"Miss, it's raining heavily outside and the humidity is very high. Be careful not to catch a cold!" It is said that spring rain is as fine as silk and it falls continuously, which is quite charming. However, today's rain is comparable to the torrential downpour in summer. Slightly pushing open a corner of the wooden window, you can see the rain outside quickly pouring into the house!
Mu Chun was afraid that Yun Qianmeng would catch a cold again, so he quickly closed the wooden window and helped her to sit at the table. Then he took a clean handkerchief and carefully wiped the rain off Yun Qianmeng's hands, fearing that she would get sick again after being caught in the rain!
During this period, the eldest lady was first injured in the head, and now in the foot. She has been on medicine all the time, which makes Mu Chun very distressed. Therefore, he has been more careful in taking care of her in the details of daily life, for fear that Yun Qianmeng will fall ill again!
Yun Qianmeng watched Mu Chun hold her in his hands like a glass doll, and a warm feeling swept through her heart. Her mood suddenly brightened. Her cunning eyes flickered, and she stared at Mu Chun with a smile in her eyes and joked, "My Mu Chun is still considerate and attentive. I wonder which son will be lucky enough to marry you in the future!"
Mu Chun didn't expect Yun Qianmeng to joke with her. Her snow-white cheeks flushed instantly. She stomped her feet on the ground for a few times, holding the handkerchief in her hands helplessly. She pouted her red lips and complained, "Young lady only knows how to make fun of me! I don't want to get married. I only want to serve you for the rest of my life! What's the good of getting married? If you don't know how to judge people, I'm afraid I'll vomit to death!"
After she finished speaking, Mu Chun felt Yun Qianmeng staring at her with bright eyes, and those curved bud-like eyes were full of mischievous smiles. Mu Chun then realized that what she had said seemed to be a bit too much, and some of the words were not what an unmarried girl like her should say. She was a little angry and embarrassed for a moment, and no longer paid any attention to Yun Qianmeng, and ran out of the inner room with a handkerchief!
But Yun Qianmeng put away the smile on her face after she left, and thought carefully about Mu Chun's words in her heart. She felt even more pitiful for those rich girls!
Even a maid understood this truth, but those young ladies hadn't grasped it at all. They attended those so-called banquets all day long, just to find their future husbands. How could those noble young men only have one wife? Everything was just a family marriage, and they were just pawns in the hands of their elders!
"Miss, why doesn't Mu Chun come to serve you anymore? This girl is becoming more and more unruly!" Aunt Mi walked in quickly. There was no trace of moisture on her body at this time. It was obvious that she had shaken off the rain on her body when she came in just now, so as not to bring moisture into the inner room to Yun Qianmeng!
"Ma'am, please don't blame her! I was bored and teased the girl a few times, and she was shy and hid away!" Yun Qianmeng smiled and pushed a cup of hot tea to Ma'am Mi to help her get rid of the coldness in her body!
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's relaxed expression, Mi Ma Yan felt relieved. Seeing Yun Qianmeng being so considerate to her servants, she felt even more loyal to her. Without waiting for a breath, she whispered, "I have allowed Panlan to meet her family and asked her to promise that she would protect their lives!" Panlan was immediately grateful to the young lady and informed me of Aunt Su's recent actions!
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng's face lit up with a sneer, and she asked in reply, "No wonder Su Qing has been so quiet lately. I didn't expect him to start making moves behind the scenes! However, judging by how often my father has been running to the backyard recently, Su Qing is not far from falling out of favor. This struggle is just a last-ditch effort!"
Aunt Mi listened carefully to Yun Qianmeng's analysis and nodded in agreement. She then continued, "But Miss, don't forget, Su Qing's family is not bad either! Her eldest brother is now the Minister of Justice, and her second brother is the Minister of Revenue! They both hold important positions and should not be underestimated! If she joins forces with her brothers, I'm afraid it won't be so easy to deal with them!"
Yun Qianmeng had already heard the clues in Mi Ji Ma's words, so she asked with a smile, "Ma'am, is there any bad news? You don't have to say so much to make it easier for me to accept it. Is there anything I can't accept?"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's sharpness, Mi Wu Ma sighed inwardly and told Pan Lan everything she had heard. "Mrs. Su plans to give Pan Lan to the Minister of Justice tonight as his concubine! This must be a way to win over the Minister of Justice! If the brother and sister team up to secretly deal with the young lady, it will be hard to defend against!"
Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly after hearing this. She didn't expect that Su Qing had run out of tricks. She couldn't deal with her, and she even had to sacrifice her family!
However, now she has more than just the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion behind her. If she is hurt, Yun Xuanzhi will probably take Su Qing's life first!
I just hope Su Qing thinks it through before taking action, otherwise he will lose both the wife and the army!
"Mammy, tell Panlan that I won't make things difficult for her, nor will I let her betray her old master! She just needs to win Su Yuan's favor, disrupt the peace in the Su family's backyard, and make Su Yuan lose interest in Su Qing!" Yun Qianmeng spoke lightly, with a dark light in her eyes, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking at the moment!
Seeing that Yun Qianmeng was not affected at all and looked calm and composed, Aunt Mi knew that her young lady must have made up her mind. She immediately nodded in agreement and turned to leave the inner room!
At this moment, Mu Chun, who had finally finished being shy, walked in again. She bowed to Yun Qianmeng and said respectfully, "Miss, the owner of Zhulehang is here. He brought some musical instruments as you instructed!"
Yun Qianmeng nodded, then stood up, smoothed her slightly wrinkled skirt, and walked to the side room with Mu Chun's support. She saw a woman in her thirties sitting there drinking tea. Upon seeing Yun Qianmeng come in, she immediately put down her teacup, stood up, bowed to Yun Qianmeng, and said with a smile, "My humble servant Zhu greets the young lady!"
Yun Qianmeng saw her graceful manners, beautiful appearance, and a mature and confident temperament. She was completely different from those noble ladies who were kept in seclusion and only knew how to criticize others. She was curious for a moment. She had never thought that there was such a special woman in Xi Chu. It was really beyond her expectations!
And it was the first time that Zhu saw the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. She felt that she was different from the one that was usually said on the streets. She was very curious, so she took the opportunity to look at Yun Qianmeng while she was looking at her!
The young lady of the Xiangfu Mansion appeared frail, but her dark eyes gleamed with an incomparably resolute light, revealing a woman of exceptional strength. Meanwhile, Yun Qianmeng sat at the head of the table, a quiet and noble aura lingering around her. Even without speaking, it was impossible to ignore her. She was truly the savior of a wealthy family. This sparked a light in the eyes of the experienced Zhu family, who even compared the young lady of the Xiangfu Mansion to Princess Tian of the Sea King's Mansion.
"I asked Shopkeeper Zhu to come to the Prime Minister's residence today because I wanted to pick out some musical instruments! I wonder what Shopkeeper Zhu has to say?" Yun Qianmeng retracted her gaze and spoke with a gentle smile. Her eyes were full of warmth, without a trace of the arrogance of a young lady from a wealthy family...
Zhu couldn't help but be attracted by the smile on Yun Qianmeng's lips. After a while, she withdrew her gaze and replied respectfully with her head half lowered, "I don't know what instrument the young lady is good at. Only a common woman can choose for her!"
Hearing this, Mu Chun looked at Yun Qianmeng with some worry, wondering why her young lady suddenly wanted to buy a musical instrument. After all, as far as she knew, her young lady had never learned to play any musical instrument. In order to make the second young lady surpass the eldest young lady, Aunt Su had never hired a musician for her young lady!
At this time, Yun Qianmeng stood up from her seat, walked down from the first seat, and came to the several musical instruments placed in the room. She gently stroked the strings of the guqin with her bare hands, and then turned to pinch the strings of the pipa. A series of flowing melodies echoed in the room!
It looked like a casual brushstroke, but the expert Zhu noticed Yun Qianmeng's gesture, her smile widening as she stepped forward and introduced it attentively, "Miss, you have good taste. This guqin is named Luqi. You can see that its lacquer has a plum blossom pattern. Its sound is crystal clear and its appearance is beautiful. It is a rare and fine guqin! The back of the pipa is made of a whole piece of red sandalwood, and the materials for the Yamaguchi, Liuxiang, and Fengzhu are ivory shells. You can hear its strong and resonant sound, rich in the timbre of metal and stone. It is the first choice for guqin lovers!"
Yun Qianmeng heard that Shopkeeper Zhu had been introducing the pipa for quite some time, so he took the pipa in his arms and sat down, casually playing the five notes of "sharp", "tang", "loose", "crisp" and "explosive". As Shopkeeper Zhu said, the pipa had a good tone, and it was worth his strong recommendation!
But Yun Qianmeng had invited Zhu, the shopkeeper from Kyoto's largest musical instrument store, to come today. Buying musical instruments was secondary. She handed the pipa in her hand to Mu Chun, asking her to put it away. Yun Qianmeng smiled and said, "The instruments at Zhule Store are all made by famous artists, so they are naturally of high quality! Qianmeng just recently thought of wanting to learn a musical instrument. Could you please tell me what instruments are popular among the young ladies in the capital, so that Qianmeng can have something in common with them!"
Shopkeeper Zhu was a shrewd man. He understood Yun Qianmeng's intentions the moment she spoke. Furthermore, Yun Qianmeng had lowered her status to chat with a merchant like her, making her seem different from the other wealthy young ladies. He was also happy to talk about other young ladies. "The most famous talent in Kyoto is Princess Hai Tian of the Sea Prince's Mansion. Her guqin playing is truly superb, even the current emperor is full of praise! Then there's Miss Guan from the family of the Hanlin Academy scholar. She's proficient in guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and also plays the guzheng beautifully! The other young ladies from prominent families also quite like the guqin and guzheng, so these two instruments are the best-selling items at Zhule Store! This Luqi was just purchased today, and Miss, by chance, came across it!"
Yun Qianmeng listened quietly to her narration, a gentle and polite smile in her eyes. When Shopkeeper Zhu strongly recommended the guqin, she glanced at him at the right moment. Then she nodded and said to Shopkeeper Zhu, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhu! Please keep the Luqi and Pipa. Mu Chun, give the banknote to Shopkeeper Zhu!"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng buy two top-notch instruments from Zhulexing, Shopkeeper Zhu's smile widened. He casually mentioned, "Princess Haitian's specialty is 'Ten Flying Daggers'!"
Yun Qianmeng smiled and nodded, and asked Mu Chun to hand the already ordered banknotes to Shopkeeper Zhu. However, Shopkeeper Zhu just smiled and refused to take them. He then said, "The Prime Minister has just instructed me to let the young lady choose her musical instrument carefully, and to go to the account office to collect the money!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qianmeng asked Mu Chun to return to her side and asked Bai Mei to send Zhu away. Then she ordered the maids to move the two musical instruments back to the inner room!
Seeing Yun Qianmeng spend a lot of money on two instruments she didn't know how to use, Mu Chun was puzzled and said hesitantly, "Miss, the invitation to the Sea King's Mansion is in a few days. Are you planning to practice your piano skills?"
It's good that the young lady has this intention, but it's impossible to master superb piano skills in just a few days. This makes Mu Chun very worried!
Yun Qianmeng, on the other hand, smiled, with a hint of confidence in her eyes. Compared with the ladies of this era, although she was not proficient in all the arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, she was forced by her mother to learn a few musical instruments when her parents were still alive. Although she was not proficient in them, as long as she chose the right pieces and practiced for a few days, she would definitely not embarrass herself in front of Hai Tian!
And he had just heard a lot of information from Zhu. Since Hai Tian was good at guqin, he would choose pipa. This would not only avoid a collision between the two of them, but also make others less likely to compare!
I have to say that this time I can only choose the word... Qiao. Otherwise, with these few days, I will definitely not be able to create a talented Kyoto woman who can be compared with Hai Tian!
Yun Qianmeng's hands floated up to the strings of the pipa with some feeling, and the warm scene of the family of four emerged in her eyes. However, things have changed. Her parents were mistakenly killed by drug lords, and she and her sister depended on each other for survival. She vowed to find the murderer, but unexpectedly she died. She came to this era of constant conspiracies. It was really fate!
Her hands produced a string of first-rate melodies, and her smooth and skillful movements stunned Mu Chun who was standing by. She had no idea when her young lady had mastered such a great instrument!
Five days later, there will be a wedding banquet at the Sea King’s Palace!
Knowing that Yun Qianmeng was about to go out, but the old lady was in a rage these days, she only sent Nanny Miao over to give her a few words of advice. Among the other concubines and young ladies, only Liu Hanyu and Yun Yan got up early to come and pay their respects to Yun Qianmeng, prepare the things needed for the journey, and send Yun Qianmeng to the Xiangfu Garden before leaving again!
"Meng'er, be careful with your words and actions in the Sea King's Mansion, and don't try to take the lead! But don't let others suppress you. Don't forget, you are the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion!" This time, Yun Xuanzhi was waiting in the reception room. When he saw Yun Qianmeng coming out, he immediately came to his daughter's side and analyzed the interests earnestly!
Yun Qianmeng looked like she was learning something. She listened to Yun Xuanzhi's teachings and nodded from time to time!
"Madam Mi, have you prepared another set of clothes for the young lady to change into?" This was something Yun Xuanzhi had instructed a few days ago. If you didn't know, you would think that today was a banquet hosted by the Prime Minister's Mansion!
However, just in case, Yun Qianmeng asked Mi Tangma to bring an extra set of clothes and jewelry to avoid being embarrassed in case of an accident!
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have made all the preparations as you instructed and will take good care of the young lady!" Mi Mawu immediately stepped forward and replied in a low voice!
Yun Xuanzhi nodded in relief, but when he thought of Hai Tian's attitude towards Yun Qianmeng at the birthday party, he still felt a little worried. After all, Hai Tian was so arrogant in the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion that day. Now that Meng'er entered her territory, who knows what kind of situation will arise!
With this thought, Yun Xuanzhi immediately gave a solemn order to Guard Liu beside him, "You must protect the young lady..."
Guard Liu already admired Yun Qianmeng because of what happened last time. Since the Prime Minister had entrusted him with the task of escorting the young lady, he would naturally do his best. He immediately knelt on one knee and answered solemnly, "Yes!"
Yun Xuanzhi wanted to instruct Yun Qianmeng on a few more things, but they had already arrived at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion. In addition to the carriage with the royal blue roof, there were three more carriages!
A car with a dark red roof and the word "Rong" printed on the body!
A car with an orange roof and the word "Chu" clearly printed on the body!
In front of the last carriage, Qu Changqing was seen riding a white horse in front of the Prime Minister's residence. A tender white hand lifted the curtain of the carriage, and a smile as beautiful as a hibiscus flower immediately caught everyone's attention. Only a clear and pleasant voice like pearls and jade was heard, happily calling out to Yun Qianmeng, "Meng'er!"
Yun Qianmeng passed by the carriages of the Rong Mansion and the Prince of Chu's Mansion and came to the carriage of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion. She bowed slightly to Qu Changqing and said, "Greetings, cousin!"
Qu Changqing had no expression as usual, but when he looked at Yun Qianmeng, a look in his eyes flashed for a moment, then softened and nodded!
Yun Qianmeng then looked at Qu Feiqing who was waving at her, then turned to look at Yun Xuanzhi, who nodded. He then instructed Mi Mama and the others to load Yun Qianmeng's belongings onto the carriage of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion. He then instructed Guard Liu to follow closely behind to protect Yun Qianmeng. He then looked at Qu Changqing and said with a smile, "I'll have to trouble Changqing to protect Meng'er this time!"
Qu Changqing had no good feelings towards Yun Xuanzhi, but out of consideration for Yun Qianmeng, he nodded slightly. Seeing Yun Qianmeng get on the carriage, he ordered the convoy to set off!
However, no one came out of the carriages of Rong Mansion and Prince Chu Mansion. When the carriage of Duke Fuguo Mansion started, the carriages of the two families followed side by side. The scene seemed a little weird for a moment!
"What's going on with those two families?" Qu Feiqing had already noticed the carriages from Rong Mansion and Prince Chu's Mansion, and had heard a lot of discussions about them in the past few days. Out of curiosity, she asked with a smile!
But Yun Qianmeng shrugged and said helplessly, "Cousin, I think you already know everything. Why bother asking me?"
Seeing that Yun Qianmeng refused to tell the truth, Qu Feiqing pouted her lips, her face darkened and she said sadly, "You're hiding it from me too. How boring!"
Seeing her childish appearance, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but burst out laughing. She shook her head with a bitter face and replied, "The two mansions only sent some gifts because I was injured. Are you overthinking it, cousin? I was just about to ask, why did the Sea Princess go to the Marquis' Mansion a few days ago? Could it be that she has taken a fancy to you, cousin?"
It was originally a joke, but Qu Feiqing suddenly fell silent, her face full of pain. She immediately held Yun Qianmeng's hand and said unhappily, "Meng'er, to be honest, the Princess of the Sea is indeed here for her youngest son's marriage! But, you also know how powerful Princess Hai Tian is. If I marry her, how can I have a good life?"
As she spoke, Qu Feiqing had transformed from a cheerful girl into a worried girl, with her delicate and beautiful eyebrows tightly furrowed like a knot!
But Yun Qianmeng knew very well that Qu Feiqing was extremely unwilling, otherwise why would the hands holding hers tremble slightly!
What's more, when the Sea King's Palace was being selected for construction, in order to show his uniqueness, he actually chose Mingyang Mountain, a famous mountain in Kyoto. Mingyang Mountain is more than one thousand meters above sea level, and the Sea King's Palace was built halfway up the mountain, which consumed a lot of manpower and material resources!
This was nothing. The important thing was that if Qu Feiqing really married into the family, she would not be able to find her way back to her parents' home if she was wronged in the future! Thinking of this, Yun Qianmeng felt that the Sea Prince's Palace had ulterior motives in proposing this marriage. There were many famous ladies in the capital who were worth more than Qu Feiqing, so why did they only set their sights on her cousin?
"I wonder how the old lady and uncle responded?" Yun Qianmeng held Qu Feiqing's arms with her backhand and comforted her carefully!
Speaking of this, Qu Feiqing breathed a sigh of relief, her complexion slightly improved. "The old lady didn't reply to Princess Hai on the spot, saying that she would think it over carefully! Princess Hai didn't make it difficult for her either, but gave the Fuguo Mansion time to consider! But if this matter becomes a big deal, which young master would marry me? Wouldn't that make us enemies with the Haiwang Mansion? Even the emperor, for the sake of harmony between the monarch and his subjects and peace in the court, would never come forward for me for such a matter! This time, the Haiwang prince was blessed with a son, and the Haiwang specially sent his generals to personally deliver the invitation to the Fuguo Mansion. The old lady and father were worried that something might happen along the way, so they asked my eldest brother to escort me along!"
Having said that, Yun Qianmeng had some understanding of Qu Changqing's colleagues, but she was also very envious of their brother-sister relationship!
They had helped her so much and were her family, so Yun Qianmeng would not stand by and watch Qu Feiqing suffer any injustice. She said with a firm look in her eyes, "Don't worry, cousin. Meng'er will definitely stay by your side!"
Seeing her like this, Qu Feiqing felt warm in her heart and nodded with a faint smile!
As they were talking, the carriage had already driven out of the downtown area and headed towards Yangmingshan, where the Sea King's Palace was located. Due to the long journey, everyone set off at the hour of Yin. After being bumpy all the way for nearly half an hour, everyone's faces were tired. Yun Qianmeng lifted the curtain with one hand, and saw a gray haze outside. It must be the morning mist. However, compared to the clarity of the day, this mist was refreshing and invigorating. The tiredness that had just arisen also gradually dissipated. In the distance, a pale yellow morning sun was gradually rising along the horizon, shining on the earth as time passed. It was likely that the mist would disappear without a trace soon!
Leading the way in front was Qu Changqing, dressed as a nobleman. He sat on the horse with his back straight, his hands tightly grasping the reins, his expression full of caution. It was not difficult to see that he was a good brother. For a moment, Yun Qianmeng was reminded of the younger brother who was drowned by Su Qing. If he were alive, he wondered if he would protect his sister like Qu Changqing!
I wonder if Yun Xuanzhi knew that Su Qing drowned the baby boy that day. Although Yun Xuanzhi was not satisfied with his marriage with Qu Ruoli, as he longed to have a son, I wonder if he could bear to kill his own son!
Seeing Yun Qianmeng staring blankly outside the carriage, Qu Feiqing also leaned over to take a look. Seeing her elder brother's dedicated protection of her, she felt touched. However, she looked back and saw that the convoys of the two mansions were following her own carriage side by side. The servants of both families looked as if they didn't like each other. This made Qu Feiqing put aside her worries for a moment and laughed. "I didn't know that Prince Chu and Old Lady Chen were such naughty elders! Look at the appearance of their servants, it's really funny! But why didn't the two elders come out to meet me just now?"
Yun Qianmeng heard Qu Feiqing's description and recalled the scenes in Baishun Hall a few days ago. She couldn't help but smile. She then lowered the carriage curtain and said calmly, "It's foggy this morning. The old man's health is very important! Besides, it's unreasonable for an elder to come out to meet a younger generation!"
However, seeing that the King of Chu and Old Lady Chen would secretly criticize each other after just a few words, and they hadn't taken any action for such a long time, Yun Qianmeng began to wonder if there was anyone in those two carriages!
"Fei'er, Meng'er, the carriage is about to go up the mountain, you must sit tight!" At this time, Qu Changqing's reminder came from outside the carriage. Qu Feiqing immediately replied yes, and then she and Yun Qianmeng carefully held the handrails inside the carriage, so as not to fall out of the carriage and make a fool of themselves in front of others!
At this moment, the carriage suddenly accelerated. After a while of running wildly, the carriage was suddenly hit by something and shook violently for a few times. Then everyone heard the sound of arrows piercing the sky outside, followed by the howling of wild wolves. The smell of blood filled the air and gradually entered the carriage through the thick curtains, causing Qu Feiqing and Yun Qianmeng to frown. They wondered why wild animals would appear on the mountain road leading to the Sea King's Mansion?
Logically speaking, although this is in the mountains, the status of the Sea King's Palace is different after all. The road leading to the Sea King's Palace has long been an official road. How could such a situation occur on a narrow path like a goat's trail!
Besides, today is a good day for the Sea King's Mansion to entertain young ladies and gentlemen from various mansions. Why didn't they send people to clear the road in advance and let such a thing happen? Was this an accident or man-made?
Yun Qianmeng and Qu Feiqing looked at each other and both understood the suspicion in each other's eyes!
The two of them finally understood why Qu Changqing asked them to sit down just now. They were afraid that he had already noticed something unusual outside, and they were also afraid that their obvious reminder would let the enemy know, so he changed to a hint!
"Are you okay?" Qu Changqing asked with a hint of concern from outside!
Yun Qianmeng helped Qu Feiqing, who was sitting slightly crooked, to sit up straight, and then replied softly to the outside of the car, "It's okay! Is there anything wrong, cousin?"
Fortunately, the two families have been united this time, and Yun Xuanzhi, worried about Qu Changqing, has sent Guard Liu to follow. If Qu Changqing is injured, at least he still has Guard Liu! Otherwise, if he acts alone, he will fall into the enemy's trap!
"I'm fine. I hope no one is frightened!" This is what Qu Changqing is worried about at the moment. After all, the old lady and his parents have entrusted Fei'er Meng'er to him. If anything happens to them, he, as a brother, will regret it to death...
"It's okay! Please be careful, cousin!" In order to reassure Qu Changqing, Yun Qianmeng said calmly.
At this time, the sound of carriages and horses approaching could be heard outside. It must be that the servants of Rong Mansion and Prince Chu's Mansion had gathered around after seeing what happened in front. However, this made them much safer!
No matter who was behind this incident today and wanted to embarrass the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion, now that they have the help of the two mansions, I believe that even someone as arrogant as the Sea King would think twice before taking action!
As Yun Qianmeng had guessed, the second half of the journey seemed much smoother. After an hour, the carriage entered the Sea King's Palace, and after another half an hour of travel, it finally arrived at the gate of the Sea King's Palace!
Yun Qianmeng calculated the time carefully and found that the Sea King's Palace was comparable to the Imperial Palace, and even many times larger than the Imperial Palace!
After all, the last time he went to the palace to meet the Queen Mother, it took him half an hour to get there in a sedan chair!
But it only took half an hour to walk from the gate of the Sea King's Mansion to the main house, and they were riding in a carriage. How could the walking distance of the two be equal?
"Yangming Mountain is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The Sea King lives here, so he is not afraid of sneak attacks from villains!" At this time, Qu Feiqing's unintentional words pointed out the doubts lingering in Yun Qianmeng's heart!
Yes, it is surrounded by mountains on three sides, which can be said to be a place where one man can block the passage of ten thousand men. It is really a good place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack!
At this time, Qu Changqing had already dismounted, walked to the front of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and carefully looked at his two sisters inside. Seeing that they looked calm, he finally put his mind at ease!
Just as everyone was getting off the carriage, the Sea King's butler walked out from the gate. He took the invitation from Guard Liu and bowed to the group, saying, "Greetings, young ladies and gentlemen. Please come in!"
As he spoke, he welcomed Qu Changqing, Qu Feiqing and Yun Qianmeng into the palace. Guard Liu was stopped outside because he was carrying a long sword. Only Qu Feiqing's four personal maids and Mu Chun followed him in!
When everyone stepped into the gate of the Sea King's Palace, they were attracted by the scenery inside!
I have to say that although the Sea King is a military general, he is also a person who knows how to enjoy life. Every blade of grass and every tree in the palace are taken from nature. Even the rockery retains the characteristics of Yangmingshan. Except for the pavilions and towers built here, the rest of the objects retain the essence of nature!
Compared with the imperial garden of the palace, isn't it one or two levels higher?
I just wonder what Emperor Yugan would feel if he saw this scene!
The steward said little, but led the group further inside. After passing through the huge front yard, they saw an exquisite and magnificent palace before them. Every brick and tile was glazed yellow, similar in color to the bricks and tiles of the imperial palace. Such a bold move, it seemed that this Sea King was also a person who was not satisfied with the status quo. However, he was too powerful and lived on such a steep cliff. The censors must have never seen such a vulgar scene with their own eyes.
Just as everyone was speculating, a woman in a light pink palace dress walked out. The housekeeper immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing the newcomer, "Greetings, Concubine Zhou!"
Following the housekeeper's instructions, several people looked over and saw that this concubine looked to be in her early thirties, but she was very well-maintained and looked no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Her skin was delicate and fair, and she was slightly plump, giving off the air of a lady from a noble family...
Seeing the two young ladies and a young man, Concubine Zhou immediately greeted them with a smile and said cheerfully, "I guess they must be the eldest son and daughter of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion, and the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion! Our princess was just talking about you all, and I didn't expect you to come!"
Upon seeing this, Qu Changqing and others immediately saluted. Concubine Zhou accepted their salute with a smile, then sent the housekeeper away and personally led the three of them to today's banquet!
"My lords and ladies have been traveling all the way, so please enjoy some tea and snacks first! Once the young ladies and gentlemen from other mansions arrive, the banquet will begin on time!" Concubine Zhou always had a warm smile on her face, and her tone was soft and gentle. On the surface, she seemed to be a very easy-going person!
However, anyone who could survive under the swift and decisive Hai Tian must be no ordinary person. This made Qu Changqing and the others very nervous, and they all acted respectful and polite to avoid being found guilty!
After walking through the long winding corridor, a circular archway appeared in front of them. Just above the archway was written "Sui Yi Garden". The vigorous and powerful cursive script showed the writing skills of the writer!
"Your Highness has really good calligraphy!" Qu Changqing said this lightly!
When Concubine Zhou saw someone recognize the handwriting as that of the Sea King, she was surprised for a moment, then raised her eyes to look at Qu Changqing. Although he looked calm, he was still handsome and elegant. She couldn't help but admire him and said with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment! The prince would be very happy if he heard it!"
However, Qu Changqing said this not to curry favor with Neptune, but to remind his two younger sisters at the right time that they should not ignore Neptune's literary attainments just because he was a military general!
Yun Qianmeng and Qu Feiqing understood each other's thoughts, smiled at each other, and followed Concubine Zhou into... Suiyi Garden!
At this time, many young ladies and gentlemen were already waiting here. When they saw that it was the Sea King's concubine Zhou, they all stood up and saluted!
Seeing this scene, Yun Qianmeng and the other two finally understood that they were probably the only three people brought here by Concubine Zhou herself. Is there any other deeper meaning in this?
After bringing the three of them over, Concubine Zhou used the excuse that she was busy and temporarily avoided them!
As soon as she left, the young ladies and gentlemen who had just witnessed this scene looked a little repulsive!
Especially for Yun Qianmeng, who was clearly an unfavored lady in the Prime Minister's Mansion and had her engagement broken off by Prince Chen, but today she was able to benefit from the young lady and son of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion and had the Prince of the Sea's beloved concubine lead the way personally!
When they were at home, they were the apple of their elders' eyes, but now they have no choice but to be led by the steward of the Sea King's Mansion!
For a moment, undercurrents surged in "Sui Yi Garden", and all kinds of unfriendly eyes were directed at Yun Qianmeng. Qu Changqing naturally could not let his own people be humiliated, so he put his tall body in front of his two sisters, and the three of them sat down at a round table in the distance!
However, there were still some who didn't know how to live or die and rushed forward. Today, without Prince Chen's supervision, Yuan Qingzhou rushed to Yun Qianmeng like a wild horse, and wanted to sit beside Yun Qianmeng without any hesitation. However, Qu Changqing flashed and directly put Yuan Qingzhou five meters away. He stared at Yuan Qingzhou with cold eyes and said in a cold voice, "Young Master Yuan, have some respect! The Sea Palace is not a place where you can act so recklessly. If Prince Chen knew about this, Young Master Yuan would surely know the consequences!"
Yuan Qingzhou didn't want to see Prince Chen disappear today, only to have Qu Changqing show up. He was immediately furious, and relying on Concubine Yuan De's support, he shouted at Qu Changqing, "Qu Changqing, get out of my way! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"
Seeing that there was a good show to watch, everyone fell silent and stared at Yuan Qingzhou and Qu Changqing with wide eyes. They couldn't help but feel contempt for Yuan Qingzhou's nonsense regardless of the occasion!
Yuan Qingzhou wanted to make a big deal out of it, but when he saw Qu Changqing only looking behind him, he thought Qu Changqing was afraid of him. He couldn't help but feel a little proud and started boasting, "If you can do me a favor today, I won't forget your kindness!"
Qu Changqing already knew that Yuan Qingzhou was planning to do something bad to Yun Qianmeng, but for the sake of Yun Qianmeng's reputation, he did not respond to his words, lest when the matter became clear, everyone would criticize Yun Qianmeng again. And how could he let the people of the Yuan family hurt Yun Qianmeng again and again? Then the old lady would definitely not forgive him!
However, seeing the person gradually approaching Yuan Qingzhou, Qu Changqing felt relieved. He no longer paid attention to Yuan Qingzhou and walked back to his seat!
Yuan Qingzhou thought his soft and hard tactics had worked, and he was smug for a moment. Seeing Yun Qianmeng dressed up in her rare extravagant attire, he wanted to pounce on her immediately. But as he took a step, he found someone grabbing his collar. He was furious and turned around while shouting, "Who dares to stop me? I'll kill him..."
But what caught his eyes was the extremely cold face of Prince Chen. Yuan Qingzhou was so frightened that his hands and feet could not help but tremble. His tone suddenly turned down and he begged for mercy to Jiang Muchen with a sad face, "Cousin...you, why are you here?"
Damn it, didn’t Mingxing say that his cousin had something to do in the court and would be an hour late?
"Someone, escort the young master back to the Duke of Han's Mansion!" But Jiang Muchen ignored Yuan Qingzhou and threw him directly to the guards behind him, giving the order in a cold voice!
Poor Yuan Qingzhou was quickly taken away from the scene by the guards before he could even beg for mercy, while Jiang Muchen walked towards the culprit Yun Qianmeng with a cold face!
When Qu Changqing and Qu Feiqing saw that it was Jiang Muchen this time, they both became defensive and stared at Jiang Muchen who was getting closer and closer!
Yun Qianmeng, however, smiled faintly at Prince Chen. When Jiang Muchen stood less than half a meter in front of her, she stood up gracefully, bowed elegantly, and said softly, "Your servant greets Prince Chen!"
Seeing her so calm and composed now, and him still unable to let go of her, Jiang Muchen suddenly felt angry. A hint of resentment appeared in the eyes of both parties who had just calmed down. With a hint of sarcasm, he said, "How can you sit still?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Changqing and Qu Feiqing were immediately furious. Prince Chen's words could not help but mock Yun Qianmeng, implying that since her engagement had been broken off, she still had the nerve to show up at such a banquet!
But why didn't King Chen think about it carefully? It was not someone else who almost ruined Yun Qianmeng's reputation, but himself. And now he actually spoke viciously to a weak woman. It can be seen that this person has no grace at all!
But Yun Qianmeng heard his sarcasm
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