Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Marry
"How could it be? How could it be?!"
The little girl couldn't imagine how such a gentle marquis could personally give the order and almost beat her uncle to death!
She turned around and was about to go out. "I'm going to the Marquis' Mansion to look for the Marquis! The Marquis told me that I could ask him for anything, so I begged him to release my uncle..."
She really wanted to go, and Du Zhiqi quickly stopped his daughter.
"You can't go! The Marquis won't see you!"
"Why? The Marquis was not like this before..." The little girl still couldn't believe it.
Du Zhiqi didn't know how to explain to his daughter that the sisters' marriage swap had aroused the anger of Marquis Lu, and all of it was directed at the Gu family.
He looked at his daughter's red eyes and sighed angrily.
"The Marquis... only wants your sister!"
The little girl suddenly froze in place.
*
The Du family in Chengqingfang also received the news not long after, and the entire mansion fell silent.
Even the breeze was gone, and the chill of late autumn was pressing down heavily.
The Jinyiwei Northern Pacification Division did not release Gu Yangsi, but tortured him on the charge of treason, and he was almost dead.
The meaning is very clear.
The servant Changpu didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. Amid the silence of the whole mansion, especially his own daughter, he went to find Ruan Gong.
"If the Marquis really wants to marry the girl, I will give her all the money I won. Will that make her feel better?"
Ruan Gong kicked him and said, "Don't make trouble."
At this moment, Wen Bo, the doorman, asked the servant to pass on a message, saying that someone suddenly came outside and came to see the eldest girl.
Ruan Gong hurried over to ask, but was shocked when he saw the person coming.
"You are... the chief steward of the Yongding Marquis's residence, the chief steward of the clan?"
When Ruan Gong was still a servant, he once saw this old steward from afar in the capital.
This is the chief steward of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion. Many people in and outside the capital come to him for help. He is as rare to see as the Marquis.
Ruan Gong's mind was buzzing. He wondered what the chief steward of the Marquis's Mansion came here in person to do?
Unexpectedly, the chief steward was so kind and easy to talk to, and actually called him out.
"Is that you, Manager Ruan? I came here specially on the orders of the Marquis. I have something for the young lady."
The implication was that it would be best to do it in front of the girl. But Ruan Gong asked Changpu to run a trip, but Du Lingjing did not come.
But the chief steward was not angry. He still smiled and asked someone to bring something forward.
The box containing the things was not very big, and Chief Steward Zong had someone open it. Ruan Gong took a look at it and was stunned.
"This is... ..."
"My Lord heard that the courtyard where the young lady placed her dowry was robbed, and was afraid that she would not have enough time to prepare wedding clothes for her wedding day, so he asked the Marquis's mansion to make a dress overnight, and I am sending it to her specially."
He said, "When the time comes, the girl can wear this wedding dress and get into the sedan chair."
It turned out to be a wedding dress.
Ruan Gong took it, and the chief steward didn't stay any longer. He quickly took the wedding dress given by the Marquis' Mansion to the west courtyard, and Qiu Lin took it and flipped through it.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't look like it was made overnight. It used a lot of materials, the stitching was fine, and the pattern was complicated. It would take at least a month or two to make it, maybe even half a year.
But there's no point in saying that right now.
The important thing is, because the sisters were marrying off, the wedding dress originally prepared by the second house for the eldest daughter had to be temporarily reduced in size to become the clothes for the second daughter.
It is easy to cut this dress smaller, but it is impossible to make it bigger.
But the girl didn't want to get married at all, and of course had no intention of discussing the matter, but the Marquis's Mansion sent her the wedding dress anyway.
Qiu Lin gently held the wedding dress in front of the girl.
Du Lingjing looked over and her eyes were dazzled by the bright colors, the gold edging, and the pearl-adorned collar.
She didn't know why she curled up the corners of her mouth and smiled.
Does he want her to wear the wedding dress he gave her and marry him?
He just... insisted that she marry him.
*
Gu Mansion in Huanghuafang.
Liang's tears could not stop flowing. The mansion spent a lot of money to bribe the Jinyiwei, but the Jinyiwei refused to release her. They sent people to the marquis' mansion, but they didn't see the marquis, let alone the chief steward.
Liang didn't know what to do. She looked at her mother-in-law who had just woken up and said, "Mother..."
Madam Wan was completely awake and she asked Nanny Guan to change her clothes.
"I'm going to the palace. The emperor is the most kind and gentle, and he won't sit idly by."
The Gu family handed a sign to the palace, and Old Madam Wan immediately rushed to the palace gate. As long as the palace agreed, she would go in immediately.
She didn't dare to wait, for she was afraid that her son would die if she waited any longer.
Unexpectedly, after an hour, there was still no response from the palace. She hurriedly used money to inquire inside, but after a long while, she finally got a word.
"Your Majesty is tired today, please go back, old lady."
The emperor didn’t see it.
Wan was covered in cold sweat and could no longer stand. She fell down at the palace gate in front of the people on the street watching the excitement.
"Oh! Madam Wan is not in the palace. She is about to faint!"
There were sounds of discussion all around her ears, but Madam Wan couldn't hear them.
She just wanted to know what to do?
Could it be that her only son was really going to die in the Jinyiwei prison? ! Did Lord Lu really kill someone for such a thing?
How could this be?! What on earth had she done wrong?!
*
Jiqingfang.
Steward Zong had just returned to the Marquis' Mansion. Everything in the mansion was the same as before, except that unlike the festive and lively atmosphere of the previous two days, the atmosphere was much more solemn during the past two days. Everyone worked in a low voice and did not dare to make any noise.
The chief steward of the clan went to the study in the outer courtyard to reply personally.
The man was standing by the window with his hands behind his back. The chief steward stepped forward and saluted. Then he turned around and asked a question.
"Has the wedding dress been delivered? Has she accepted it?"
The chief steward of the clan nodded repeatedly. He then asked, "Then what did she...say?"
Upon hearing this, Chief Steward glanced at the Marquis.
"The girl did not come out to meet me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Marquis' eyes darkened again. The man remained silent, with an imperceptible hint of depression on his face.
The clan leader secretly sighed and said.
"But the girl didn't refuse the dress. The Du family doesn't have a wedding dress for her right now. She will definitely wear the one prepared by the Marquis' Mansion and marry the Marquis."
When he said this, the atmosphere eased a little.
Chongping suddenly came to report.
"My Lord, the Imperial Concubine invites you."
*
Forbidden City, Yuxing Palace.
As soon as Lu Shenru arrived, he saw a little man standing among the pine branches at the corner of the corridor.
Although she was eight years old and lived alone in the palace, she was a little thinner than the other children. At this moment, the autumn wind blowing through the pines made her look even thinner.
Lu Shenru's expression couldn't help but soften.
"Your Highness." He called out.
He is the King of Wisdom.
I don’t know if the sound was blown away by the wind or something, so the little prince didn’t hear it.
Lu Shenru had no choice but to walk over, walked behind him, and took a closer look at him.
"Your Highness would like to play the flute?"
The little prince was holding a bamboo flute in his hand. When he heard Lu Shenru's question, he turned around quickly.
"uncle."
When the uncle and nephew greeted each other, little Prince Hui showed some embarrassment on his fair face.
"It's just fun to watch but I can't play it. Mother said that my uncle is good at playing the flute and he loves to play the flute loudly on horseback in the northwest wind and sand."
He looked up at Lu Shenru with his eyes wide open.
Lu Shenru looked loving and raised her hand to touch his shoulder.
"It's not easy for Your Highness to learn the flute. I will come to teach Your Highness another day."
The little prince nodded obediently, then thought of something and spoke quickly.
"Mother is waiting for uncle in the palace."
Lu Shenru said a few more words to him and then turned and went into the main hall.
Imperial Concubine Lu Huairu was sitting in the hall. When she saw her brother coming, she waited for him to bow and take a seat, then spoke.
"Then just let Gu Yangsi go."
There were only the brother and sister in the hall. Lu Shenru picked up the tea beside him and started drinking.
He just drank tea but didn't say anything.
The hall was quiet, and the breeze from the window made the gauze curtains flutter slowly.
The imperial concubine at the top sighed.
"The emperor called me over today to try the dim sum made by the new imperial chef from Jiangnan." She said, "The emperor said that the late emperor's concubine Wan Fei was born in Jiangnan and made excellent dim sum. The late emperor loved it, and even the emperor had eaten it a few times before."
As she spoke, she looked down at her brother who was sipping tea.
"Why did the emperor suddenly mention Concubine Wan to me?"
The emperor's biological mother died early, and Concubine Wan had no children. Naturally, Concubine Wan wanted to take the emperor into her own arms, but for some reason the late emperor did not agree.
But because of this, Concubine Wan took good care of the emperor during her lifetime.
Lu Huairu said this when he saw his brother finally put down the teacup in his hand.
"Although the emperor ignored the exchange of the Du sisters, he specifically asked me to go over and say this. This is to save face for Madam Wan."
She said, "If the emperor is like this, what about you and me?"
She went over and saw her brother put down the teacup in his hand and closed his eyes as if he was resting.
She couldn't help but call him.
"Only the stone..."
Lu Shenru's calligraphy.
After the words fell, the man opened his eyes.
"If I hadn't taken this into consideration, Gu Yangsi would have died long ago. It's fine if Wan Shi claims to be the matchmaker of the capital, but she dares to match me up casually."
He couldn't help but snort a laugh.
Lu Huairu pinched his forehead at the top.
In recent years, the emperor has been happy to arrange marriages for the children of civil and military officials. Madam Wan just happened to cater to the emperor's preferences and gained some face.
It would have been fine if she was just trying to matchmake with someone else, but she had to matchmake with her own brother's wrist.
Why pick on him when there are so many people to pick on.
Lu Huairu glanced at his brother twice more from the corner of his eye.
She said softly, "Madam Wan did go too far. But it takes two to tango. In the final analysis, it is the eldest daughter of the Du family who is still thinking about the old man and refuses to forget him. In fact, you shouldn't force her..."
Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by his younger brother.
"Your Majesty, be careful with your words."
The hall was empty and silent, with only the gauze curtains by the window fluttering in the wind.
The brother and sister looked at each other, turned their heads away and said no more.
Lu Huairu took a sip of tea and couldn't help muttering.
"No one is allowed to say it..."
Although her voice was soft, Lord Lu, who had excellent hearing, still heard it.
"What does the queen want to say?"
He turned his head and looked straight up at the seat above.
"My marriage, between me and her, is legitimate."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent again.
The man tightened his lips, and the imperial concubine stopped talking.
After a long while, Lu Huairu spoke first.
"Do you want me to add some makeup to her?"
As soon as she said this, the man came straight over.
"want."
He said, "The Du family has limited manpower, and the second branch is not doing things well. Please ask the queen to personally appoint an aunt from the palace to go over and add makeup to her and do her makeup."
Lu Huairu looked at his brother, blinked a few times, and nodded.
"knew."
The brother and sister were not getting along very well today, so Lu Shenru stood up.
He bowed to the imperial concubine at the top.
"The day after tomorrow is an auspicious day, so I will not stay any longer."
He said, "I am very happy, and your Majesty is happy too."
After saying this, he left the palace.
The imperial concubine looked at her brother as he left and sighed softly.
*
The next morning, the Jinyiwei finally released the man.
Gu Yangsi's breathing was so weak that it seemed like he might die at any time. Madam Wan began to tremble all over as she looked at her son.
"How dare he, Lu Shenru?! On what basis?!"
The Gu family steward, who didn't want to pick anyone up, wished he could cover the old lady's mouth.
The steward lowered his voice very low, "Old Madam, please stop talking. The Master was indeed found out by the Imperial Guards that he had had several dealings with Tatar generals!"
They exchanged things with each other several times, even military items.
It's just that the quantity is very small, just making a little money.
Madam Wan almost suffocated. She could no longer care about anything else. She was only afraid that her only son would die.
Du Runqing still found it hard to believe when he saw that his uncle had no intact skin and was covered in blood.
Is this really the Marquis’s instruction?
When Du Zhiqi saw his uncle coming back, he didn't want to stay in Gu's house any longer and quickly took his daughter away.
As soon as the father and daughter returned home, they heard that someone had come to the palace.
"Who is it?" Du Zhiqi was startled.
The servant hurriedly said that she was an aunt from the palace sent by the Imperial Concubine, "to help our eldest girl with her make-up."
Du Runqing, who was standing beside him, was stunned by what he said.
Du Zhiqi thought of something else.
"What about the wedding dress?" After Qing'er had altered the wedding dress at home, Jingniang could no longer wear it.
But the servant replied, "The Marquis's Mansion had anticipated this. Yesterday, the chief steward of the clan came in person and brought the wedding dress for the eldest lady."
Du Zhiqi was stunned.
Du Runqing was completely stunned.
It turns out that the Marquis really only wants to marry my sister.
He even prepared the wedding dress for his sister.
... ...
West courtyard.
At a glance, the place is filled with wedding items, which makes one's eyes sore and swollen.
The Du family did not have so many things. Many of them were sent by the Marquis' Mansion in the past two days. Somehow, Du Lingjing felt that all the things were stained with his scent, which was lingering around her.
She really didn't understand why he had to marry her?
Is it that when one sits in a high position like his, the more unattainable something seems, the more interesting it becomes?
When she thought about it, it suddenly dawned on her.
It seems that this has always been the case for powerful officials and nobles.
How could Lord Lu, who was surrounded and fawned upon by everyone, be an exception?
Du Lingjing shook her head secretly.
Qiu Lin was counting the few remaining hours and was almost crying.
"If the girl marries like this, will the Marquis... ...torture her?"
Du Lingjing smiled and said, "That can't be helped."
She had been rude to the marquis and wanted to deceive him by marrying him in a marriage swap. Now that he had discovered everything, how could she remain safe?
Qiu Lin's eyes turned red with worry.
"Then will he force the girl to consummate the marriage tomorrow night, the day of the wedding?"
Just like the Tatar singer in the legend, forcing the girl to stay up all night to accept his "favor" and give birth to a child for him as soon as possible?
Qiulin thought about this and held Du Lingjing's hand tightly.
"Girl, can we still run?"
Du Lingjing looked at the things in the yard, the aunt from the palace, and the guards from the marquis's mansion patrolling outside the yard.
She shook her head slowly, "I'm afraid I can't run away for a while."
"What should we do then?"
The coolness of late autumn seeped in from the cracks in the walls and the ground. Du Lingjing felt cold on her shoulders and she pursed her lips.
"We can only take one step at a time and see what happens."
*
Jiqingfang, the Mansion of Marquis Yongding.
Lu Shenru stood in the bridal chamber and watched the old maids making the bed for him, and couldn't help but say something.
"Mammies, please make the bed thicker. I'm used to sleeping on a hard bed, but she... ...don't hurt her."
Unexpectedly, this remark made the maids all laugh.
"Don't worry, my Lord. No matter how delicate the Madam is, she can sleep on this bed."
Everyone laughed, and the Marquis's face became hot.
Fortunately, a nanny chased him away, "Master, leave it to us, go and change into your wedding clothes."
The man went quickly.
He changed into wedding clothes, a red silk shawl, and a coral hair crown on his thick black hair. The lights in the room made his whole body glow.
The sky outside was getting brighter. Chong'an quickly ran to the door and shouted.
"My Lord, the auspicious time has arrived!"
The man's eyes lit up under his heroic brows, and he strode out of the door towards the rising sunlight.
Not to mention the Lu family's Jiqingfang and the Du family's Chengqingfang, the entire inner city of the capital was packed with people.
Lord Lu, Marquis of Yongding, is going to marry his wife today!
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