055

This is what it means to agree.

Rather than saying "yes" directly, Lu Jingzhuo prefers to hear her say it and do it this way.

He put the ring on her right thumb.

Not too big, not too small, just right.

Chu Yin was surprised by how well it fit. She was about to ask, but suddenly she remembered the day when he grabbed her hand and touched it all over. She couldn't help but burst out laughing. It turned out that he was estimating the size.

Lu Jingzhuo glanced at her and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

She shook her head and looked at the two protective gears: "Your Highness doesn't seem to have used them when shooting arrows."

"I don't need it, unlike you." He tied one of the protective gears on her left arm and put the other on her left hand, "This way you won't get hurt."

In fact, her fear of getting hurt was just an excuse, but he took it seriously and comforted her not only with words but also with actions.

Chu Yin leaned into his arms: "Thank you, Your Highness, for thinking of me like this."

This is exactly the result he wanted.

Lu Jingzhuo was very satisfied. He put his arm around her waist and said, "Do you want to learn now? I'll let Dong Ling be the target."

"Your Highness is going to Chunhui Pavilion soon, aren't you afraid it will be too late?

"Then let's eat first. Let Dong Ling prepare while you eat. You can practice for an incense stick of time."

Chu Yin did not object.

When the two children woke up, Lu Jingzhuo was still teaching, so they hurried over to see.

The most important thing in archery is posture.

Lu Jingzhuo has been helping Chu Yin adjust.

His mother learned horse riding and archery. Lu Yu was extremely jealous and pulled his father's clothes: "Dad, when can I learn it too?"

"In two years," Lu Jingzhuo said, "you can take a look first."

Lu Wei pouted, wishing he could grow up in an instant.

Lu Zhen was not eager to do so. She was just curious about how long it would take her mother to hit the target. Her mother had been learning horse riding for so long but still didn't dare to take her riding a horse!

After finally getting the posture right, Chu Yin held the bow firmly in his left hand and pulled the bowstring with his right hand.

It's much easier than I thought.

He stood behind her and taught her how to aim.

The man's palm wrapped around the back of her hand, firm and strong. She listened to the low voice in her ear and felt a little numb in her heart.

In his previous life, when she was alive, the only time he showed his affection was when he gave her calligraphy and paintings, and that was done in a roundabout way and secretly, far from being as direct and thoughtful as today.

"Don't be distracted," he suddenly reminded, "You might get hurt even with the gauntlets on."

Chu Yin smiled and said, "Okay, Your Highness."

He let her release her fingers, and the arrow flew out and hit the bull's eye.

It looked easy. Then it was Chu Yin's turn to shoot the arrow. The arrow flew away to who knows where.

Lu Jingzhuo said, "You have to practice often." He glanced at her face that was red from the wind and paused, "Or you can start practicing after the spring."

Archery is not as convenient as martial arts, which requires staying outside.

"Then wait until next year, Your Highness, come and teach me again."

Realizing that she finally stopped calling him "concubine" all the time, Lu Jingzhuo nodded with a smile and walked out of the palace. He still had to hurry to Chunhui Pavilion.

Chu Yin returned to the house, put down his bow, and took off his hand and arm guards.

Two children came over.

Her eyes fell on her thumb, and she was actually reluctant to take off the ring.

When she first saw him wearing a ring, she was very curious and asked him for it to play with. Unexpectedly, he remembered it and got her an identical one. The more Chu Yin looked at the ring, the more she liked it.

Lu Wei asked, "What is this?"

"The ring protects your fingers when you draw the bow."

"Can I take a look?" Lu Wei stretched out his little hand. He couldn't learn and was very jealous.

Chu Yin handed the ring to him.

Lu Wei put his finger on it and found it was very big.

Lu Zhen also came over to take a look.

The two little guys had no idea how this thing could protect their fingers.

As Lu Wei tossed and turned, he lost hold of the ring and it slipped off his finger.

Chu Yin was afraid that it might break, so she reached out to pick it up.

His body bumped against the table in front of him, causing the teacup on it to slide down, and he also lost his grip on the ring.

Xiaodou squatted down hurriedly, found the ring, wiped it with his clothes, and held his hands to Chu Yin: "Crown Princess, please take a look at it to see if it is bumped?" As Lu Yu's personal servant, he also has responsibilities, and his heart was beating very fast at this moment.

Chu Yin observed carefully and breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, nothing happened."

It was damaged on the first day I gave it to her. I'm afraid Lu Jingzhuo will...

He wasn't angry with his son, but he certainly wasn't in a good mood.

Xiaodou also breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Yu lowered his head and said, "Mom, I, was I wrong just now?"

Chu Yin held his little hand: "You are weak, it's normal that you can't hold it steady. It's not your fault. Even if Daddy knew, he wouldn't blame you."

His mother comforted him tenderly, and Lu Jue was no longer worried.

Honeysuckle asked the palace maid to clean up the tea on the floor.

Chu Yin took a glance and suddenly a picture popped up in her mind.

She was stunned.

When she was pregnant in her previous life, Mrs. Yao came to visit her.

Came here with my mother-in-law.

Mrs. Yao's health had improved by then, and her complexion was good, but her legs were a little weak, and she walked with the help of a cane. At that time, she bumped into the table, spilling the tea all over the floor.

Chu Yin felt something was wrong and frowned slightly.

Inside the Hongyi Hall, Ma Yuan was slowly taking out the silver needle.

Lu Jingrui half-undressed, revealing his entire right arm.

The boy looked as pretty as a girl, but judging from his height or his arms, he was not weak at all.

"How do you feel recently, Your Highness?" asked Dean Ma.

Lu Jingrui smiled bitterly: "It's a pity that you are so worried, but unfortunately my body is not doing well... I'm afraid there will be no improvement."

Dean Ma didn't hold out much hope when he heard that this was an old injury from ten years ago, so he was also expecting it, but he still said, "Since you have decided to give it a try, just keep insisting. I will also do my best."

If it weren't for Chu Yin, he would not have treated her at all, but he didn't ask her when he met her that time.

Are you too busy or have you forgotten about it?

If it's the latter, then he's really ridiculous.

But thinking back to the look on Chu Yin's face when she persuaded him, he didn't think she was pretending.

There was absolutely no need for her to do this.

"Then try twice more," he said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work."

Ma Yuanzheng lit the mugwort and moved the needle carefully.

Winter nights come early, and it is pitch black as soon as the hour of You arrives. The bright moon is hidden in the thin clouds, and the light it emits is hazy.

Chu Yin panted slightly and looked out the window.

In less than a moment, her cheek was straightened by the man in front of her.

He wanted her to look at him.

Such a handsome and cold face was something that she couldn't get enough of. However, Chu Yin was a little uncomfortable doing this on a chair. She put her hand on his shoulder and couldn't help but let out a low moan.

Her cheeks turned red from the heat from the charcoal fire in the hall. The temperature kept rising and she felt her throat getting drier and drier.

By the time it was over, she was almost speechless.

Lu Jingzhuo put on his coat and poured her a glass of water.

Chu Yin couldn't wait to drink it, gulping it down, looking extremely thirsty.

"Next time, we should put a teapot next to it," Lu Jingzhuo suggested.

Chu Yin was almost choked by the water.

He wouldn't want her to drink water while he...

"No," she refused, "Your Highness, please don't take so long next time."

I don't know what happened to him today. He started hugging her right after dinner and it lasted for a full hour.

"Okay, I'll pay attention next time." Lu Jingzhuo ordered the palace maid to prepare water.

Chu Yin finished drinking the water and placed the teacup on the table beside her.

The slender jade fingers were long and thin, and the ring was still on the thumb. Lu Jingzhuo glanced at them and smiled silently.

After a "fierce battle", Chu Yin fell asleep quickly.

In her dream, she saw that scene again. Her mother-in-law brought Mrs. Yao to see her because she was pregnant and inconvenient, and they were concerned about her.

There was a commotion when the cup of tea fell from the table.

The palace maids were busy cleaning, and the mother-in-law comforted Madam Yao, saying that everything was fine. Madam Yao apologized to her and came over to ask her if she was frightened. At that moment, she suddenly smelled a faint smell that she had never smelled before.

However, women always wear sachets or fumigate clothes, so it is not strange to have fragrance. Moreover, she feels that it seems a bit like the smell of medicine, which makes her feel it is even more normal.

Mrs. Yao has been taking medicine for recuperation.

Later she had a miscarriage.

The doctors couldn't find the cause, so she thought her body might not be in good enough to keep the baby.

Lu Jingzhuo dismissed Ma Yuanzheng from his post for this reason.

She had no idea whether he continued the investigation or not, for she was too sad to pay much attention.

Then she caught a cold...

Chu Yin felt a moment of panic and opened her eyes.

It was pitch dark and the moon outside the window was completely hidden in the clouds.

A terrible thought gradually formed.

It was Madam Yao who caused her miscarriage!

Mrs. Yao probably felt that it was her father who killed her husband. She could not face her father, so he started with her and made her lose her child. Because Mrs. Yao wanted revenge, she was able to endure until the end of the mourning period.

But why did she take poison again?

Her ultimate enemy is her father, so she would definitely try to attack him again.

Chu Yin thought about it and set her eyes on Lu Jingzhuo's face.

The man was sleeping, his expression was not as serious and cold as usual, but peaceful.

Could it be him...

After becoming a ghost, she initially spent all her time accompanying her children and seldom visited Lu Jingzhuo. Later, she discovered that he would always stroke the comb she had used, the calligraphy and paintings she had looked at, the undergarments she had worn at night, and call her by her nickname. Only then did she realize that he liked her.

She spent more time with him.

But Mrs. Yao died very early.

Chu Yin couldn't sleep anymore.

The next day, Lu Jingzhuo woke up and was surprised to find her sitting next to him.

She has never gotten up earlier than me.

"What's going on?" he asked

"I had a nightmare."

Her hair was messy and draped over her shoulders, and her face was unwashed, but the beauty was always different from ordinary people, and instead showed a kind of pitiful fragility. Lu Jingzhuo held his wife in his arms: "What nightmare kept you awake all night?" He then asked, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I was afraid of disturbing His Highness," she put her face against his chest, "I dreamed that my cousin wanted to kill me."

Mrs. Yao might have taken the opportunity to put something in her tea, and coupled with the smell of medicine on her body...

And she never doubted Mrs. Yao.

Mrs. Yao's husband died of illness. Who would have thought that Mrs. Yao would be so crazy and take her anger out on others?

Lu Jingzhuo was stunned for a moment, then said in comfort, "Why would your cousin want to harm you? Even if she was dissatisfied with your father-in-law because of your cousin's husband, she wouldn't do such a cruel thing... At most, your cousin's husband would be demoted."

Chu Yin just used this to remind him: "I know it's ridiculous, but that dream was so real that I couldn't fall asleep again. But what Your Highness said is true. How could my cousin be such a cruel person?"

He really doesn't know whether he is cruel or not.

He had only met Madam Yao twice in total. Lu Jingzhuo thought to himself, maybe he should check it out?

As the Spring Festival was approaching, he received news that his father had adopted his father-in-law's suggestion to demote Yao Zhou and transfer him to Jingzhou. Unexpectedly, Yao Zhou suddenly fell ill on the way to the post and died on the way.

Thinking of Chu Yin's dream, his brows furrowed.

If Mrs. Yao was a petty person, she would indeed hate her father-in-law.

The father-in-law discovered that Yao Zhou had accepted a bribe. Although it was just a piece of porcelain given to him by his friend, the porcelain came from the home of a person who had died unjustly. Yao Zhou was unaware of this and was just doing his friend a small favor.

However, the law is unforgiving and he still has to bear the consequences.

The consequences were not serious. If he stayed in Jingzhou for three years, his father would still promote him in the future. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.

Lu Jingzhuo asked Dong Ling: "What did Li Yuan find out about Madam Yao?"

Dong Ling replied, "There are two things. One is the death of Yao Zhou's brother Yao Tian. It is said that Yao Tian liked to bully Yao Zhou since he was a child. Later, not long after Madam Yao got married, Yao Tian died suddenly. The coroner at the time said that it was because he indulged in alcohol too much. The other thing is that Madam Yao's grandmother came from a medical family. It is said that Madam Yao learned medicine from her since she was a child."

If Chu Yin hadn't had her dream, Lu Jingzhuo might not have connected the two things.

But is his cousin, Mrs. Yao, so bold and cruel?

He fell into deep thought.

To welcome the New Year, Chu Yin ordered the palace maids to prepare for New Year's Eve and clothes for New Year's greetings, and watched the pasting of Spring Festival couplets with the children.

The Spring Festival couplets in the palace were all written by officials from the Hanlin Academy. Chu Yin had her own opinions on this. She used each couplet as an example to explain to her two children the beauty of calligraphy and the beauty of Chinese characters.

By New Year's Eve, palace lanterns are hung in various palaces. Palaces like the Qianqing Palace, Kunning Palace, and the East Palace are equipped with colorful octagonal round lanterns.

At noon, Emperor Jianxing held a court banquet in Jianji Hall and invited all officials. After dark, he went to Kunning Palace to have a reunion dinner with his family.

As the congratulatory cry of "Lights on" rose, the drum and band began to play, and more than 600 palace lanterns in the palace lit up at the same time. For a moment, the sound of bamboo flutes echoed, the lights shone brightly, and the atmosphere was magnificent.

In his father's arms, Lu Yu asked excitedly, "Dad, are we going to set off more firecrackers later?"

"We also set off fireworks during the New Year in Qingzhou, do you remember?" Chu Yin asked.

"I remember, but Xiaodou said it's definitely louder here!"

Lu Zhen quickly covered her ears: "I don't want to listen."

"Hide in daddy's arms later." Chu Yin rubbed her head.

Lu Zhen immediately threw herself into her father's arms.

The daughter looked very much like Chu Yin, with almond eyes, a small mouth, and a chubby face. Lu Jingzhuo smiled and let her do what she wanted.

Lu Yu, who was looking around in his father's arms, suddenly shouted, "Second Uncle is here!"

The couple looked back and saw Lu Jingchen getting out of the car.

Tang Feiyan was pregnant and could not go out, so she was the only one who came to the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.

"Brother, sister-in-law." He walked closer with a smile.

Chu Yin said, "Now that you're here, my second brother, I'm afraid my sister-in-law must be a little lonely at home alone, right?"

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Lu Jingzhuo glanced at Chu Yin.

Did she feel lonely during those two Spring Festivals in Qingzhou?

"My mother-in-law is here to accompany Feiyan. I will go back early later," Lu Jingchen looked at Lu Zhen, "Why is Zhen hiding from seeing my second uncle?"

"Afraid of firecrackers." Chu Yin explained.

Lu Yu called out "Second Uncle."

"Not only are there firecrackers, there are also fireworks...Zhen'er, those fireworks are very beautiful, colorful, and only available in the capital. You must have never seen them before," Lu Jingchen said, "If you don't believe me, ask your father."

"Really? Daddy?" Lu Zhen raised her head slightly.

"Um."

Lu Zhen began to look forward to it again.

"By the way, brother and sister-in-law, do you know about my aunt's choice of husband?" Lu Jingchen suddenly asked as they walked towards Kunning Palace.

Of course Lu Jingzhuo knew, but he didn't answer.

Chu Yin didn't know, but was not surprised.

Princess Baocheng is only 37 years old, so it is natural for her to remarry.

"I guess many gentlemen are seeking to marry you?" Chu Yin said.

"Yes, Auntie is very worried, but I heard two days ago that Auntie has chosen someone," Lu Jingchen said mysteriously, "Who do you think it is?"

Lu Jingzhuo had absolutely no interest in guessing.

Chu Yin was a little curious: "It should be some official who is both civil and military, right?"

"He's fine in literature, but as for martial arts, he was a famous general. But he injured his right shoulder five years ago, so he retired to recuperate. Later, my father wanted to employ him again, but he kept declining, wishing to be an idle wanderer."

Chu Yin had a vague sense of foreboding.

"Second brother, tell me who it is!"

Seeing his sister-in-law was anxious, Lu Jingchen didn't keep it a secret: "Duke Song, Fu Yunqing."

That was her father-in-law in her previous life!

Chu Yin: “…”

Chu Yin: I don’t agree with this marriage.

Princess Baocheng: ???