He looked at Gu Jue's expression again and saw that Gu Jue seemed to be smiling, as if he shared the same feeling.
Now, Cheng Linhua had an idea in her mind. It seemed that the prince looked down on Chu Lingxiao at all and did not look at him differently because of the princess.
As a result, Cheng Linhua spoke more casually, and continued: "Marquis Yongding is a man with great ambitions but little talent, and he has accomplished nothing."
"Since he received the title, he has neither done anything nor done anything wrong in the past few years. His performance has been mediocre, but he is determined to show off in front of the emperor. He once sought a job as the deputy commander of the Banner Guard, but because he broke his leg and lost it, he stayed in the mansion for more than a month to recuperate before being sent to the northwest."
Cheng Linhua knew very well that if Chu Lingxiao could return to Beijing alive, his career would be completely over. After all, he was the princess's father, and no matter how much the prince Qin tortured him, he would probably leave him half alive...
After talking about Chu Lingxiao, Cheng Linhua talked about Chu Yunyi and Chu Yunmu, and then started talking about the other branches of the Chu family, especially the mother and daughter of the second branch Liu. He said a few more words, especially mentioning how Chu Qianling's face was injured...
Finally, Cheng Linhua sighed: "If the princess had reacted a little slower that day, she might have been the one who got hurt on the face!"
Chu Qianchen's life in the Chu family was full of crises, just like walking on the edge of a cliff. If he took a wrong step, he would be doomed.
At this time, the little black cat outside the window was attracted by another dragonfly and fluttered around for a while. It was so engrossed in playing that it didn't notice that it was getting closer and closer to the pond, and it jumped again...
Stupid cat!
Gu Jue picked up the tea lid and threw it out of the window.
The small tea lid drew a long curve in the air and landed accurately on a lotus leaf beside the pond. The lotus leaf swayed violently, attracting the attention of the little black cat.
"Meow!"
The little black cat braked and stopped on the shore, staring at the swaying lotus leaf curiously, its eyes wide open.
This scene was also seen by Cheng Linhua and the servant.
The two of them had the same idea in their eyes. Is this what is called, love the house and love the dog? Cheng Linhua was just thinking about it in his mind, but the servant couldn't help but say it out loud, attracting Gu Jue's gaze towards him.
"Love the house and love the dog." Gu Jue repeated lightly, as if talking to himself.
When Gu Jue returned to the main courtyard, he was still thinking about these four words: Love the house and love the dog.
The inner room was still quiet.
Only the dim moonlight shone through the window, casting a silver frost on the mirror-like floor.
Gu Jue lightened his steps and walked slowly to the couch without making any sound.
The girl lay half-curled up on the couch, quietly, like a small shrimp, and the thin blanket on her body had spread out a little.
Her breathing was even and long, her long black hair was scattered on the white porcelain pillow, and a few strands of black hair covered her rosy cheeks, like a water lily with a faint fragrance floating under the moon.
She slept so peacefully, like a carefree child.
However--
Gu Jue couldn't help but think of what Cheng Linhua had just said.
This little girl has suffered so much in the past ten years in the Chu family. Chu Lingxiao is not worthy of being a father at all.
However, now she is neither cowardly nor paranoid.
Instead, he has grown into what he is now, unperturbed by fame or disgrace, calm in the face of adversity, and graceful and generous, with a kind of calmness and unrestrainedness of "leisurely watching the flowers bloom and fall in the courtyard".
Gu Jue gazed deeply at her peaceful sleeping face.
Gradually, an indescribable feeling emerged in my heart, as if it was a little painful and a little sad.
This is probably heartache.
Gu Jue curled the corners of his lips, bent down slightly, and gently wrapped her in a thin blanket before lying down beside her.
The girl seemed to feel the heat beside her and shrank towards him, pinching his wrist with one hand.
Gu Jue's body suddenly froze, not daring to move.
He could feel her body temperature coming through their thin clothes.
The girl's lips moved in her sleep, and she murmured unconsciously a few times, vaguely...
Gu Jue listened carefully, and was sure that she was saying:
"My Lord, be obedient!"
Her tone was fierce yet delicate.
Gu Jue was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing, and his body relaxed.
His clear eyes shone surprisingly brightly in the darkness, and he thought: This time, it must not be a nightmare she had.
Gu Jue held her hand in return, and she responded by gently rubbing his palm with her warm and soft palm and muttering something softly.
Inside the clear blue bed curtains, the scents from the two people slowly blended together in the air...
Gu Jue also closed his eyes and felt sleepy. Being with her made him feel at ease.
He knew he could trust her, just as she trusted him.
Gu Jue quickly fell into a deep sleep.
When Chu Qianchen woke up, it was already daybreak, and she nestled in Gu Jue's arms.
She looked at his well-defined face, his brows were clear, his appearance was handsome, his breathing was gentle, and the warm breath from his nostrils fell on her neck.
He is alive at this moment!
The familiar, light scent of agarwood on him made her feel at ease.
She couldn't help but lean into his arms and rub her head against his shoulders, just like a kitten, expressing her joy.
Gu Jue woke up almost as soon as she opened his eyes, and his body froze again when she nudged him.
Chu Qianchen felt it immediately, raised his head from his arms, and smiled subconsciously.
"Your Highness, it's still early, go to sleep for a while." Chu Qianchen opened his bright eyes and stared at him without blinking.
Gu Jue: “…”
How could Gu Jue fall asleep? He raised his hand to tuck her messy hair behind her ears and asked, "Are you going to Duke Mu's Mansion soon?"
This sentence successfully diverted Chu Qianchen's attention.
Chu Qianchen sat up from the couch holding a thin quilt.
Yesterday, Shen's acute illness was under control because of her timely treatment, but she did not recover so quickly. She needs to recuperate for a while. She has to go to the Duke's Mansion as soon as possible to check Shen's pulse.
and……
Thinking of Shen's eyes when she left last night, Chu Qianchen felt a little uncomfortable and her heart shrank slightly.
Gu Jue said: "After breakfast, we will go together and I will take you there."
"Yeah." Chu Qianchen was happy and asked casually, "Is the prince going to see Wuhejialou today?"
"Yes." Gu Jue responded without hesitation.
Amber and the others heard the noise in the inner room and knew that the two masters had gotten up, so they asked and then came in to help the masters dress and put on makeup, or rather, to serve Chu Qianchen alone.
Gu Jue had been in the army for many years and had long been accustomed to taking care of himself. He went to the green gauze cupboard to change his clothes.
There was a rustling sound coming from behind the partition door of the green gauze cupboard.
Chu Qianchen sat in front of the dressing table and let Amber comb her hair. She said to Gu Jue in the green gauze cabinet, "Your Highness, I have dealt with Wuhejialou several times. He is not easy to deal with."
Chu Qianchen told her in detail about the several times Wuhejialou had tried to trick her into revealing information in subtle ways.
Amber combed Chu Qianchen's hair gently. The thick and smooth black hair had a silky luster and was combed all the way to the end.
"Oh?" Gu Jue said as he walked out from behind the screen.
In just a short while, he changed into a moon-white robe with cloud patterns and tied a brocade belt inlaid with jade around his waist.
Chu Qianchen looked at Gu Jue reflected in the mirror through the diamond-shaped mirror and continued, "On the surface, Wuhejialou looks gentle and refined, as gentle as jade, but in fact, he is very scheming and calculating. There are more than a dozen layers of meaning in one sentence, all of which are twists and turns."
Chu Qianchen didn’t hate Wuhejialou, it was just that they were in different positions and served their own country.
The Prince Chen's Palace can make friends and form an alliance with the eldest prince Nanhao, but at the same time it also has to be on guard against a few things.
Chu Qianchen was not afraid of Wuhejialou. She was just worried that Gu Jue would be too distressed talking to Wuhejialou.
Jiang Yuan heard every word of Chu Qianchen's words. Jiang Yuan looked at her with a strange expression and thought: If Wuhejialou is a scheming person, then my prince is not a simple little white rabbit either.
Their princess is really interesting.
Chu Qianchen talked to Gu Jue all the way until Gu Jue sent people to Duke Mu’s Mansion and the carriage stopped at the gate of the Mansion.
Chu Qianchen got off the carriage, and Gu Jue went to Yunting Pavilion openly.
When Gu Jue arrived, a young monk in white monk's robe was already waiting for him in a pavilion. His robe was as white as snow and not stained by a speck of dust.
"Young master, please." The waiter from Yunting Pavilion walked in front to lead the way for Gu Jue.
The waiter looked at Gu Jue and Wuhejialou with some curiosity. He felt that these two people were not ordinary people at first glance, and secretly guessed their identities in his heart.
Tama waved his hand and sent the waiter away.
Gu Jue walked leisurely to the outside of the pavilion and looked at the Uhaga Tower in the pavilion.
The two looked at each other, one with cold eyes and the other with calm eyes. When their eyes met, time seemed to stop for a moment.
Jialuo was the first to move. He stood up with a smile, holding a bead in his right hand and performing a Buddhist salute with his left hand, "Your Highness, Prince Chen."
After greeting each other, Gu Jue and Jialou sat down facing the stone table in the pavilion.
In the center of the stone table is a chessboard with a chess game already set up on it. Dozens of black and white pieces are arranged in an orderly manner, making the game look magnificent.
At this moment, the white pieces are like a white dragon winding in the middle of the chessboard, majestic and steady, but at another glance, they are like a double-edged sword that can hurt others as well as itself; the black pieces are passively struggling to defend each other, scattered and disorganized, and are good at defending but can also attack.
The black and white pieces are in a stalemate, each side occupies a piece of the chessboard, fighting for it, life and death, with countless changes hidden in it.
The second half of the game is the key.
Whether it is black or white, if you make a wrong move, you may be defeated.
Jialou smiled slightly, and pointed his right hand at the chessboard covered with stars, "Your Highness, would you like to play a game with me?"
Gu Jue raised his sword-like eyebrows, he naturally saw it.
The white pieces on the chessboard represent the Hao Kingdom, and the black pieces represent their Da Qi.
Outside the pavilion, a few rays of sunlight shine through the layers of branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on the chessboard. In the summer breeze, the light and shadows also sway and float on the chessboard, making this intricate chessboard look vaguely unfathomable.
Gu Jue curled his lips slightly.
interesting.
Gu Jue casually picked up a black piece from the chess box in response.
Meaning, what's the harm in the next game? The black piece fell decisively, and it destroyed a group of black pieces with just the first move. This move was thrilling.
Even though Tama is not good at Go, he can see that Gu Jue's move is completely suicidal.
What the hell is this Prince Chen going crazy for!
This Prince Chen is indeed worthy of being called a brave general who defended the north for Northern Qi and defeated the Red Di. His every move was extraordinary.
This move of his seemed to result in the loss of a piece of black chess, but in fact it created a way for the black pieces to survive in the upper right corner of the chessboard. He retreated to advance and tried to give the white pieces a glimmer of hope.
But now, Heizi's way of making a living is not yet feasible!
Jialou picked up a white piece and put it down.
The sound of the moves being dropped was crisp and decisive, with a kind of ruthless and ruthless temperament. His style of playing chess was very different from his holy and otherworldly temperament.
Neither of them spoke for a long time. They placed the black and white chess pieces one by one, and both sides placed their pieces very quickly, as if they didn't need to think at all.
Gradually, the situation on the chessboard began to undergo a subtle change. The black pieces began to gather together, forming a force that was equally matched with the white pieces, and turned the disadvantage around.
On the contrary, the white piece, which was firmly in its original position, still occupied half of the chessboard, but it seemed to be standing on the edge of a cliff. If it took a wrong step, it would be doomed...
The speed at which the white pieces moved began to slow down.
Jialuo was not a fool. He understood what Gu Jue wanted to say from the myriad changes of the black and white chess pieces.
Was the other party suggesting that he break the deformed bone and reconnect it?! Jialou's eyes flashed, and he placed another white piece.
The fighting on the chessboard never stopped, and the black and white pieces formed a war without the smoke of gunpowder.
Until the end, no one knows whether this will be a battle in which both sides suffer losses, or a battle of rebirth from the ashes.
Tama's expression became more and more solemn. He had never seen anyone who could force their eldest prince to this point.
“Rustle…”
The shadows of the trees and the light swayed in the wind again, as if the surrounding grass and trees were whispering.
The golden sun rose higher and higher, and the weather became hotter and hotter, making the buildings, the ground, and the plants seem to be glowing.
A full hour later, Wuhejialou and his group walked out of Yunting Pavilion.
Their carriage had already been waiting outside the Yunting Pavilion. After getting on the carriage, Duo Mo couldn't help but say, "Prince, the Prince Chen looks in good spirits."
As long as the Prince is still alive, Da Qi will be as solid as a rock.
Jialuo twisted the Gan Nan Buddhist beads in one hand and nodded slightly.
When playing chess just now, he had deliberately observed Gu Jue carefully. Gu Jue looked very different from the day of his wedding.
On the wedding day, Prince Chen's eyes were dull and his limbs were weak. Although he did not show it and looked as if nothing had happened, Jialuo could see that even if Prince Chen was not in imminent danger at that time, he was exhausted and dying. He was afraid that the previous rumors about his short life were not groundless.
But today, the Prince of Chen's fingers holding the chess pieces were extremely steady, and his moves were crisp and clear.
He was supposed to be injured, but after Chu Qianchen's treatment, the injury is probably about 70% to 80% healed...
Jialou whispered: "The Emperor of Northern Qi may not have thought of it..."
Everyone knew that the Northern Qi emperor had always been afraid of Prince Chen, so much so that he wished Northern Qi would cut off one of its arms.
Prince Chen is a sword of Northern Qi, an invincible sword, victorious in every battle.
If there is no Prince Chen, the current Northern Qi will be without generals, and there will be nothing to be feared. Then, they, the Great Hao, will have a chance to unify the country.
The more Domo and the others thought about it, the more regretful they felt, and they exchanged glances with each other.
"What a pity!" Duo Mo couldn't help but sigh, "This Prince Chen is really lucky."
Another thin middle-aged man said: "It's hard to say!"
"The Emperor of Daqi is narrow-minded. As long as Prince Chen is alive, the Emperor of Daqi will only become more and more wary, until one day he can no longer tolerate it..."
The middle-aged man raised his right palm and made a gesture as if to chop down with a knife.
Given the character of the Emperor of Da Qi, as long as there is no war in Da Qi, he will sooner or later not be able to resist taking action against Prince Chen. By then, they, Da Hao, may be able to take advantage of the situation and wait for the opportunity.
Jialuo didn't say anything. He lifted a corner of the curtain of the carriage and looked back from the window in the direction of Yunting Pavilion.
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and continued, "When that time comes, whether he will be the winner or loser will depend on whether Prince Gu Jue can take that step."
The carriage turned right at this time, leaving Yunting Pavilion far behind.
Jialuo lowered the curtains and withdrew his gaze, thinking about the painting that Gu Jue gave him and the game of chess they had just played.
You can judge a person by his chess skills.
Jialou said calmly: "Prince Gu Jue is not the kind of pedantic and loyal person."
The conversation between him and Gu Jue just now rang in his ears——
"Your Highness, the Buddha said that everything has its destiny and nothing can be forced."
"Then I will go against the will of heaven."
This was Gu Jue’s reply.
Jialuo clenched the Buddhist beads in his hand and gently stroked the beads with his fingertips, stroking them over and over again.
He fell into deep thought, his eyelids drooped, blocking his eyes that were as deep as the ocean, bottomless.
He didn't speak, and everyone else was silent too.
The carriage fell into silence, without any sound.
The carriage was not moving very fast in the busy streets, and it took a whole incense stick of time to pass three streets.
When the carriage turned another corner, Uhajaro opened his eyes. His deep eyes were firm, clear and unshakable.
"You guys get ready, we will set off for home as soon as possible." Jialou said.
Domo and others never questioned his words and agreed with them one after another.
They were all a little impatient. This trip to Northern Qi had already delayed them longer than expected. If it weren't for Prince Chen, they should have set off back to Hao after the Wanshou Festival.
The carriage drove through a tree-lined street. Jialou lifted the curtain and looked out. The plaque of Duke Mu's Mansion flashed before his eyes.
Chu Qianchen was still in Duke Mu's mansion at this moment, coaxing Shen to drink medicine.
Chu Qianchen helped Shen blow the medicine again and again, and felt that the temperature was much different, so he personally handed the pill to her, "Mom, the medicine should not be hot anymore, you try it."
Shen took the medicine bowl with a white background and blue flowers, her eyes still glued to Chu Qianchen's little face.
Ever since Chu Qianchen entered the Duke's Mansion an hour ago, Shen had been staring at her, refusing to let her leave.
After drinking the medicine prescribed by Chu Qianchen yesterday, Shen slept until dawn. Her mental state was much better than yesterday, and her eyes were bright again.
She took a sip of the medicine and looked up at Chu Qianchen again.
Chu Qianchen coaxed in a soft voice: "Mom, don't worry, I'm here and I won't run away."
Nanny Chen also followed suit and said, "Yes, ma'am, don't worry, I have a maid here to look after Second Aunt."
Shen was amused and turned her attention to the medicine bowl. This time, she drank the whole bowl in one breath.
Chu Qianchen stuffed a rose pine nut candy into Shen's mouth, just like he did to coax Chu Yunmu in the past.
"Mom, do the candies I made taste good?" Chu Qianchen smiled and tried to make Shen happy. "I only allow Brother Mu to eat one a day, but Mom can eat two a day."
She playfully pointed to "two" with her fingers, "But you can't tell Mu Ge'er, otherwise he will make trouble with me again!"
Shen knew that her daughter was trying to cheer her up, but she felt very happy and the pine nut candy in her mouth felt fragrant and sweet.
She smiled cooperatively and said, "Okay, we won't tell Brother Mu."
The mother and daughter looked at each other as if they had a little secret.
"Mom, can I make tea for you?" Chu Qianchen said again.
"Okay." Shen was finally willing to let go of Chu Qianchen's hand.
Nanny Chen and Dongmei immediately prepared the stove, purple clay teapot, tea set, tea leaves, etc.
Chu Qianchen sat down in front of the tea table. When the tea in the teapot boiled, he began to scald the cups, wash the tea, brew the tea, seal the pot, and divide the teacups... He performed the entire set of tea-making movements with perfection, smoothly and naturally.
Chu Qianchen half-closed his eyes, seemingly concentrating on making tea, but in fact his mind was a little confused.
In her previous life, before she met the prince, she was alone and helpless and was used to being ignored.
In this life, she suddenly had a biological mother, which made her a little uncomfortable.
In the past, she respected and liked the Shen family. When they were together, respect was more important than intimacy. But now...
To be honest, now she doesn't know how to get along with Shen.
She couldn't help but think: What if it's not true? !
What if there are any doubts in this matter? After all, the abbot of Daping Temple is no longer with us, and all the related people such as Huang Wenpo, Yu Mama, wet nurse, Cui Mama, etc. are no longer with us.
She always felt that this matter was unreliable, and she needed more definite evidence...
The tea poured from the kettle into the cup.
While making tea, Chu Qianchen's heart gradually calmed down.
Shen stared at Chu Qianchen with burning eyes again, and thought that her movements of making tea were beautiful no matter how she looked at them.
Her sister Chen is really good at everything!
"Mother," Chu Qianchen personally served the freshly brewed tea to Shen and brought up the past, "Fourteen years ago, before the incident at Daping Temple, did you have a quarrel with father?"
After leaving the Duke's Mansion yesterday, she talked about these things with Gu Jue in the carriage, and sorted out her thoughts at the same time. She felt that everything that happened in Daping Temple was too coincidental.
Aunt Jiang and Shen happened to give birth on such a close date, and both were premature. Daping Temple was only a day's distance from their hometown. All of this was just too coincidental. Unless Chu Lingxiao had planned it all from the beginning...
Shen raised her hand and took the tea brought by Chu Qianchen. She blew away the foam floating on the tea soup, slowly smelled the fragrance of the tea, her eyes flickering.
It was such a long time ago that she had forgotten it a long time ago. However, she had been haunted by it these days and had nightmares every night. She remembered a lot of things from the past, some things she thought she had forgotten long ago. So, when Chu Qianchen mentioned it, she vaguely remembered some old things.
Shen took a sip of hot tea and put down the enamel teacup. A bitter taste emerged in her heart and spread all the way to her throat.
In fact, she and Chu Lingxiao had never gotten along very well. They didn't even have the so-called honeymoon period. At best, they were lukewarm and treated each other with respect.
She whispered, "Back then, Jiang Minshan got pregnant before marriage..."
Shen Shi shouldn't have told Chu Qianchen these dirty things, for fear of polluting her ears, but since this matter concerned her life experience, Shen Shi had no choice but to tell her.
Fifteen years ago, Chu Lingxiao wanted to take Jiang Minshan as his concubine. The lady-in-waiting agreed, but the old marquis disagreed and planned to find a family to marry Jiang Minshan off far away. However, before the marriage was completed, the scandal of Jiang Minshan getting pregnant before marriage broke out.
Of course, the baby in Jiang Minshan’s belly is Chu Lingxiao’s.
The old marquis had no choice but to allow Chu Lingxiao to marry Jiang Minshan, but this made him dislike her even more. He sent her back to her hometown, saying that he would wait until she gave birth to the child.
Shen continued, "At that time, Chu Lingxiao came to me and begged me to ask your grandfather for mercy..."
It's the end of the month. If you still have monthly tickets, vote for them~~otherwise they will expire.
(End of this chapter)