a jade bracelet.
Chu Qingniang's smile froze on her face!
Qi Che first looked at Chu Qingniang in panic, then quickly got off the horse and personally helped the person in the sedan out.
The woman had her hair covered with pearls and jade, her crimson skirt stretched to the ground, and the goldfish bag hanging from her waist was dazzling.
"Qingniang." Qi Che avoided her gaze. "This is Minister Gu's daughter Yanran. From now on, you two should call each other sisters."
In an instant, the entrance to the Qi Mansion, which had been bustling with people just now, was now as if everyone was under a spell, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone turned their eyes to Chu Qingniang at the same time.
Chu Qingniang's heart slowly sank as she looked at her husband of three years. But she saw Qi Che just lowered his eyes and looked at the blue bricks on the ground. She didn't know whether he didn't notice her gaze or he was too guilty to look at her.
"This must be Sister Chu, right?" Gu Yanran suddenly spoke up, and she adjusted the golden hairpin on her temples with her delicate jade hands. "My husband has told me about your situation. Don't worry. Although you come from a merchant family, you have served my husband after all. In the future, you just need to serve my husband well as usual in the mansion."
What I mean is, you just need to serve Qi Che well, and you don't have to worry about all the management affairs in the mansion.
Chu Qingniang ignored Gu Yanran and just stared at Qi Che. "Qi Che, do you still remember the oath you made in front of my father when you married me?"
At that time he promised that they would be together for the rest of their lives and would never take a concubine, otherwise he would be struck by lightning.
Qi Che trembled, and finally raised his head, but he didn't dare to look her in the eye, "Qing Niang, this is the door, let's go in and talk about anything..."
"What an ungrateful champion!" The maid Zhixia suddenly stepped forward, pointed at Qi Che's nose and cursed: "Back then, you were so poor that you didn't even have the money to go to Beijing for the exam. If it weren't for my young lady selling her jewelry to support your studies and taking care of your sick widowed mother, you wouldn't be where you are today? Humph, once you pass the exam, you abandon my young lady and marry another noble lady. You are so shameless!"
Zhixia took the food box from Shen Qingniang's hand, her almond eyes seemed to be spitting fire, "Miss, I'd better let this sweet-scented osmanthus cake be prepared for you. Even if you feed it to the dogs, you shouldn't let such a heartless person get away with it!"
When Qi Che heard this, his expression suddenly changed: "How dare you!"
"More outrageous words are yet to come!" Zhixia sneered and threw the food box in his hand to the ground, and the golden osmanthus cake rolled all over the floor.
"If you hadn't flattered me and asked me to marry you, and swore that you would never have two hearts in your life, how could my lady marry a poor scholar like you? Now that you have achieved success, you want to abandon me as your wife?
If I were you, I would bang my head against this pillar and die, so as to avoid being criticized by the whole world!"
The onlookers were suddenly in an uproar, and there were voices of pointing and criticizing.
"Oh my god, this top scholar looks so gentle, but how can he be so heartless! Isn't he just like Chen Shimei?"
"That's right. At that time, the Qi family was so poor that they could barely afford to eat. If it weren't for Madam Chu's help, they would have starved to death long ago."
"Scholars value integrity the most. How can such a treacherous person be worthy of wearing this top scholar robe?"
"Unfaithful man..."
The voices of the onlookers were getting louder and louder, which made Qi Che embarrassed for a moment.
"How dare you!" Gu Yanran reacted and immediately raised her eyebrows. "How dare a lowly slave who doesn't know how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is, insult an official of the imperial court in public? You are so bold! Someone, come and slap him in the face!"
Upon hearing this, several servants brought by the Gu family were about to step forward, but Zhixia dodged them.
"Who do you think you are? My lady hasn't even spoken yet, so how can you give orders here?"
Gu Yanran was so angry that she was shaking all over, and the pearl hairpin on her head was trembling, "This is really the opposite!"
She turned to look at Qi Che, her voice tearful: "Husband, are you going to let a servant humiliate you and me like this?"
Qi Che's face turned pale, and he looked at Shen Qingniang, warning her, "Qingniang, do you really have to embarrass me in front of outsiders?"
He took a deep breath and added, "Since you are at home taking care of your mother, I won't bother with you about what happened today, but you must let Zhixia apologize to Yanran immediately!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingniang curled up the corners of her lips into a sneer.
She walked slowly forward and, in full view of everyone, gently smoothed Zhixia's sleeves that were wrinkled by the servant.
"Lord Qi is so powerful." Her voice was gentle, but every word was as sharp as a knife. "If you want Zhixia to apologize, then let these servants brought by Miss Gu kowtow to Zhixia three times first."
After she finished speaking, Gu Yanran immediately stopped her fake sobbing, like a rooster with its throat strangled!
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