Chapter 49 Chapter 49 The sweet scent of osmanthus fades
The Sixth Prince had just recovered from a cold and came to Shoukang Palace to pay his respects. The Empress Dowager happened to have taken medicine and rested. With no one to restrain him, he simply jumped down two steps at a time and had a lot of fun running back and forth.
Seeing Lu Suizhu, his cheeks dimpled, and he spoke sweetly in a hoarse voice, "Sister, the music you played the other day was so beautiful! It was different from those babbling maids in Mother's palace. Sister, you are amazing."
"Sixth Prince, I am not worthy of being called your sister." Lu Suizhu squatted down and spoke to the Sixth Prince. Although she spoke in a measured way, her hand couldn't help but touch his fair and plump little face.
"Master Lu, there's a girl outside looking for you."
The palace maid took the Sixth Prince's hand and coaxed him into feeding the goldfish in the pond in the imperial garden, so Lu Suizhu was able to escape.
At the end of the corridor, Pei Lanying was standing there pacing back and forth in a heavy and gorgeous dress, holding a mahogany food box carved with silver wire in her hand.
Seeing Lu Suizhu coming over, she waved her hand happily, but then she remembered that she was in the palace, so she immediately put down her arms properly and folded them back to her waist, looking like a dignified and quiet lady.
Lu Suizhu was amused by her action and laughed out loud. Even though she covered her lips, her shoulders could still be seen shaking.
"Sister Suizhu, please don't make fun of me. This is my first time entering the palace, and I'm really nervous." Pei Lanying's face turned shy. She pushed and shoved a few times before she talked about the serious matter of today.
It turned out that Pei Zhiji was supervising the construction and renovation of the palace in the palace, and had not returned home for several days. Mrs. Pei was worried about his health, so she asked the small kitchen to prepare a few of his favorite dishes and asked Pei Lanying to send them to the palace and visit the Crown Princess on the way to the East Palace.
"I originally came into the palace with Sister Xiu Luo, but she went ahead to look for the Third Princess." She smiled a little sheepishly, "Since this is my first time in the palace, I'd like to go along and have a good look around. Could you please help me bring food to my eldest brother, Sister?"
Pei Lanying's eyes lit up. She took Lu Suizhu's arm and rocked her gently like a spoiled child.
"Lan Ying, it's not that I don't want to, it's just... not very convenient."
Pei Lanying lowered her head. Thinking of Pei Zhiji's cold face and the harsh words that suddenly came out of his mouth, she felt like staying away from him.
"Is Lord Pei not good to you?" Lu Suizhu thought that he was quite devoted to the second and third young masters and would not make things difficult for this little sister.
"Okay, that's... okay. Sister can go ask Pei Ren if he is afraid of his elder brother." Pei Lanying stuck out her tongue as if she had been electrocuted. She remembered that when Pei Zhiji passed by her yard yesterday, he threw the policy paper on maintaining the country's stability in his hand to her and asked her to copy it before the hour of Xu tomorrow.
Just a few words tortured her for more than an entire night.
Other people's older brothers teach their sisters the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, but her brother is different. He shows her all the men's things.
After pleading several times, Lu Suizhu finally agreed.
The foundation of the new palace had just been laid, and the Queen Mother had not yet named it. All that was used inside and outside the palace was for blessing. It was noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the carpenters, tilers and masons had all gone to eat.
Chen Guyan sat there at the back corner and private part, with his sleeves rolled up due to the heat. The only clean thing on his body was his hands, which were concentrating on stroking a green leaf-shaped silk skewer.
He didn't notice until Lu Suizhu sat next to him.
"Miss Jiang gave it to me?"
"How do you know?" Shen Guyan regretted saying that. It was nothing in the first place, but he seemed to be so excited that it seemed shameful.
He hurriedly closed the "Miscellaneous Notes on Hundred Craftsmen" and quickly stuffed it into his sleeve: "It's just a lottery ticket. I think Miss Jiang put it in there and forgot to take it out."
“Shen Guyan, do you like Miss Jiang?”
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intent. Shen Guyan's back tensed up instantly, and his clothes tightened half an inch with every breath he took. "Suizhu, stop teasing me. Miss Jiang comes from a prominent family. How can I dream of her?"
To facilitate his work, he wore a plain linen shirt, with a few gray streaks on his forehead. He looked down at himself, his face full of relief and composure: "I, Shen Guyan, do not want to be constrained in this life, nor do I want to be burdened by fame. Their family is too high for me to reach, and I will not even think about it."
"Besides, Miss Jiang will marry Master Pei in the future."
A buzzing sound exploded in Lu Suizhu's ears, and he was stunned.
It was like heavy raindrops hitting a copper basin, and the copper basin covered half of her ear.
"Miss Jiang will marry Master Pei in the future."
The hoarse sound lingered in the air, echoing over and over again.
Pei Zhiji and Xu Zhiyuan had just finalized the blueprint for a new side hall, with three corner gates on the south, east, and west sides, each with bright corner lanterns hung on them. The Sixth Prince was still young, and excessive extravagance might make it difficult for him to suppress his blessings.
Pei Zhiji came out from inside.
Lu Suizhu happened to throw the food box from the Pei residence onto the altar, making a muffled sound. "Give this to Lord Pei and tell him it was sent by his sister."
Seeing such obvious anger, even if he was not very sensitive to the woman's mood, he could still guess something: "Why don't you give it to me personally?" He said as he walked, his eyes fixed on the food box, trying to analyze what was wrong.
The woman in front of him was wearing a light yellow dress, and there was a fragrance of osmanthus between her sleeves. He didn't know if it was the hair oil or the incense, but the fragrance was a little lighter than usual. He unconsciously walked a few steps closer.
The subtle movement fell into Lu Suizhu's eyes, and she thought of Pei Lanying's heartfelt words today. At this moment, Pei Zhiji took half a step forward, standing here like an evil god, and not giving up an inch, as if he would use his power to suppress her if she didn't explain the reason today.
She said awkwardly, "It's too hot."
"That's not the answer."
Pei Zhiji uttered four words, his eyes still fixed.
I clearly didn't eat garlic at noon, but why did I feel the air was spicy? Shen Guyan couldn't get a word in, so he quietly walked away.
"You were not very happy when we met at the palace last time. What happened?" Pei Zhiji's mouth was tight, with a hint of concern in his tiredness.
"in the end?"
Lu Suizhu looked at him in disbelief. Her voice was no longer as gentle as usual. Instead, her calm voice rose two degrees. She said with a cold expression, "Since Lord Pei is so impatient to talk to me, I don't have to say anything."
Pei Zhiji: “?”
What does this mean?
The puzzled and inquiring gazes fell on Lu Suizhu, like needles piercing his eyes. Today, Pei Shangshu was still a noble and single man, but tomorrow he would be someone else's groom.
"Come and take a look, this soil seems to be a little off." Shen Guyan squatted on the ground, pried up a finger of soil, put it on his lips and sniffed it, then retched.
Yesterday's rain made the soil wet and sticky, and it emitted a foul odor, which was really unacceptable. At Pei Zhiji's signal, the two workers took the shovel and dug down.
A rotten hand suddenly appeared, purple and white, shocking and frightening.
"It is a taboo for the royal family to have someone die when the palace is first built. This is the site chosen by the Ministry of Works. If it is discovered by someone with ulterior motives, the entire Ministry of Works may be implicated." More importantly, the Sixth Prince will also be labeled "unlucky" because of this. The crane's blessing the day before finally made Xiao Mao lose his patience.
Shen Guyan also knew all these taboos in construction, and was just glad that no one came here at this time.
As I was thinking this, I heard a sharp voice outside: "Your Majesty has arrived."
Su Pingshun's voice was like adding insult to injury.
"You guys fill this up, I'll go out and deal with it."
Pei Zhiji clenched his hands tightly under his wide robe, and walked down the steps with his long legs, taking two steps at a time. When the emperor was about to step over the threshold, he stopped him with a salute.
"Pei Qing, this palace has been under construction for some time. I happened to be passing by here today, so I'll go in and take a look." Su Pingshun supported the emperor's arm. "Your Majesty, please go slowly."
Pei Zhiji followed behind with a calm demeanor, "What a coincidence! I've often seen the imperial physician passing by here these past few days, and it seems he's heading towards Cuiling Pavilion. Today, I went to see the Empress Dowager and was relieved to see that she was in good health."
The emperor paused, feeling that the name was somewhat familiar, and looked at Su Pingshun beside him. Su Pingshun racked his brains, wishing he could empty his mind.
"Oh, now I remember—it's the Consort Lin, whom Your Majesty just appointed. She's pregnant and has been feeling unwell. This must be the case, all the time."
"Quickly go to Cuiwei Pavilion, I'll go take a look."
Pei Zhiji breathed a sigh of relief. While the emperor turned around, Su Pingshun wiped the sweat off his face, leaving a small wet mark on his sleeve. He remembered his desperate cries in the Qinzheng Hall that night.
A concubine named Ling Lin was favored by the emperor and became pregnant overnight.
When he turned back with his hands behind his back, it was still in that dark corner and shade. Chen Guyan held Lu Suizhu's hand. She spoke to him with a smile. Pei Zhiji's face instantly became paler than when he faced the emperor, and there seemed to be resentment when his upper and lower teeth rubbed against each other.
"I played the piano too hard a while ago. It's okay."
Lu Suizhu hissed softly, and the calloused fingertips shed a layer of shackles. Chen Guyan helped her apply a new layer of ointment. "Don't touch water for the next few days."
"Tsk tsk, sir, what a perfect match." Xiao Feng was not allowed to carry a sword when entering or leaving the palace. He felt very uncomfortable with his empty hands and could only cross his arms in emptiness.
"A talented man and a beautiful woman?" Pei Zhiji glanced at Xiao Feng coldly: "If you dare to make a 'tsk' sound again, you won't have to speak anymore."
He walked straight forward: "Su..."
Lu Suizhu passed by him without even glancing at him. Knowing that he had official business to attend to and could not leave, she left the palace without hesitation.
It is worth mentioning that Shen Wenjian was not sent away, nor did he return to his hometown. He stayed in the Hanlin Academy on duty and came back very late every day.
It was already the end of the Xu hour, and when he returned, he couldn't even straighten his back. He was filled with dejection. "I've been treated like an ox every day. I can't take it anymore. I'm going back to bed. I have a pile of documents to sort out tomorrow morning."
Shen Wenjian fell asleep and another light went out.
Pei Zhiji had been standing under the peach tree outside the house for an hour, staring at the only small window that let in light.
Lu Suizhu took off her hairpins and her long hair, like algae, hung down to her waist. Her hand injury had not healed yet, so she used only two fingers to gently pick up the comb and comb her hair. Her wrist was white and her movements were slow and relaxed.
From Pei Zhiji's perspective, he was just looking at her side face with soft lines, which looked even fairer and more elegant than when she was dressing up during the day.
Xiao Feng opened his mouth several times but choked back his words. He watched helplessly as the last light in the house went out and he really couldn't bear it anymore.
"Sir, even if you stand here all night, Miss Lu won't know you're here. What's the point?"
Pei Zhiji turned a deaf ear and slowly approached the house.
He looked up for a while, then gently placed the skin-regenerating ointment he had obtained from the imperial physician at the door.
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