Chapter 54 Brothers
The three men, each with their own thoughts, returned to the Changhua Palace. As soon as they dismounted, they saw the Northern Yamen Imperial Guards escorting Meng Lanxi back.
They met at the door. Meng Lanxi came up to greet them, holding the white rabbit in her arms. The dimples on her cheeks were still charming. "It's very cold, are you cold, my lady?"
Qiandeng came back on horseback, feeling only hot. She took off her veil and handed it to Liuli, her cheeks flushed pink. She took the rabbit handed to her by Meng Lanxi and rubbed it: "Not bad."
Even so, her palms, exposed and holding the reins, were red from the cold. She inserted her fingers into the warm rabbit fur and breathed a sigh of relief.
The white rabbit lay obediently in her arms, motionless, allowing her to caress it.
The soft and warm fur made Qiandeng feel comfortable. As she was carrying it inside, she looked up and saw Jintang coming towards her with a small basket.
"County Lady, look what I found?"
He picked up the basket in his hand diligently and couldn't wait to show it to her.
The basket was exquisitely crafted, with finely woven bamboo threads mixed with gold and silver threads, creating an exquisite Baoxiang flower pattern. Among the riot of flowers, the most beautiful was the little white fox, coiled obediently within the basket.
It opened its pair of bright and slightly slanted eyes and looked curiously at the thousands of lights in front of it. Its furry and fluffy tail swayed slowly, which was extremely beautiful and charming.
Qiandeng couldn't help but let out a low "Ah" and freed one of his hands from holding the rabbit to stroke the little white fox's head.
The little white fox squinted its eyes obediently and even rubbed her hand actively. Its affectionate look was enough to melt people's hearts.
"It's very well-behaved. Its claws have been trimmed and polished, so it won't scratch people. You can hold it as you like." Jin Tang said as he picked up the white fox from the basket and handed it to Qiandeng's arms.
The fox's fur is not as soft as the rabbit's, but it is thicker and smoother than the rabbit's fur. Qiandeng handed the rabbit back to Meng Lanxi, holding the little fox and stroking it from head to tail over and over again.
Perhaps because there was great progress in the case today, she stroked the little white fox and felt that the depression in her chest was much relieved.
Jin Tang glanced at Meng Lanxi proudly, and saw him holding the rabbit in silence with his eyes lowered. There was a look of loneliness on his handsome face like a banished immortal, which made him feel a sense of victory in his heart.
Cui Fufeng shook his head silently and smiled, then said to Qian Deng, "I'm going to go to the Dali Temple first to file today's files."
Ling Tianshui also sent away the soldiers protecting Meng Lanxi, walked over to look at the fox, and asked, "Don't you, fox, stink?"
Jin Tang was in a good mood and took the opportunity to introduce Qian Deng: "County Lady, this fox's tail gland has also been removed. Smell it, it smells delicious."
Sure enough, the little white fox was scented with the rich fragrance of jasmine, which made people feel more relaxed.
Unfortunately, she had too many things to do, so she could only rub the fox's head again, then put it back into the basket and said, "It's so cute. When I have time, I'll go to the backyard to play with it."
After Qiandeng left, Jintang also picked up the little white fox in his hand, glanced proudly at the rabbit in Meng Lanxi's arms, and left.
"Tsk tsk, this rich man's son has such an ugly face." Ji Linyou, who had just returned from outside, threw away his whip, played with Meng Lanxi's rabbit, and asked Ling Tianshui, who was watching coldly, "Where were you busy today, cousin? I just took the brothers to the Northern Yamen Forbidden Army, but you were not there, so we all went empty-handed and had to go back."
Ling Tianshui asked: "What do you want from me?"
"Well, those idiots are always so lazy during training, yet they think they're doing pretty well. I want you to teach them a lesson, so they can open their eyes and understand what it means to be fully trained."
Ling Tianshui turned around indifferently and refused: "I'm busy."
"Hey, don't walk so fast!" Ji Linyou caught up and complained, "Look at you, is this how you treat your real relatives? You ignore me, your cousin, but you stick with Meng Lanxi every day."
Meng Lanxi, who was following behind them with the rabbit in her arms, looked at him silently and said nothing.
Ji Linyou blurted out, feeling a little embarrassed at this moment, and smiled at him: "Brother Meng, that's not what I meant. Well...cousin, let's talk for a moment."
Ling Tianshui, who was pulled to the corner by him, still looked at Meng Lanxi: "What's wrong?"
Ji Linyou asked directly: "Why?"
Ling Tianshui finally turned around and glanced at him inquiringly.
"That's right..." Ji Linyou was a little embarrassed to speak, "When my grandfather and uncles put you on the list of candidates for the county lady's husband, didn't they tell you anything?"
Ling Tianshui frowned: "What?"
"Strange..." Ji Linyou scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Didn't they say that we brothers should help each other and take care of each other?"
"No."
"Then, even if you don't take care of me, you shouldn't take care of Meng Lanxi!" Ji Linyou was depressed and aggrieved. "Don't talk about others, even I doubt that Meng Lanxi is your brother!"
brother.
When Ling Tianshui heard these two words, his eyes suddenly darkened and his jaw involuntarily tightened.
Ji Linyou hadn't noticed this subtle change and continued to complain, "The county lady wasn't feeling well, and you actually introduced Meng Lanxi to her... I can't understand! Shouldn't you have come to me, your cousin, to discuss this?"
I can't figure it out - what a coincidence, just now, she asked him the same question because she couldn't figure it out.
A strange irritation surged in his heart. He didn't know why he suddenly lost his usual calmness and indifference. His voice became stiff and cold: "Meng Lanxi knows medicine."
The same answer, which had perfunctorily appeased the County Lady, failed to convince Ji Linyou. He was about to ask back when Ling Tianshui suddenly asked, "Did you know that the County Lady was framed in the palace today and was almost punished by the court?"
Ji Linyou was furious, and he no longer cared about Meng Lanxi's affairs: "What! What's going on? Who dares to frame the county lady?"
"I heard it was a female official from Princess Gao's palace. Her family used to serve under Prince Changhua and was beheaded in public for violating military discipline." Ling Tianshui said a few words and walked towards Meng Lanxi, motioning him to return to Yilan Pavilion. "My cousin, if you have time, why not go to the Ministry of War to investigate the matter?"
Ji Linyou looked at this heartless and ungrateful cousin, turned around depressedly, and hurried to find out the news.
As the case began to make progress, Qiandeng returned home, changed his clothes and washed his hands, then went to the hall to burn incense for his mother.
Turning to the back hall and seeing the soul cloth covering the coffin, the queen's words echoed in her ears again -
"Remember, you must quickly choose a husband from among the candidate candidates within the next two days. After all, this matter cannot be delayed any longer."
She stared at her mother's figure on the soul silk, and vaguely the figures of the young men in the backyard appeared before her eyes, with jewels and jades, and phoenixes flying around.
However, the mystery remains unsolved and the suspect has not been identified. Who can she choose and who can she identify?
The anxiety and depression in her heart made her stomach cramp and she wanted to vomit, but she could only force out tears and had no way to relieve it.
She fled the mourning hall, leaned against the wall, took a deep breath, and tried her best to calm herself down.
After she calmed down, she went to Doctor Jiang to get some medicine for her injuries, then went into the backyard to thank Xue Xiyang.
"If Master Xue hadn't informed me of this dangerous situation in time, I would have been plotted against. Now I am ruined and have nowhere to go."
Because the matter should not be known to others, Qian Deng asked the maids to wait outside the door and personally delivered the ointment to Xue Xiyang.
"Why are you being so distant with me, Lady County?" Xue Xiyang smiled at her. "After all, I rely on you to take me in. If it weren't for you, I might still be suffering at home day and night."
Perhaps it was because of his naturally slightly upturned eyes; perhaps it was because of the corners of his lips that were always turned up, but when he gazed at her, he was shrouded in a gentleness that made people addicted.
Qiandeng felt his heart tighten. The person before him was so considerate and gentle, his words so tender and sincere. Could he also be suspected of being behind this?
And, extending it to the others, the high-spirited Ji Linyou, the gentle and considerate Meng Lanxi, the innocent Shangluo, the sincere Jintang, the ethereal and extraordinary Yan Penglai... She really couldn't imagine which one of them was the sinister mastermind behind the scenes.
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