Pei Mansion was the home of Qin Yuan's adoptive parents in Da Chu.
After Qin Yuan finished speaking, he stared at Chu Qingluan without blinking, his fingers slightly curled up, and even his breathing slowed down a bit.
Anticipation, nervousness, and a subtle hint of uneasiness.
Pei Mansion means a lot to him, it is his home in Da Chu.
Pei's father and mother were his benefactors who had raised him for more than twenty years. In a sense, they were closer to him than his royal grandfather.
Bringing Chu Qingluan back to Pei Mansion this time is just like an ordinary man bringing the girl he likes home to meet his parents.
She didn't come to visit as a princess, but... as someone Qin Yuan recognized.
After being stunned for a moment, Chu Qingluan understood the deep meaning of this.
She lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the smooth fur of the jade slave.
Yu Nu rubbed her palm comfortably, as if urging her to answer on behalf of her master.
Finally, she raised her eyes and raised the corners of her lips slightly.
"good."
"I will definitely go there tomorrow at 9:00 PM."
The light in Qin Yuan's eyes was instantly ignited, like a falling starry sky.
He suppressed the upward curve of his lips, and his voice was filled with unconcealable joy.
"Don't bother with the princess carriage."
"Tomorrow, I will wait for you at the palace gate."
As a man, how can you let the one you love come to your house alone?
He wanted to go back with her and announce their relationship to everyone.
…
Later, Chu Qingluan changed into plain and elegant clothes and left the princess's mansion with Liu'er.
Since she was going to Pei Mansion to visit Qin Yuan's adoptive parents, she couldn't leave empty-handed, so she planned to go to the street and choose some suitable gifts herself.
The streets are bustling with activity, and the sounds of hawkers can be heard one after another.
The carriage stopped in front of a silk shop. After Chu Qingluan entered the shop, she was carefully comparing a piece of cloud-patterned brocade when she suddenly heard a familiar quarrel coming from the alley.
"Li Yao, what exactly do you mean? You said you'd treat me to a meal, but what happened? Why did you call her over?"
At the entrance of the alley, Zhixia was glaring at Li Yao with a dissatisfied tone.
Li Yao looked helpless and tried to explain, "Zhixia, don't be angry. I just wanted... I wanted you and your daughter to have a good talk. After all, blood is thicker than water..."
Zhixia sneered: "So what? I said that I have no intention of returning to the Gu family, nor will I get involved with the Gu family. You deliberately set up this situation, do you think I have nothing to do?"
"That's not what I meant. I just felt..."
“That’s enough!”
"None of your business is my business! If you meddle with me again in the future, don't blame me for being rude to you!"
After Zhixia finished speaking, she jumped on her horse and whipped it hard. The sound of horse hooves clattered away and she soon disappeared at the entrance of the alley.
Li Yao stood there, looking at the direction Zhixia left, his face full of despair.
He hung his hands, his brows furrowed, as if he had suffered great injustice.
Seeing this, Chu Qingluan winked at Liu'er.
Liu Er understood and quickly stepped forward, saying to Li Yao, "Master Li, my princess invites you."
Li Yao was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw the princess' carriage not far away. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Her Royal Highness."
"No need to be so polite." Chu Qingluan raised her hand lightly.
"Just now I saw you and Zhixia arguing here, what happened?"
Li Yao pulled a wry smile from the corner of his mouth, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Highness."
Then he sighed deeply and told the whole story.
It turned out that he had specially asked Zhixia to go to Zuixianlou today, saying that he wanted to invite her to taste the newly arrived Jiangnan shad. Zhixia was reluctant to go, but she came anyway because she remembered that he had saved her in Youzhou.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the private room, she saw Li already sitting there, looking at her with a smile.
"Zhixia's expression changed immediately."
Li Yao rubbed his brows. "But she didn't lose her temper right then and there. She just ate half a bowl of rice perfunctorily and then made an excuse to leave."
Li wanted to persuade her to stay, but Zhixia just said coldly: "Madam Gu, please enjoy your meal. I still have matters to attend to at the Princess's Mansion, so I won't stay any longer."
After Li left, Zhixia turned cold towards Li Yao.
"How dare you plot against me?"
Her eyes were sharp, as if she had returned to the time when they first met in Youzhou, with all her thorns standing up.
Li Yao hurriedly explained that he just wanted to ease the relationship between mother and daughter, but before he could finish his words, Zhixia got angry at him.
So, the scene that Chu Qingluan just saw happened.
Chu Qingluan heard this and nodded thoughtfully.
She knew that there was a deep rift between Zhixia and the Gu family. Li Yao's intentions might be good, but he was indeed a little too hasty.
"Mr. Li, you are too impatient." Chu Qingluan said.
"Zhixia has a strong personality and hates being schemed against. The more you try to bring her together, the more she'll resist."
Li Yao smiled bitterly, "But I really can't bear to see my aunt crying every day. Zhixia is, after all, a descendant of the Gu family."
There is one thing Li Yao didn't mention. It is said that his uncle Gu Tingyuan has a concubine in the backyard who is pregnant. If she gives birth to a boy, then the prime minister's mansion will fall into the hands of the concubine's son in the future, right?
Li Yao didn't want to see his aunt, as the wife of the first wife, having to rely on others in the future.
Although my aunt can survive with the help of her family, it will not be good for her reputation if this gets out.
What my aunt hopes most right now is to ease the mother-daughter relationship with Zhixia.
Chu Qingluan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Has Madam Gu ever done anything to make Zhixia feel that she is truly repentant?"
Li Yao was stunned.
"She...she prays for Zhixia in the Buddhist temple every day and has collected many of Zhixia's childhood belongings..."
"This alone is not enough." Chu Qingluan interrupted him.
"Zhixia doesn't want tears or confessions, but the real 'now'. Just like when you blocked that fatal palm strike for her in Youzhou, she accepted you from the bottom of her heart, didn't she?"
"Because saving him in Youzhou was a 'present' favor, while the Gu family hurting her was a scar from the 'past'. She doesn't need family affection, she just fears being let down again."
Li Yao paused, and looked at Chu Qingluan in a daze with his peach blossom eyes.
He seemed to understand.
It was like he didn't understand anything.
Chu Qingluan sighed slightly, her eyes far-reaching.
"Zhixia believes in fists and money, but not in sweet words. The third day of next month is Zhixia's birthday. If the Gu family doesn't even know this, don't blame her for being cruel."
“Actions are always more powerful than words.”
In an instant, Li Yao was enlightened!
Just as he was about to bow to Chu Qingluan to express his gratitude, he saw that she had already lowered the curtain and told Liu'er to start.
Li Yao bowed solemnly to the rear of the carriage and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness!"
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