Chapter 187 Xie Guanlan has already obtained the throne, what else does he want?
The young man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and his silhouette under the statue of Laojun looked like a sharp, narrow knife.
Above the palace, a huge nine-layered lotus lantern cast a brilliant light, but he was alone and seemed extremely lonely.
Although Wen Xingluo couldn't see his face, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
At dawn, the candle in the boudoir burned out, and a ray of sunlight shone into the brocade curtain.
Wen Xingluo sat on the bed, holding the quilt with one hand and supporting the bed with the other. The black hair hanging from her cheeks covered her little face.
In last night’s dream, was the young man in the black dragon robe Xie Guanlan?
In his previous life, did he finally get that position?
Wen Xingluo should have been happy for him, but for some reason, she suddenly felt a constant and intense pain deep in her heart. When she woke up in the morning, her heart beat violently and expanded and contracted rapidly, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
He got the spot, but he didn't look happy at all.
Why did he appear in Laojun Pavilion? What else did he want?
Wen Xingluo couldn't figure it out and had no way to verify it.
…
After the Flower Festival, the old empress dowager secretly summoned everyone in the palace to discuss how to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for Wen Xingluo.
Wei Ying eavesdropped and told Wen Xingluo, "They're planning a grand ceremony for your coming-of-age ceremony."
Wen Xingluo was doing the homework assigned by Baihe Academy in the study.
He stopped writing after hearing this, and Mu Zhiqiu's birthday gift appeared before his eyes.
Given Grandma's temper, she would definitely help her make the celebration even more grand and lively than the Mu family's...
She looked at Wei Ying and asked, "Did your cousin have her coming-of-age ceremony last year?"
Wei Ying nodded.
At that time, she was just a slave in the East Palace who was not allowed to see the light of day.
She did not have a coming-of-age ceremony.
On the day of her coming of age, she was still serving Xie Zan.
That day, Crown Prince Xie Xuchi came over and asked Xie Zan what he thought about the tea-horse trade in the southwest.
Xie Zan said that Xie Guanlan wanted to expand the army by raising horses through the tea-horse trade, and he could not be allowed to continue to develop. He must find a way to reduce the military forces in the southwest. He might as well ask the emperor for an order to arrange for Xie Guanlan to go to the border countries.
If Xie Guanlan wins, he will be required to hand over all the profits from the war.
If he lost, or even died on the battlefield...
Then everyone is happy.
Xie Xuchi agreed.
Before leaving, Xie Xuchi suddenly looked at her and said to Xie Zan, "This little slave has served you for many years and is now quite pretty. You love beautiful women the most, but you can resist touching them?"
Xie Zan chuckled, reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her into his arms.
He pressed her face into his chest, stroking her ears and neck with his fingertips, and said nonchalantly: "This little slave just came of age today, I'm not that cruel."
Xie Xuchi also smiled, "Then I won't disturb your good fortune tonight."
Wei Ying touched the brand on her wrist through her sleeve.
That night was not a pleasant night.
She cried and screamed in the tent for a long time, scratching Xie Zan all over, and finally turned over and sat on Xie Zan's waist.
She buckled the vicious dog collar around his neck, tightened the chain with one hand, and strangled his neck viciously with the other hand, her eyes red as if she wanted to kill him.
Xie Zan just looked at her and smiled.
"Wei Gaoyang, do I give you face?"
He licked his thin lips, his voice hoarse and indistinguishable from his emotions.
He held her wrist and, relying on his huge size difference, easily neutralized all her strength.
He threw her to the ground and dragged her to the window.
He pushed the window open and pressed her face against the windowsill without a care in the world.
Such humiliation...
The brand on Wei Ying's wrist hurt slightly.
She didn't have a coming-of-age ceremony, but her cousin had to have one.
Wei Ying changed the subject and said, "What gift do you want? I'll get it for you."
Wen Xingluo looked at her deeply and said, "Just don't get into trouble. I heard that there are more and more notices posted outside, all looking for you. Don't leave the palace for the time being."
Wei Ying didn't care. "After this coming-of-age ceremony, the box of things I prepared for you will come in handy. I wonder when Xie Guanlan will be back..."
Wen Xingluo's hands trembled.
Her cousin hadn't thrown away the box yet!
The news that the Zhenbei Palace was going to hold a coming-of-age ceremony spread like wildfire. The maids and stewards went everywhere to buy things for the banquet. Almost everyone in Rongcheng knew that the young lady of the palace was about to come of age.
Northeast courtyard.
Xu Miaomiao was curious, "Sister Yueyin and Wen Xingluo were born together. I wonder if Sister Yueyin will be able to participate in this coming-of-age ceremony?"
Wen Rufeng was remaking a memorial tablet for Wen Qingsong when he heard this. "Of course. Our family has always treated our two sisters equally. There's no reason to favor one over the other. Since we're going to hold a coming-of-age ceremony, of course it should be held for both sisters together."
"After the coming-of-age ceremony, Yueyin will be a grown-up girl. You can say she's married." Wen Ruyun caressed Wen Yueyin's head lovingly. "When big brother passes the imperial examination next year, Yueyin will naturally become the Crown Princess."
Wen Yueyin blushed, "Big Brother and Second Brother, the good days for our family are finally coming."
Thinking that she would be promised to the prince next year, she felt extremely happy and dressed up beautifully to go to the garden to enjoy the flowers.
She walked to Mu Zhiqiu's yard, and saw several black-armored guards still guarding the gate.
Through the half-open courtyard door, she saw Mu Zhiqiu sitting at the stone table.
On the stone table stood a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked peonies.
Mu Zhiqiu was holding a pair of scissors, seemingly extremely bored, as he was trimming the shape of a peony flower.
Wen Yueyin smiled slightly and called out across the threshold, "Miss Mu."
Mu Zhiqiu raised his eyes and glanced at her, "Miss Wen."
"Didn't you say that the Zhenbei Palace and mother both liked Wen Xingluo more? But now they want to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for me." Wen Yueyin's face was full of joy. "Miss Mu, it looks like you're going to be disappointed."
Mu Zhiqiu sneered, "Who knows if you were the one who came along?"
"You—" Wen Yueyin was furious, "I think you're just jealous of me!"
"By the way," Mu Zhiqiu smiled, her red lips adorning her face. "Didn't you go and teach your mother etiquette? How's it going?"
Wen Yueyin was filled with rage the moment this matter was brought up. "It's all your fault for instigating me to do this. My mother has excellent manners and etiquette, even better than me. She doesn't need me to teach her at all! You've embarrassed me, don't you know?!"
"Better than you? How is that possible? Miss Wen's manners are the best of anyone I've ever met. If even you can surpass her, I wonder what your mother's manners are like?"
Wen Yueyin thought about it, imitated Wei Si's etiquette posture, and performed a few actions.
She muttered, "That's probably it. But mine isn't as pretty as hers. I don't know where she learned it from, but it seems to be even more standard and beautiful than those of the concubines and ladies..."
Mu Zhiqiu's eyes grew colder.
She was right.
Wei Si, indeed, is related to the previous dynasty.
Those salutations were popular among the concubines and princesses in the palace of the previous dynasty. It was not until the Zhou Dynasty ascended the throne that the harem simplified those salutations.
Wei Si was a member of the royal family of Wei.
This thought made Mu Zhiqiu ecstatic.
After Wen Yue left, she picked up the peonies, cut them into different shapes one by one, and finally threw them all into the stream in the yard.
These peonies of various shapes are the secret codes of communication between her and the Mu family.
Others couldn't understand, but the Mu family knew what she wanted to say at a glance.
She and her brother had been away for a long time without any news. Her father would definitely send people to Rongcheng to inquire about the news. As long as Xishui sent the peony flowers out of the Zhenbei Palace, her father's spies would see it...
Mu Zhiqiu's actions could not be hidden from Wen Xingluo.
"Peonies of different shapes..." Wen Xingluo speculated, "Could it be a secret code between her and Mu Shangming? She's so clever, she even thought of using the stream to convey messages."
Wei Ying stared at the sword in his arms, remaining silent for a rare moment.
"What's wrong with you?" Wen Xingluo pushed a cup of hot tea in front of her.
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