Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Going Out
He did not go to court the next day.
Du Lingjing had just sat up from the quilt when he strode in from the outer room.
When Du Lingjing saw him, she turned away angrily, remembering what happened last night. He was no longer as cold and hard as he had been in the past few days. He silently glanced at her extremely unhappy expression, took his clothes and brought them to the bedside.
He put the clothes on her, and Du Lingjing immediately pushed them away. He didn't make a fuss, but held her arm and helped her put on the sleeves.
Du Lingjing didn't want to pay attention to this man. She didn't know that she wanted him to serve her personally, giving him the opportunity to get close to her.
She tied the belt herself, but he found another opportunity.
The noble Lord Lu leaned over, held her slender white ankle, and put socks on her feet.
Du Lingjing paused, and felt his warm fingertips with thin calluses rubbing against her delicate feet. The unique touch, together with his forcefulness last night, made her body tremble slightly.
He looked up at her, his eyes fixed on her face.
Du Lingjing would never give him any good face, so she called Qiu Lin.
The man stood up, and as Qiu Lin entered the room, she said.
"Give me my contraceptive pills."
For the first time, the lady told the marquis directly that she wanted to use contraceptive pills.
Qiu Lin was startled.
Sure enough, the Marquis's expression paused for a moment, and his eyes fell on the lady, but the lady pretended not to see it.
The Marquis paused, and Qiulin thought that the Marquis and his wife were going to argue again, but the Marquis said nothing to his wife, he just asked her.
"Madam, can contraceptive medicine harm your body?"
This medicine was a secret recipe of an old imperial physician, and Qiu Lin asked Ruan Gong to spend quite a bit of effort to purchase it.
She said, "It's not harmful."
The man listened and said, "Okay."
Du Lingjing didn't know what he was going to do, so she asked Qiulin to take the medicine. After taking the medicine, she glanced at him.
He was not annoyed and just spoke slowly.
"Then use it, ma'am. I want to know whether your contraceptive medicine is more effective or your husband's is better."
As soon as the words fell, Du Lingjing's heart skipped a beat.
He took one last look at her, then turned and walked out the door.
Du Lingjing clenched her hands in anger.
Qiu Lin sighed repeatedly, his eyes involuntarily falling on his wife's belly.
So is it the Madam's contraceptive medicine that is used, or is the Marquis's more powerful one?
*
Gu Mansion in Huanghuafang, East City of the Capital.
The things sent by Mrs. Baoguo arrived at the courtyard of Mrs. Wan in Rong Yutang.
The daughter-in-law Liang bowed her head and walked in respectfully to report in person, "... Madam Baoguo sent these, all of which are top-quality medicinal herbs. Would you like to take a look at them yourself?"
Madam Wan raised her hand and said it was not necessary, and had the letter put away. She then sent her daughter-in-law Liang to write a letter to Yun Bo's Mansion to express her gratitude.
After sending Liang away, she turned around and spoke to her granddaughter Du Runqing.
"Qing'er, look, Madam Baoguo really likes you. Is grandma right?"
Du Runqing really didn't expect this.
Her father was not able to obtain support from the Marquis and had to return to his original post. She was unknown among the noble ladies in the capital. If she was famous, it was because of the rumors about sisters swapping marriages.
Madam Baoguo is the emperor's aunt, and even the emperor, empress and imperial concubine have to respect her. How could she be chosen as a wife for Commander Wei?
Everything was decided by her grandmother, so she shouldn't have asked too many questions, but she couldn't help but ask this question at this moment.
Madam Wan laughed when she heard this. She said that she was indeed not as good as other noble ladies. "But if Madam Baoguo could choose a noble lady for the commander, she would have chosen one long ago. Why wait until now? The most important thing is that your last name is Du, Qing'er."
Her surname is Du, from the Qingzhou Du family, and she is the niece of Du Zhili, the Lord Du.
As luck would have it, Wei Jue admired Du Zhili very much.
"... When your uncle passed away, Madam Baoguo asked us to give him a very grand funeral, which was even grander than the one your uncle gave. And because the Wei family and your Du family had no dealings, we didn't let anyone know about it, but your grandmother knew about it."
Madam Wan said this and touched her granddaughter's shoulder.
"Wei Jue doesn't want to marry, and Madam Baoguo can't do anything to him. But what if this wife comes from the family of Lord Du, whom he respects the most?"
Madam Wan guessed that Madam Baoguo should prefer Du Zhili's daughter Du Lingjing. Unfortunately, Du Lingjing was an old acquaintance of Princess Nianjia, so they were no longer suitable.
Now that Princess Nianjia has returned to the capital, Madam Baoguo sees that Princess Nianjia is married, but Commander Wei is still unmarried, and is afraid that people in the capital will gossip about her. How can she not be anxious?
Some time ago, she gave Madam Baoguo a hint of her intention, and Madam Baoguo immediately accepted her intention. At the birthday banquet at the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, she met Qing'er.
Madam Wan looked at her granddaughter and said, "Mrs. Baoguo is quite satisfied with you. Do you have any other concerns?"
She said, "What did your grandmother teach you? As long as you are obedient and know when to advance and when to retreat, and spend more time in the backyard, no matter how high the family lintel is, you will not have a bad life if you marry into the family. On the contrary, some people insist on having their own way, and even if they are married to a marquis by imperial decree, they will not be able to live long."
It is clear who the latter sentence is referring to.
Du Runqing nodded her head and agreed. Seeing that she was obedient and followed her arrangements, Madam Wan nodded with satisfaction and let her go.
"Grandmother will never treat you unfairly."
More importantly, no one is interested in her as the matchmaker in Beijing, and even if her son Gu Yangsi gradually recovers, he will have no job to do.
If this continues, the Gu family will have no choice but to leave the capital and return to the countryside, thus completely declining.
She had been building her business for her whole life, but it was ruined just because of Du Lingjing's marriage?
Of course that's not possible. No one is looking for her to marry now. But if she can marry her granddaughter to a high-ranking and powerful official like Wei Jue, then wouldn't her reputation as the matchmaker of the capital come back?
Her son Gu Yangsi was so bored at home that he beat and scolded the servants all day long. She could not comfort him, so she could only kill him as soon as possible.
However, the only unreliable thing is that Madam Baoguo cannot easily make decisions for Wei Jue, so she has to have some other ways.
... ...
Two days later, the entire capital city was bustling with activity.
Before daybreak, those who had received the news in advance went to the homes of the successful candidates to announce the news with music and drums. The music and drums never stopped, one after another.
Needless to say, Du Jicang of the Du family not only passed the exam, but also ranked 12th on the Xingbang list. When the palace exam comes next month, such a high name will definitely be ranked in the front row. Even if he can't get the first place, he will definitely be a real Jinshi in the second place, not a Jinshi in the third place.
As soon as Du Lingjing got up in the morning, servants kept coming to congratulate her. Du Lingjing asked Ruan Gong to get money to distribute, but before her money arrived, someone had already asked the chief steward of the clan to get three large baskets of silver and money. One basket was sent to the inner courtyard of the marquis's mansion, and the other two baskets were sent to the people outside who brought the good news.
With such a large list, those who don’t know would think that someone from the Lu family, which is full of military generals, is also on the list.
Even if Du Lingjing didn't want to accept his favor, he had already given her the money.
On such a happy day, Du Lingjing didn't want to be angry with him, so she asked Ruan Gong again.
"Did Master Liu win?"
As there was no advance news, Ruan Gong left some people in Chengqingfang and asked them to go to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall early in the morning to check the list.
However, the news had not yet reached the Marquis' Mansion so quickly.
Du Lingjing was afraid that the news would not reach her, so she was stopped halfway.
But Chang Pu told her not to worry, "Madam, I found a dog hole behind the bushes in the backyard. Maybe I can get out. If there is no news during the day, I will climb out at night and light a lamp to check for you!"
He described it so vividly that Du Lingjing could almost see him climbing through the dog hole.
But this is the Yongding Marquis Mansion, and I’m afraid that before Changpu crawls over, Chong’an will be waiting for him outside the dog hole.
She didn't want to pour cold water on Chang Pu, but Ruan Gong was straightforward and kicked him.
"Climbing through a dog hole?! How dare you think of that? It's embarrassing enough!"
He kicked Acorus out and said, "Go to the door and wait for news!"
Acorus went there hastily, covering his butt. After just a quarter of an hour he came back as fast as the wind.
"Any news?" Du Lingjing asked hurriedly.
Everyone looked towards Acorus, but this boy was still keeping everyone in suspense. "Madam, guess what?"
This time even Qiu Lin couldn't help but kick him, "Hurry up and tell me!"
Ai Ye went up and pinched him, and Chang Pu cried out in pain because of the pinch he received from his sister.
But also said.
"I got it! Isn't it enough that Sixth Master got it?!"
Du Jicang was ranked eighth when he passed the imperial examination, so he was very confident in taking the spring examination.
It’s hard to say about Liu Lang. He passed the imperial examination four years ago and was ranked at the back, which was considered as just barely passing.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised, "Liu Lang actually won... What rank?"
Acorus stretched out his fingers and made a three.
"Ah? Sixth Master ranked third on the Xingbang?!" Qiu Lin was shocked.
Du Lingjing raised her eyebrows.
Acorus chuckled and said, "Sixth Master, you're ranked third from the bottom."
Du Lingjing was about to hit him.
However, even if Jiang Fengchuan was the third from the bottom, he was still on the list and at least a fellow Jinshi. It was possible that the emperor would take a liking to him at first sight and be willing to grant him a real Jinshi, which would be even more respectable.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but chant the Buddha's name.
Thinking about how Sanlang was most concerned about this during his lifetime, he should be relieved to see it from heaven today.
Liu Lang passed the imperial examination and she got married. Everything was different from before.
Du Lingjing inexplicably rested her arms under the window and was in a daze for a long time.
... ...
On the evening of the third day, Du Jicang finally found time to visit the Marquis' Mansion.
Lu Shenru first congratulated him in the outer courtyard, then invited his wife to the front courtyard and had a banquet prepared to entertain his uncle who had just graduated from high school.
Du Jicang's face was beaming with joy, and Du Lingjing was also very happy, and specially prepared a gift for him.
Lu Shenru asked him what his plans were for his future as an official.
The three of them chatted for a while, and then the table was cleared. Just then, an aide came to talk to Lu Shenru about something, so Lord Lu left for a while, leaving the Du brother and sister alone drinking tea in the courtyard.
Du Lingjing first asked about Feng Xiang's situation, and heard Brother Cang say.
"Xiao Feng is a person who doesn't have many obsessions. He was lost for half a day, but he returned to normal the next day. He even asked me if I wanted to include the essays from the imperial examination in the new collection of contemporary essays."
Du Lingjing laughed when she heard this. The younger brother of the Feng family was just as she expected.
But she also mentioned Jiang Fengchuan, taking advantage of someone's absence.
Du Jicang's guess about Liu Lang's ranking was very close, but fortunately, he escaped with no danger.
"... Although the Jiang family lost Sanlang, Sanlang brought up Liulang, which is gratifying enough."
Du Ling was quiet for a few breaths.
She also said yes, but no matter whether it was Liulang or Sanlang, the word Jiang could not be mentioned in front of someone.
She took out a small box from her sleeve and handed it to Du Jicang.
"Brother Cang, please congratulate Liu Lang and Concubine Jiang on my behalf. This is a wedding gift for Liu Lang. I'll have to pass it on."
It's a small matter.
But when Du Jicang took it, the man happened to walk back from the door. He heard the previous words and saw the gift.
His eyes swept over Du Lingjing, who pursed her lips and said nothing.
Fortunately, Du Jicang was still alive, and neither Marquis Lu nor his wife said much.
After chatting for a while, the moonlight rose and Du Jicang said goodbye to his sister and brother-in-law and left the mansion.
Du Lingjing also wanted to go back to the main courtyard, but before she could take a step, someone blocked her way.
"Stay in Yuanxiu Pavilion tonight."
He said in a deep voice.
Du Lingjing knew that he only did it because she gave Liu Lang a wedding gift.
She turned sideways, walked past him and walked out with a cold face.
"don't want."
... ...
Yuanxiu Pavilion, Lu Shenru’s bedroom in the outer courtyard.
The spring water is almost being drained.
Du Lingjing was so angry that her whole body was covered with sticky sweat. Her thin shirt slipped off her shoulders. She was breathing heavily, but he still refused to let her go and kept scratching Yu Min.
No matter how she slapped and pushed him, it was useless. Instead, his strength became more accurate and stronger. The moonlight flowed, and he retreated and came out, demonstrating his undeniable presence.
Du Lingjing gritted her teeth. How could there be such a person? !
Her toes twitched again and again, and she was sweating. For the first time, she wanted to open her mouth and bite someone.
Biting someone is such a hasty, helpless and rude thing for a scholar to do, but she couldn't help it.
However, the iron walls and steel structures of the northwestern border were so strong that it was impossible to even dare to defend oneself.
He continued, Du Lingjing's eyes turned red with anger. The man seemed to read her thoughts from a book, and suddenly he stretched out his hand and placed it on her lips.
She couldn't help but bite him, her teeth digging into the weak spot of his thumb, but he didn't feel any pain, instead he chuckled.
He pushed harder and went deeper, but Du Lingjing's teeth nailed him tightly.
But he didn't feel any pain, but if he exerted more force, it would bleed.
And how can a scholar bite others?
Du Lingjing suddenly gave up and lowered her head.
The man also sighed, and held his bitten palm against her face, stroking it with his fingertips, then he lowered his head and kissed her.
She still turned sideways, and he kissed the slender cervical vertebra at the back of her neck.
But he held her and sat on him, searching until dawn.
... ...
When Du Lingjing got up at noon, he was not in the room.
Thinking about last night, she leaned against the carved backrest and got angry for a long time before she got up.
Her knees felt sore, but she saw a note and a letter on the small table beside the bed.
It belongs to Nian Jia.
Du Lingjing opened the letter and found that Nian Jia had accompanied Wei Cong out of the capital to recuperate. They were in a mountain villa not far from the capital. He could not come to the marquis's mansion to find her for the time being, but invited her to stay in the mountain villa for a while.
But Du Lingjing couldn't leave the house, and it was hard to say whether she could leave Yuanxiu Pavilion at the moment.
But he also put the post right at the head of the bed so that she could see it as soon as she got up. What did that mean?
Du Lingjing was just thinking about it when a man came in from outside, lifting the curtain.
He saw that she was holding Nian Jia's invitation and asked, "Do you want to stay for a few days?"
Du Lingjing raised her eyes and glanced at him.
That mountain house is outside Beijing.
"My Lord, are you so kind?"
She asked sarcastically and the man chuckled softly.
"Of course I'm not that kind." He said, "I'll go with my wife."
Du Lingjing: "..."
She stopped talking, and he called the maid in to help her change clothes and wash up, and he left the bedroom temporarily.
Du Lingjing changed her clothes and suddenly noticed that there was a missing sword on the sword rack beside her.
Du Lingjing pursed her lips and remained silent.
His four long and heavy swords were all there.
But he only took away the Second Master's Silver Snow Sword.
*
Outside Beijing, at some point, the mountains and fields were quietly dyed with green. The fresh green was like green gauze falling from the sky, softly covering the undulating mountains and rivers.
Someone was really kind-hearted and first asked for a carriage to go to Guilin Tower. Du Lingjing stayed in Guilin Tower for most of the day before setting off again to the mountain house where Wei Cong and Nian Jia were recuperating.
The fields are filled with green and the moist spring rain is falling.
As the carriage of the marquis's mansion approached the gate of the mountain villa, Du Lingjing saw a pair of people standing on the stone steps in front of the gate covered with spring green, holding umbrellas and looking towards the carriage.
Nian Jia waved high at her, and the spring breeze blew her figure and her cheerful look into the car window.
Du Lingjing felt happy and waved to her in the rain.
Chongping drove the horse himself, and the carriage soon stopped in front of the door.
Someone got off the carriage first and picked her up with an umbrella.
Du Lingjing didn't need to pick up an umbrella, but then she saw Nian Jia, her servant, holding up one hand and holding an umbrella for her and Wei Cong.
Du Lingjing was slightly surprised. Seeing that the Wei prince was helpless, she turned to Tong Nianjia and said, "Princess, let me do it. It won't hurt you any more."
However, Nian Jia hesitated and shook his head, "Mother said that I didn't take good care of you, the prince. If I let you hold an umbrella again, she might find out and tell the Concubine Dowager."
"But the princess has already hit me with the umbrella."
Wei Cong was very tall, so even if Nian Jia raised his hand, he still hung the umbrella on Wei Cong's hair crown.
Nian Jia: “…”
But she was really afraid of being scolded, "... Can't you just be patient, Prince?"
Du Lingjing saw Wei Cong pause slightly, then started laughing again.
"Of course I can do it."
Du Lingjing also laughed, and someone was watching her.
Du Lingjing was just not willing to share the umbrella with him, so after the four of them greeted each other, she stepped forward and pulled Nian Jia, "Please hold the umbrella for me, don't embarrass the prince."
Nian Jia quickly said hello, and Du Lingjing took the umbrella.
On the other side, Wei Cong did not ask the Marquis to hold an umbrella for him. The man directly asked Chongping to come and hold the umbrella for him, and asked about his recovery from his injuries.
Nian Jia led Du Lingjing to a quiet courtyard where they stayed.
They opened the doors and windows, and sat in front of the door, watching the rain and chatting.
Nian Jia glanced at Du Lingjing and asked, "Is Madam Baoguo not giving you any trouble afterwards?"
She whispered, "I'm just afraid that I've implicated you because of me."
After all, Mrs. Baoguo is the elder and the aunt, and Jingniang is just the niece-in-law.
Du Lingjing shook her head and said it was nothing.
But after looking at Nian Jia, he said, "So... it was because of Madam Baoguo?"
Is it because Madam Baoguo, Nian Jia and Wei Jue eventually got lost in the sea of people in the world?
It was raining outside, and the raindrops fell on the stone slabs and splashed on the windows and doors.
Nian Jia shook his head, his voice blending in with the sound of rain.
She said quite the opposite.
"It has nothing to do with Mrs. Baoguo."
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