When Qin Zongzhi returned home, the bright moon was already hanging high in the sky.
Zhao Yunzhu never woke up after she fell asleep.
She didn't even notice Qin Zongzhi climbing onto the bed.
I just turned over and leaned inward.
Qin Zongzhi was afraid that she would press on her abdomen, so he reached out and held her in his arms.
Zhao Yunzhu rubbed her head in the warm embrace like a kitten.
He murmured, "Mother..."
Qin Zongzhi felt a pang of pain in his heart when he heard this, and raised his hand to gently pat her back.
The next morning, Qin Zongzhi still had to go to court.
Seeing that Zhao Yunzhu had no intention of waking up, he ordered someone to prepare delicious food on the stove.
He also reminded her not to disturb Zhao Yunzhu.
Only after everything was arranged did he leave with peace of mind.
When Zhao Yunzhu woke up, it was almost time for lunch.
She slept particularly soundly this time.
Just as she was having lunch, an uninvited guest suddenly came to the house.
"What about dinner?"
The person who came was none other than the current County Lady Song Shumin.
"County Lady." Zhao Yunzhu put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up and bowed.
The manager following behind Song Shumin looked embarrassed. It was not that he did not try to stop the message from passing on, but he really could not stop it.
The steward could only look at Concubine Yun with an apologetic look in his eyes.
"All of you please step back."
Zhao Yunzhu raised her hand and sent everyone out of the room. "How did County Master Shumin find time to come here today?"
Seeing that everyone in the room had left, she asked Song Shumin to sit down and talk.
I haven't seen her for a long time. Today, Song Shumin was wearing a crimson-purple dress and her hair was adorned with red gold and pearl hairpins. She looked much richer than before.
"I heard you were back, so I came to see you," Song Shumin explained with a faint smile, looking up at Zhao Yunzhu carefully. "You look much gentler than before."
"The same goes for County Lady Shumin."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and the room suddenly became quiet again.
Zhao Yunzhu was not in a hurry and just drank tea quietly. Today, Song Shumin came to visit her because she had something to talk to her about.
She just waited patiently.
"I came today to personally deliver an invitation to you."
Seeing the joy in Song Shumin's eyes, Zhao Yunzhu thought of her childhood sweetheart and thought that the two of them were about to get married.
"Then I would like to congratulate County Lady Shumin in advance."
Song Shumin took out the invitation from her arms and handed it to Zhao Yunzhu.
Zhao Yunzhu lowered her eyes and saw the bright red wedding invitation. She took it with a smile and slowly opened it with her slender fingers.
After seeing the contents of the wedding invitation, Zhao Yunzhu's smile instantly faded.
"County Lady Shumin?" She frowned, raised the wedding invitation, and looked at Song Shumin in confusion.
"I never thought that I would become your relative in the end. When the time comes, I'll invite you and Prince An to come over for a drink at the wedding."
After saying that, Song Shumin stood up and said, "It's getting late. I'll go back first."
Zhao Yunzhu put the invitation in her hand on the table and stood up to see her off.
No further questions were asked.
After all, it was someone else's private matter, so she didn't want to ask about it.
As soon as Song Shumin left, she returned to the house, picked up the wedding invitation on the table, and looked at it again and again.
"Miss, what's wrong? I didn't expect that County Lady Shumin would come to give you the wedding invitation in person."
Aunt Hua smiled and said, "That's right. County Lady Shumin is all alone now. If she gets married, she'll have someone to rely on. I guess that young master dotes on her very much."
Zhao Yunzhu's eyes were fixed on the wedding invitation, never leaving her sight for a moment. She shook her head in disagreement.
Aunt Hua looked a little puzzled, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Zhao Yunzhu just put down the wedding invitation in her hand. "This invitation is for Song Shumin and the virtuous prince. Because they are in mourning, everything is kept simple. With Empress Dowager Liu in charge, we will hold a thank-you dinner in a month, and that will be the end of the ceremony."
"What? How could it be... Didn't the virtuous king marry a princess long ago and have legitimate children?"
"I don't know either, Mammy. Go out and ask around to see what's been happening in Chang'an while we're away."
"Yes, I will go right away."
I hurried back home yesterday. Everyone in the mansion was keeping a close eye on these two masters. How could I have the energy to think about anything else?
If Song Shumin hadn't come to visit today, it would probably take some time before we know about this matter.
Aunt Hua didn't have time to reply.
Prince An Qin Zongzhi returned first.
"What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood..."
As soon as Prince An entered the room, he saw Zhao Yunzhu sitting on a low couch by the window, her chin resting on her hands, her eyes wandering out the window.
She didn't even notice the sound of him lifting the bamboo curtain and walking into the room.
Zhao Yunzhu suddenly turned around and saw Qin Zongzhi sitting next to her. She was stunned for a moment, then picked up the bright red wedding invitation from the table and handed it to him, "This is the wedding invitation sent by County Master Shumin today."
Qin Zongzhi took the wedding invitation but did not open it. Instead, he put it back on the table.
"I heard about it today, too."
"What about the virtuous princess?"
Zhao Yunzhu asked suspiciously, "I heard that the virtuous prince's wife was born into a military family. They've been married for seven years and gave birth to a pair of children for the virtuous prince..."
The wedding invitation sent by Song Shumin today clearly stated that she would marry into the Xianwang Mansion and become the Xianwang Princess in a month.
"I heard that the virtuous princess was found to have had an affair with someone else. She was divorced by the virtuous prince and sent to a villa outside the city to spend her remaining years."
"How come?"
Zhao Yunzhu didn't believe this statement at all. She had greeted Princess Xian from afar before.
Although Princess Xian came from a military family and her parents' home was not in Chang'an, she exuded the dignity of a noble lady from Chang'an. She had a dignified and gentle demeanor and always greeted people with a smile.
Such a well-behaved woman, and you say she has an affair with someone?
Zhao Yunzhu didn't believe it at all.
"Your Majesty, is it possible that the virtuous princess has been wrongly accused?"
"No, that man is a cousin of the Xian Wangfei. I also heard that he was beaten half to death by the Xian Wang, and the Xian Wangfei gave herself up just to save her cousin."
"The Xianwang Mansion simply told the public that the Xianwang Concubine had changed her personality overnight and was determined to leave the secular world. She was vegetarian and Buddhist, and she had sought the Xianwang's grace and renounced everything in the secular world."
The only reason Qin Zongzhi knew the real truth was because his spies found out.
"Then how did Princess Shumin become entangled with the virtuous prince?"
Qin Zongzhi noticed Zhao Yunzhu's curiosity and patiently explained, "I heard that the young man who had previously intended to marry Princess Shumin was actually the cousin of Princess Xian."
"ah?"
Zhao Yunzhu never expected this.
She was shocked.
"I also heard that Princess Shumin took some people out to watch an opera and happened to run into Princess Xian, which led to the two of them meeting again..."
What happened next happened naturally.
At first, Song Shumin didn't think much of it and thought the two were just cousins.
But later, she accidentally saw the two of them having a secret meeting in a theater in the city. When Song Shumin got the news, she was completely disheartened.
But she didn't rush to take any action.
He ordered someone to deliver the message to King Anxian.
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