Chapter 48
There is a lot of frost in October, and the rice warehouse is full.
The weather had started to get cold in the blink of an eye, and everyone in the mansion had made new winter clothes in advance. Looking at the gloomy sky, Zhong couldn't help but ask Qingning to bring this year's new cotton padded jacket to the Princess's Mansion.
The emperor had been angry with his eldest sister for more than a month, but now his anger has finally subsided. Many of the palace servants guarding the small side door of the eldest princess's mansion have also been withdrawn, so Yue Qingning finally has the opportunity to go in and see how the eldest princess is doing these days.
Just as she entered the inner courtyard but before entering the house, the laughter and chatter from the warm room reached her through the window. Although there were no outsiders around, the emperor had asked her to reflect on her mistakes. He didn't expect the old lady to be so broad-minded that she could entertain herself alone and didn't take the ban seriously at all.
Yue Qingning waited at the door for a while until she was informed. A maid came out to lead her in and lifted the curtain. Yue Qingning lowered her head and went in, just about to greet her grandmother.
The room was filled with the smoke of burning mugwort. A man was sitting sideways at the head of the bed in the smoke, staring straight at her face.
"Qingning."
"Third Young Master?"
Yue Qingning stood there in silence. She didn't expect to see him here. Cui Hu was extremely happy to see her. His eyes were narrowed, and even his slightly cute fangs were exposed, making him look even more stupid.
Seeing that the two of them were standing there like idiots, the eldest princess couldn't help laughing. She raised her hand and called Qingning to her side, patted her arm and explained for the idiot in front of her with a smile.
"Since the Emperor allowed visits, Ah Hu has been coming every day. His filial piety is far superior to that of the two of you!"
Upon hearing this, Yue Qingning smiled but said nothing. Cui Hu seemed to be embarrassed by the eldest princess's teasing and scratched his head awkwardly.
"The Duke of Huguo's Mansion is nearby, so it's only right for me to come and take a look on Qingning's behalf."
This made the eldest princess smile even more. She knew that this silly boy came here every day just for the chance to see Qingning, so she agreed to his wishes and asked them to go for a walk outside.
The weather was turning cooler and the sky was clear. Although there were banquets held under various pretexts for unmarried young men to meet each other, the current situation in the court, coupled with the special identities of the two, meant that they could avoid all kinds of unnecessary troubles by staying in the Princess's Mansion.
There is a rockery in the back garden of the Princess's Mansion that is planted with green bamboos. Now, the leaves have dried up and changed color, and dry bamboo leaves are scattered everywhere in the forest.
The two of them walked side by side quietly, occasionally talking about trivial matters at home, neither hurried nor slow, until they entered the pavilion in the forest and sat down next to each other.
Cui Hu swept his eyes over her thin face before finally asking.
"Could it be that something big happened?"
Yue Qingning was stunned, forced a smile and shook his head.
"Nothing will happen to me, but why did Third Brother say that?"
Cui Hu looked from her chin down to her shoulders and saw her two snow-white wrists resting on her coat, and sighed.
"Don't you know how much weight you've lost?"
She had heard similar words this morning. Yue Qingning blinked, thinking of Qingzhu pouting and mumbling something while she was dressing her. She must have been thinking about her increasingly loose collar.
She smiled awkwardly, changed the subject, and shifted her attention to court affairs. However, the prince and his group had been unexpectedly quiet recently, and even the envoy Shu Hu had not made any movement. After asking around and having nothing more to say, Cui Hu picked up the question and asked her again.
"But are there any changes at home?"
Thinking of the word "home", it seemed like it had pierced a painful spot in Yue Qingning's heart. She fidgeted and forced a fake smile, shaking her head as if she didn't understand.
"Everything is fine at home, just like usual. My family is healthy, my brothers are happy, nothing has happened, it's so quiet it's a bit boring."
As she spoke, she didn't even notice that the tone of her voice dropped at the end of her sentence. The sadness wrapped around her whole body was like the calm before a storm, and she was afraid that it would break if she was touched.
Cui Hu knew that she was still worried, but she didn't want to say it now, and he couldn't force her to reveal her inner thoughts.
It was just that they had agreed before that if there was any storm, Cui Hu would stand in front of her and shield her from the wind and rain. But now, she had forgotten his promise and stood alone in the wind and rain, exhausted. He wanted to reach out to help her, but she didn't turn around.
Because of Yue Qingning's avoidance, the relationship between the two, which was about to develop further, seemed to have stopped there.
She didn't say anything, and he didn't dare ask any more questions. At this point, anything else he said would be a diversion. The autumn wind blew twice, and Cui Hu stood up, took off his outer robe, put it on her shoulders, and asked her if she wanted to go back.
Yue Qingning stood up and was about to speak when he suddenly heard two extremely loud-mouthed women chatting with each other as they walked into the inner courtyard. Their voices could be heard clearly even on the forest path far away from the pavilion.
"Why do you always inform the Yue Mansion first? This time, you didn't even notify our two families. The Princess is really something. How could that taciturn girl from the Yue family be so favored by her? Even when she's sick, she wants her to come and take care of her!"
The other voice seemed much calmer and did not respond to her complaints. However, as soon as it spoke, its unique soft tone made Yue Qingning suddenly remember who this person was.
She was also the one who took care of the sick several days ago, and the Yao family actually sent someone to visit the eldest princess again.
"Sister, keep your voice down. Now that we've arrived at the Princess's residence, that person is probably already there. It wouldn't be good if she caught you saying that."
Yue Qingning pursed her lips when she heard that. She actually didn't care what they said. All her energy had been used up in dealing with the situation just now. Even if they talked about her in front of her, she could only lower her head and say yes. She didn't have the energy to fight with them.
But Cui Hu beside him seemed to be fed up with their gossiping behind their backs, so he frowned and took two quick steps to stop them.
Yue Qingning quickly grabbed him and returned his robe to him. If these two saw this, who knows how many rumors they would make up to slander him.
The two walked further and further away, and their voices became increasingly inaudible. Yue Qingning breathed a sigh of relief and walked down the path with Cui Hu.
Unexpectedly, the two men not far away came back and blocked them at the exit of the bamboo forest.
Yue Qingning's heart skipped a beat, thinking that something bad might happen this time. Sure enough, when Cen Rong saw her and Cui Hu coming down the mountain, he frowned and pointed at her with wide eyes, as if he had witnessed something dirty.
"You came to the Princess's residence but instead of visiting the sick, you were thinking of meeting a stranger here? Yue Qingning! You really deserve our respect!"
Hearing this, Yue Qingning felt a sharp pain on the tip of his tongue. He must have accidentally bitten his tongue hard, and blood filled his mouth.
She opened her mouth absentmindedly, but seemed to have no idea what to say, still immersed in the inexplicable hesitation caused by her words just now.
Cui Hu was anxious to protect her, so he stepped forward and blocked the man behind him, his eyes wide open with anger. Being a military commander, he only showed a little fierceness, and the two people who were looking for trouble were scared and retreated repeatedly.
"Please don't talk nonsense, young lady! This is the Princess's residence. No one would dare to spread any inappropriate words here."
As soon as he opened his mouth, Cen Rong was frightened into silence. However, Cen was timid and Yao Chunying was not someone she could easily get rid of. She quietly looked at Cui Hu's furious expression and Yue Qingning who was hiding behind him and remained silent.
The purpose of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asking her to come to the Princess's Mansion suddenly became clear.
It turned out to be to investigate their embarrassing incident! The Duke of Protectorate actually agreed to the marriage with the Yue family. The Yue family is a close confidant of the Princess's faction. If the Duke of Protectorateateate leans towards the Yue family, wouldn't that mean they are siding with Prince Shou?
In this case, Cui Hu was truly bold, daring to ignore even the crown prince!
Yao Chunying curled the corners of his lips, and a general idea already appeared in his mind. He pulled Cen and bowed to him twice.
"My sister and I just spoke carelessly. Please don't blame me, young master! We will leave now. We dare not disturb your pleasure."
It really seemed like there was something ridiculous going on between the two of them. Yue Qingning quickly walked out from behind Cui Hu and stopped the two women who were about to leave.
"I was also on my way to visit the eldest princess when I happened to meet Young Master Cui San. Since the young master arrived earlier than me, I took the initiative to ask about the eldest princess's condition. I have nothing else to bother you with, so please don't tease me, sisters."
Yao and Cen looked at each other for a long time, not believing it at all. However, they had no excuse to make things difficult for her, so the three of them said goodbye to Young Master Cui and headed towards the warm room.
Yao Chunying walked between the two of them, glanced at her with contempt, and smiled.
"The Third Young Master is at the border all year round, so it's really hard for us women in the capital to see him. But my sister is lucky to have seen him again... Oh, by the way! I heard that the Third Young Master Cui hasn't married yet!"
She glanced back inconspicuously, as if trying to catch the embarrassment on her face, but Yue Qingning was not concerned about that. She did not feel anything when faced with her sarcasm and ridicule. She replied quietly.
"The young master is unparalleled in bravery and has a loyal character. No matter which family marries him, it will be a happy marriage."
Although she was talking about herself, her face seemed to be in a trance. She didn't show any joy or anxiety of being exposed. She was strangely quiet, even quieter than the Yue Qingning I met two months ago.
It became increasingly difficult to see her clearly. Yao Chunying's bright eyes turned and glanced to the other side. Cen Rong immediately understood what she meant and walked over to hold Qingning's wrist in his palm.
"My dear sister, since there are no outsiders here, can't we sisters share a few things? I heard that the Duke of Protectorate is choosing a wife for his son and has already requested portraits and horoscopes from several girls. Has the Third Young Master never mentioned this to you?"
Yue Qingning could hear Cen's covert probing, but she was in a bad mood today, and the smile she forced was bitter.
"I've never heard of this. If you're curious, it's better to ask the young master."
She really choked Cen Rong once. As they were talking, the three of them had already stopped outside the courtyard gate. Yue Qingning apologized and left first, leaving behind Cen and Yao, who disliked her even more.
"She really thinks she's the general's wife! Acting like she's so proud of herself! Sister, are you really going to let her off so easily this time?"
Yao Chunying looked at the green figure that disappeared from her sight after the curtain was lifted, and chuckled softly against her lips.
"No rush! She will never marry into the Protectorate Mansion."
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