Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Suspicion of Me
Is there anyone coming?
Lu Shenru looked at his newlywed wife, and seeing that she didn't look him in the eye, he didn't rush to ask, but just sat down beside her with the same expression.
When Shopkeeper Zhao first saw the marquis's mansion, he was already amazed at the appearance of the place. He thought that he should pay his respects to the marquis's new son-in-law, but he didn't know if he could meet him.
That's the Marquis of Yongding. If it were in the past, even if he spent all his money to bribe people, he might not be able to meet the Marquis.
But the Marquis came.
He saw that the man was actually sitting next to his girl, putting aside the Liaohua candy he brought for the girl, and now he was asking him directly.
"Manager Zhao?"
Shopkeeper Zhao was surprised that the high and mighty Marquis Yongding actually knew him.
Shopkeeper Zhao hurriedly went up to greet the Marquis. Du Lingjing was a little surprised that he recognized him and blinked at him.
The man caught her gaze sharply and explained that the Dushi Mianlou had printed ancient books and circulated them throughout the world, and that Shopkeeper Zhao had made a great contribution. "I have heard of this as well."
Shopkeeper Zhao was flattered and quickly stepped forward to flatter the Marquis, causing Qiu Lin to roll his eyes again.
Lu Shenru didn't care about these and just asked him.
"I think you passed by Baoding? How's the situation in Baoding?"
This was the same question that Du Lingjing asked, but he paused and looked at Shopkeeper Zhao.
"A few days ago, Zhan Ming mentioned that Jiang Jialiu Lang was also in Baoding. Has Manager Zhao seen him?"
He asked this in a casual tone, as if he had suddenly thought of it and asked it.
But everyone had just stopped talking about the Sixth Master of the Jiang Family before the man arrived.
I had just stopped talking, but he casually brought it up and continued.
Even Du Lingjing was a little surprised, as he clearly didn't hear what was said just now.
Shopkeeper Zhao was a little embarrassed to speak.
The Third Master has passed away, and the Marquis has married the girl. He can't tell others that the Sixth Master of the Jiang family wants to meet the girl.
He just thought it was a coincidence that they met. As for coming to Beijing to meet, he couldn't help but look at his girl.
He saw the girl shook her head very slightly at him, and he understood immediately.
"My Lord, I just happened to meet the Sixth Master of the Jiang Family and greeted him, then left."
Yeah?
The man smiled but said nothing.
Only then did Manager Zhao truly feel the pressure from this noble lord. Just by hiding half of his words, he was so nervous that he broke out in sweat on his back.
It was the girl who spoke up in time and asked him to go down and rest. "You must be tired after all the way here. Go ahead."
Shopkeeper Zhao didn't dare to stay any longer and hurriedly left. Everyone in the room also left.
There was an indescribable silence in the room.
The man didn't get a direct answer from Manager Zhao, but from the looks of the crowd, he already knew it.
But he also saw the person next to him from the corner of his eye, and just shook his head slightly to indicate to Manager Zhao.
Since she didn't want to talk, he naturally didn't ask any more questions.
He just looked at her quietly and asked her what she had eaten for lunch. "If you get tired of the cooking skills of the cook on the stove, we can hire a few more people."
There are eight cooks in the kitchen of the Marquis' Mansion, and each has their own cooking skills. Du Lingjing has not yet tried all the dishes that these eight people are good at, so she is certainly not tired of them.
Her thoughts were still on Liu Lang and San Lang's affairs, so she simply told him that he didn't need to invite anyone else, and asked, "My Lord, is there anything I can do for you now that you are back?"
The man shook his head and said nothing happened, so she said, "Then I'll go sort out some books and let Manager Zhao take them away."
After she heard him say yes, she went to the library on the other side.
She sat in front of the desk for a long time before she felt her mind calm, and then she sorted out the books she had recently revised.
She has been repairing ancient books for many years and has been immersed in it since her father was still alive.
At first, they just felt sorry that the ancient texts were lost little by little with the passage of time, and even the pages of the books could not be preserved, so they carefully restored and copied them for preservation.
Later on, I found that copying was easy, but there were some incomplete old books with intermittent and difficult-to-distinguish words and sentences, which could not be directly repaired and copied. Only by carefully considering the whole text and even reading the entire article several times, could I borrow some of the literary inspiration of the ancients to fill in the missing words and sentences.
This way of checking for omissions and filling in the gaps is like weaving a fine but incomplete piece of gorgeous clothing. Every time I finish mending and weaving it, I read it through from beginning to end, and I feel an indescribable sense of peace and comfort in my heart. It seems that all the reading over the years has not been in vain.
Then she picked out suitable books and articles and handed them over to Manager Zhao to have them printed and distributed by the printing society. In this way, these ancient articles that were originally about to be lost were revived among scholars.
She makes friends through literature and connects with the ancients. She also uses this to support Mianlou to continue collecting books and inviting guests to read together.
Du Lingjing sat in the study until night came. She looked up to take a look at the sky and saw someone bringing a lamp to her.
"It's getting dark. Even with the lights on, your eyes will be tired. Do you want me to press the acupoints for you?"
Du Lingjing was a little tired, but it was inappropriate for her to order the marquis around, so she thanked him politely and called Ai Ye over to hand the book to Manager Zhao.
The man simply asked someone to set the table for the meal, and by the time the two men had finished their meal, it was already dark.
He didn't go to the study room, but Du Lingjing saw the letter of Liaohuatang.
When he came back in the afternoon, the first thing he mentioned was the candy. At that time, the aroma of the Liaohua candy was still wafting in the air.
But now, the snack has gone cold.
Du Lingjing walked over and picked it up. Just as she held it in her hand, she heard him asking.
"Want some? It might not be as delicious as hot ones if they are cold," he said. "I'll have someone buy some hot ones tomorrow. Forget this one."
He brought the candy back specially, but was interrupted by something he was doing in the afternoon. Du Lingjing felt a little embarrassed.
She said it was okay, unwrapped the package, pinched a small piece, bent down to smell it, and it was indeed the same taste as the one in front of Longfu Temple, which she hadn't eaten for a long time.
She took a light bite and Lu Shenru looked over.
He saw her eat three mouthfuls in a row, and he couldn't help but walk over to her. The sweetness of the dessert spread quietly in the room.
Du Lingjing hadn't tasted this flavor for a long time, so she couldn't help but eat a few more bites.
She couldn't help but think of the day a few days ago in Chengqingfang when everyone mentioned Mr. Liao Xu. At that time, she thought that Mr. Liao often brought her the Liaohua candy from Longfu Temple.
But that day, she just thought about it in her heart and didn't mention it.
She admitted that he did guess her thoughts, but how could he guess such things?
She blinked and looked at him with her eyelids slightly raised.
"Why doesn't the Marquis eat? Do you usually eat too much?"
It was a rare opportunity for her to ask him a question. Lu Shenru was stunned, looked at her carefully, and answered her right away.
"I've only eaten it once or twice, and it's a bit too sweet. But if you like it, I've asked them to buy it for you anytime."
At this point he laughed and said, "Or maybe we can just hire a pastry chef from that shop to come to our house and keep him in the kitchen."
He replied to her several times in a row, but Du Lingjing looked at Liao Huatang and the man in front of her, and was secretly shocked.
He really knew that she liked this.
There are other shops selling liaohuatang in Beijing, but she is only used to the one in Longfu Temple.
He even knew this.
But she had not been to Beijing for a long time and had not eaten the Liaohuatang from Longfu Temple for a long time.
How would he know?
Du Lingjing didn't say anything for a while, and her hand holding the candy paused.
The sweet smell of sugar threads in the room seemed to have been burned by the candlelight or something, and disappeared in an instant.
When Lu Shenru saw her hand holding the candy pause, he couldn't help but close his eyes.
Yes, she had never taken the initiative to care about him. What she said just now was a warning and a test, but he was in a trance for a moment and told her the truth.
Just open your eyes and look at her again, he said straight.
"My wife should like it. A few days ago, I asked someone to ask the servants in the Du family's old house and found out that my wife likes this."
"My Lord, is you still asking about this?" she asked.
She doesn't believe it.
Lu Shenru smiled, "Of course."
He didn't hide or avoid her, but looked into her eyes.
"I first met you in the Pillow Moon Tower. I didn't know your name at that time. I didn't want the emperor to grant you the marriage and make you my wife. I know you don't want to, but since it's the emperor's will, I can't refuse. But the more this is the case, the more I should pay attention to it."
As he spoke, his voice became a little deeper.
"What questions do you have, ma'am?"
He saw through the suspicion in Du Lingjing's heart and explained it to her directly, and now asked her why she was suspicious.
Du Lingjing paused.
She always felt that she didn't know this Lord Lu, but he seemed to know her very well.
In addition, she only went out of Qingzhou to collect books, but inexplicably came to Beijing to marry him.
If we ignore the process and only look at the results, it would be hard for her not to be suspicious.
But he had already explained it all, and now that she hadn't spoken yet, he spoke again.
His voice became lower and lower, like the heavy rain that falls on a hot summer day.
"Does Quanquan feel that everyone except Jiang Jieyuan is an outsider and cannot be trusted?"
"... ..."
Du Lingjing bit her lip, looked at the candy that he had brought back with great enthusiasm but had let go, and could only say something in a low voice.
"That's not what I meant."
The man didn't speak.
Lu Shenru looked at his new wife in silence.
She didn't want to tell him that Jiang Liulang was coming in the afternoon. In the evening, he thought that it was rare for her to take the initiative to care about him, but it turned out to be a test from her.
Could it be that just because Jiang Zhuxiu said a few words casually, she was also alert and suspicious?
When he saw her put down the candy in her hand, he picked up the handkerchief and wiped her hands.
Her fingers were slightly cool and had a hint of the sweetness of sugar.
The same goes for the corners of the lips.
The next moment, he picked the person up.
Du Lingjing was startled, and he carried her directly to the table.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.
Du Lingjing's eyes widened instantly.
His strength was greater than on their wedding day.
He pressed his lips against hers, the tip of his nose pressing against the wing of her nose, he pressed his lips slightly low, but in a moment he took her breath away.
Her breathing became irregular.
But Lu Shenru thought that her disordered breathing was a hundred times stronger than her caution and alienation.
He bit her lip gently, her eyelashes trembled, and her hands couldn't help but press against her chest, but he ignored them and just stroked her teeth.
She refused to relent.
At this point, Lu Shenru was no longer anxious.
The lamp beside the table crackled softly, swaying in the rising humid air.
He lowered his head and pecked her lips, the candlelight making them even more rosy.
He was not in a hurry at all and took his time. After an unknown amount of time, she relaxed.
The man seized this opportunity and rushed in.
The sweet dew between her lips and tongue made him dazed for a moment.
The overlapping breaths and heartbeats were like a mixed symphony of Jiangnan string music, rising and falling, entangled and intertwined, and the firelight flickered faintly with the music.
Outside the room.
Qiulin thought that her daughter and the marquis were just like they had been a few days ago, with one editing books and the other managing affairs.
She brought in the tea and was about to refill the girl's tea, but just as she opened the door curtain, the person suddenly stopped in surprise.
She saw the girl being held by the marquis and sitting on the table. The marquis lowered his head and rubbed his nose against the girl's nose. Between their lips and teeth, she could even hear the girl's rapid breathing.
She was stunned, but after a few breaths, she hurriedly left the room.
Seeing that she looked strange, Ai Ye walked up to her and asked what was wrong.
Qiulin was a little embarrassed.
She looked at the huge marquis's mansion, and it was not until this moment that she realized that the girl had indeed married the marquis.
She was silent for a long time, then called Ai Ye in a low voice.
"Prepare some water for the girl, she may need it tonight..."
Ai Ye was also stunned for a moment, but soon understood.
... ...
In the room.
Du Ling was so confused that she didn't know what time it was.
His kiss today was completely different from that day. It was filled with some sullen persistence, and she was completely unable to resist it.
He seemed to be unable to control himself. He covered his handsome eyes with his eyelids, put his hands around her waist, and pulled her towards him.
But as soon as his hand touched her waist and he applied a little force, Du Lingjing's body stiffened.
He had no choice but to soften the kiss on her lips, hoping to make her relax a little, but Du Lingjing felt that her lips were gradually getting cold.
She clenched her hands.
The two people's hot and entangled breathing was interrupted at this moment.
The man paused, and the next moment, she heard him let out a long sigh.
He loosened his hands on her waist and only held her arms. The tips of his tongue, which had been entangled with her lips for a long time, finally left her lips. He just lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers.
The shallow and uneven breathing seemed to be forced to stabilize by him.
He reached out and stroked her face, before giving her one last kiss at the corner of her trembling eyes and pulling away.
He stepped back in time and Du Lingjing was stunned.
He looked at her with a hoarse voice.
"Don't doubt me anymore, okay?"
She had almost forgotten about testing him, but now she heard him repeat the question.
The way he spoke sounded as if he had suffered a great injustice.
What else could Du Lingjing say? She could only nod and say, "Okay."
He looked at her sullenly again, which made her feel embarrassed. Then he turned his back and went into the room, took a deep breath and exhaled, then drank a whole cup of herbal tea.
evening.
He still just held her to sleep.
The autumn night wind was howling outside the window, and it was warm and cozy inside the tent.
Du Lingjing couldn't fall asleep for some reason. She turned her eyes for the first time and quietly looked at the man beside her.
The small light outside the gauze curtain shone faintly on his nose bridge. There were two small scars on his nose, which seemed to be of different depths. They were not left by a single battle.
She looked down along his handsome nose, and her eyes inevitably fell on his lips.
With just one glance, she suddenly thought of his extremely long kiss in the evening and quickly looked away.
Outside the room, there was the sound of banana leaves rustling in the night wind, and the sweet aroma of candied desserts lingered in the room.
She thought of the Liaohuatang incident. Could it be that... she was overthinking it?
She couldn't explain it either.
But she thought about the marriage consummation which had been postponed again. Could she keep him waiting?
*
The next day, the man washed up early and went to court.
Qiulin saw that the girl got up as usual, without any discomfort, and she did not ask for water in the room last night.
Qiu Lin was secretly surprised.
The Marquis actually endured the situation last night.
The Marquis's treatment of the girl seemed to be different from what she expected...
She couldn't help but say, "My Lord, you are quite patient."
really.
Du Lingjing had been surprised before, but now it seems that a prince who can sit in such a high position can endure things that ordinary people cannot endure.
Du Lingjing really didn't know him well.
She cleared her throat and passed over the matter.
Qiu Lin helped her wash up, but seeing that her lips were slightly red and swollen, he took out some ointment and applied some on her.
Du Lingjing felt a heat in her ears.
At this time, Ruan Gong came back and said that Du Lingjing had asked him to look for the master's students and old friends before. He had sent people to look for all those in the capital and got some results.
Du Lingjing immediately collected his thoughts and asked him to report.
He said that some of the elderly were still enjoying their retirement at home, "but there were also two who disappeared recently."
Du Lingjing was surprised that more and more people were missing, and they all seemed to be related to her father, including the teachers and students who disappeared in the academy. They were familiar with Sanlang because they shared the same political views and all supported her father's new policies.
When she thought about this, she wanted to go back to Chengqingfang and try to find something in her father's study.
Unexpectedly, not long after he went out, he was stopped by someone.
Du Lingjing looked at the people outside the car window.
With a hooked nose hanging on his unapproachable face, Shao Wuxing spoke to her.
"Madam Lu, do you have time? My brother wants to see you."
Du Lingjing followed Shao Wuxing's gaze and saw Shao Boju standing under a tree with his hands behind his back by the river on the street.
Chong'an frowned and signaled that if she didn't want to go, she shouldn't bother with him.
These are the carriages and horses of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion. No one can get close to the Madam unless she wishes.
But Du Lingjing thought about it and got out of the car.
There was a crowd of people on the street. Shao Boju was obviously much thinner than the last time he saw him in Zhenyue Tower. His eyes no longer shone with the brilliance of a top scholar in the imperial examination, and there was a hint of fatigue in them.
He started talking.
"Jingniang didn't want to marry me, so now you marry Marquis Lu. Will he treat you well?"
Du Lingjing didn't reply to his question, but only asked, "What does Brother Shao want to say to me?"
Shao Boju smiled and said, "I want to ask Jingniang to do something for me. It's just a small thing."
He paused here, glanced at Chong'an and the guards of the Marquis' Mansion, and lowered his voice.
"It's just that this matter is between you, me, and the Hu brothers and sisters, and we are old friends. It has nothing to do with Lord Lu. I am only discussing it with you."
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