After hearing the little monk's decisive answer, Li Bijie stood there in a daze.
This Master Yuanqing is truly an old monk!
It is this old bald man named Cheng Yunshuo who stays with him every night and never goes home?
For a moment, she felt so devastated that she stood at the door of the hall and couldn't move a step inside.
You know, she had been on guard all these years in order to catch Cheng Yunshuo. She entered the Marquis' Mansion as a concubine, so what she feared most was that there would be some young and beautiful woman out there who would follow her path and seduce him away.
Over the years, she has taken great pains. A few months before she became pregnant with her first child, she pushed Cheng Yunshuo to the two concubines in the mansion. One reason was to protect the child, and the other was that she was afraid that he would not have meat for a long time and would cheat on her!
The third is to please Qiu Ling and Ling Long and make peace with them.
Later, her little trick was accidentally discovered by Lu Lingjun, who made her pregnancy public, ruining her plan, but fortunately the impact was not that great.
Qiu Ling and Ling Long knew her plan, and their dislike for her had no effect on her at all.
She just wanted the child and Cheng Yunshuo to be safe in her hands.
Fortunately, Lu Lingjun did not harm her child again, and her child was born safely. At the same time, Cheng Yunshuo knew that she was pregnant and came to see her every day.
She gave birth to a daughter as her first child and she felt lost for a long time, but fortunately, Cheng Yunshuo seemed to like her daughter very much.
With Cheng Lanying, he would come every night to play with her and make her laugh.
Seeing this, Li Bijie ignored the fact that she had just given birth two months ago, stopped breastfeeding, told herself to quickly recover her body and menstruation, took the secret medicine from the palace, and rushed to conceive Bingzhi.
Giving birth to these two children for Cheng Yunshuo really broke her body!
Fortunately, she was lucky during those years. Although Lu Lingjun, the mistress of the house, was difficult to deal with, she actually did not harm the children.
She had completely established herself on the basis of her two children, and she even instigated them to stick to Cheng Yunshuo, and this sticking lasted for more than six years.
She favors only the Marquis's family.
But in the end, she was carefully guarding against Cheng Yunshuo's women outside, and the concubines and mistresses in the marquis's mansion, but Cheng Yunshuo was actually seduced away by a monk outside.
After confirming that Master Yuanqing was indeed a monk.
Although Li Bixi was thankful, she was also heartbroken.
She had spent all her efforts on Cheng Yunshuo, but why would he rather talk to a monk than go back to the Marquis's Mansion...
Just at this moment, the old monk who was preaching opened his eyes.
Under the drooping eyelids are a pair of clear and clean eyes.
Full of wisdom.
He glanced at Li Bixi and gave her a gentle Buddhist smile.
After meeting his eyes, Li Bixi dodged awkwardly.
After a while, today's lecture and discussion came to an end. The devout men and women in the hall donated incense, paid homage, and then slowly dispersed.
Master Yuanqing walked up to Li Bijie and said, "Amitabha, good, good."
"Amitabha." Li Bixiang replied to him. At this moment, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed because she had no money on her.
Of course, she wouldn't donate even if she had money.
Just because the old monk walked up to her, she pretended to take out some incense money.
She can decide whether to donate or not after the old monk leaves.
After searching her body for a while, Li Bixi said, "I'm sorry, Master. I was in a hurry to go out today and forgot to bring money."
"Don't worry, lady." Master Yuanqing smiled calmly, "You came to my temple to increase our Buddhist affinity, Amitabha."
The old monk helped her out, and Li Bixi lowered her eyes quickly, "Amitabha, the master is famous and he is indeed generous and compassionate. I will come back to donate some incense someday."
Li Bixi said she was leaving.
"Female donor," Yuanqing called her again at this time.
"Master, may I ask if you have any further advice for me?" Li Bijie looked up at Yuanqing.
But for some reason, every time she met his gaze, she couldn't help but avoid it.
Just like a creature in the darkness that can't bear to look at the light.
Master Yuanqing looked at her with a smile, "Female donor, you came here to look for someone, right?"
"Master," Li Bixi was even more evasive at this time, "No, I just came here to worship Buddha and donate some incense."
Her words made the little monk beside her frown.
She just said that she didn't have any money on her. She came here specially to worship Buddha and donate incense, but she doesn't have any money?
Even these monks couldn't stand it anymore.
Master Yuanqing did not expose Li Bixi's words. He just continued to look at her with a smile and said, "Don't be nervous, female donor. The person you are looking for is here."
Li Bijie was startled when she heard this. She turned her head involuntarily and actually saw Cheng Yunshuo appear.
In the middle of the day, shouldn't Cheng Yunshuo be on duty in the palace?
"Why are you here?" Cheng Yunshuo asked when he saw Li Bixiang appearing here.
"Slave, slave is here to pray for Lanying," Li Bixi hurriedly thought of an excuse, and then she asked, "My Lord, why are you not in the palace?"
Hearing her question, Cheng Yunshuo glanced at Master Yuanqing and the other people who came and went, and said to Li Bixiong, "Come with me to the backyard and talk."
"Yes." Li Bijie obediently followed Cheng Yunshuo and walked back.
After she left, the young monk beside Master Yuanqing said, "Master, why is that female donor telling lies? She just said she came to worship Buddha."
"Amitabha, think of emptiness. Everything in this world has cause and effect. Please listen to the Buddha's precepts." said Master Yuanqing.
"Yes, Master." The little monk quickly shut his mouth.
Master Yuanqing looked deeply at Li Bixi who was following Cheng Yunshuo and shook his head slightly.
In the backyard, Li Bijie followed Cheng Yunshuo to a meditation room.
Only after she entered the Zen room did she know.
Cheng Yunshuo simply didn't go on duty today.
He asked for a long vacation from the palace and never went there again. He stayed in the temple to listen to Buddhist scriptures and discuss the Dharma.
After Li Bixiang found out, she felt terrible.
"My Lord, how can this be possible!" she said anxiously.
This will affect your future!
Cheng Yunshuo glanced at her coldly and said, "Why not?"
After meeting his distant and cold eyes, Li Bixi hurriedly tried to find an excuse, "I mean, have you discussed such a big matter as your resignation for a long vacation with the young lady?"
Cheng Yunshuo's expression improved a little, and he said, "Lingyun will understand me."
Li Bixi: "..."
She was simply going to piss Cheng Yunshuo off to death.
She no longer had any requirements for Cheng Yunshuo. She only hoped that he could serve as an imperial guard safely and then inherit the title of marquis in the future. But what was he going to do?
Instead of doing a good job, he asked for such a long vacation. When asked what he was going to do, he said it was just to listen to monks preaching in the temple!
It would have been fine if he just went there every night before, but now he has to take a special leave to go there. Has he gone crazy?
"Prince, please think about it carefully. Taking such a long leave will inevitably affect the impression of you in His Majesty's mind." Li Bijie thought of another excuse.
After hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo shook his head nonchalantly, "I am nothing, just a small pawn in the palace. Your Majesty would never care about me."
Li Bixi: "…"
That's true, but don't you care about your future at all?
Who doesn't look forward and strive for the better?
Cheng Yunshuo has too little hope for himself!
Li Bixi thought of another excuse, "Sir, the old marquis is away on a campaign, and it's not appropriate for you to take a long vacation to listen to scriptures and discuss Taoism in the temple!"
Even if he doesn't care about the emperor, he should at least care about his father.
But after hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo simply said, "I just happened to pray for my father."
Li Bixi: "…"
Li Bixi was angry and anxious, and said directly, "Prince, you are now the commander of the Imperial Guards after all, and you are in charge of the people under you. If you take such a long vacation, the people under you will definitely have to change. They will not wait for you to come back, and they may ask someone else to take your place!"
These jobs are all done by one person, so there's no such thing as occupying the toilet without doing anything.
This is especially true in places like the imperial palace; if your place is vacant for a few days, someone else will immediately take your place!
When I go back then, I won't have any place to call my own.
If Cheng Yunshuo had made great achievements or held a high position, he could not be easily replaced by ordinary people. But he was just a small commander of the Imperial Guards who could be replaced at any time. When he returned, there would be no place for him.
Cheng Yunshuo had no chance of promotion to begin with, and if he slacked off again he would be demoted to his original state.
Li Bijie was worried about his future. If he was stable, she and her children would be stable.
Even if he wanted to listen to the scriptures and discuss the Dao, he would wait until her child grew up and her son inherited the Marquisate.
If he passed away at this critical moment, she would not be able to rely on Cheng Yunshuo to ask for things for the children's future!
"That's it. If they are willing to do it, let them do it." Cheng Yunshuo said calmly.
Look at the tone, it already has some of the free and easy nature of a Buddhist who listens to Zen and Taoism discussions every day.
"My lord, if not for yourself, you should at least think about the Marquis's Mansion and everyone else..." Li Bijie kept trying to persuade him.
"Don't say anymore." Cheng Yunshuo was annoyed by her. He looked at Li Bixi coldly, "Why do I feel that you only care about these external affairs and never care about me?"
Upon hearing this, Li Bixi burst into tears immediately, and she looked as if she was heartbroken for him, "Sir, how could this be? I am just thinking about you!"
But at this moment, Cheng Yunshuo felt inexplicably chilled and disappointed.
If Cheng Yunshuo had not known what she had done behind his back and had seen her hypocrisy and lies, he might have believed her as before.
He always thought that Li Bixi was gentle and considerate, and every word she said touched his heart.
She was completely different from Xing Dairong and Duruo. She would never say anything to annoy him, and every word she said was for his own good.
But what is the reality?
Every word she says is for herself!
There was not a trace of sincerity in every word.
He stared at her for a long time, "Li Bixi, have you ever really cared about me?"
Li Bixi once again met his gaze and turned away guiltily, "Sir, of course I care about you. You are my heaven, the only person I care about in the world."
Cheng Yunshuo snorted coldly, "Then I want to stay in the temple for some time. You care about me so much, what's there to stop me!"
Li Bixi: "…"
She was completely speechless.
She looked at Cheng Yunshuo in front of her, who was completely different from before after taking the wrong medicine. She tried to speak several times, but each time she lost her breath and retreated.
She was very anxious. If Cheng Yunshuo was her son, she would tear off her disguise right now, slap him twice, and drag him to the palace by the ears. If he dared to act so dissolute and decadent again, she would break his legs!
Just at this moment, the breeze outside the house came with a hurried report.
"My Lord! Madam asks you to go back!"
When the two people who were confronting each other in the room heard this, Cheng Yunshuo immediately restrained his momentum and asked, "What's the matter?"
"An urgent report has been sent from the border, it's news about the old marquis! Madam, please return quickly!"
Hearing this, Cheng Yunshuo immediately left the house, and Li Biying's eyes lit up.
Soon, they all rushed back to the Marquis' Mansion.
Cheng Yunshuo went straight to Lu Lingyun's yard.
When he arrived at Lu Lingyun's yard, he was wondering why his father did not send the urgent report from the border to his mother.
"Lingyun, what's wrong?"
"Prince, you're back." When Lu Lingjun saw him, her usually calm and composed face now took on a solemn look.
It was rare for Cheng Yunshuo to see her like this, and his heart skipped a beat. At this moment, Lu Lingjun handed him the urgent report.
Cheng Yunshuo opened the letter and found only one line of words inside.
"The Marquis was attacked on the battlefield and was seriously injured. His life is in danger."
The moment Cheng Yunshuo saw this line of words, he felt like the sky was falling.
He stood there in a daze for a moment, his hand holding the letter shaking violently, and his expression extremely nervous and frightened.
"My father was attacked, my father..."
"Prince, calm down." Lu Lingjun's voice came.
After hearing her voice, Cheng Yunshuo finally regained consciousness. He looked at Lu Lingjun and asked, "What did my mother say?"
"I haven't told my mother about this yet, for fear that she might worry."
Cheng Yunshuo nodded again, "You did the right thing, you did the right thing, don't tell her."
He didn't have any idea at the moment. He just kept responding to Lu Lingyun and paced back and forth. "What should I do now? Should I go to the border? I want to pick up my father! Yes, I want to bring my father back!"
Seeing him like this, Lu Lingjun shook his head and said, "Prince, calm down."
"My dad is going to die, how can I stay calm!"
Lu Lingjun sighed, and she took out another urgent report, "This is what Cheng Qi sent me. The war at the border is urgent right now. Our army and the barbarians have reached a critical point. You must not go to the border at this time. Once you go, those people will know that the old marquis is in a bad condition, and they will definitely fight to the death."
"Cheng Qi sent a letter to inform us that at this critical moment, we must not reveal any clues to our movements so as not to be discovered by the barbarians. This is also what the old marquis instructed him before he fell into a coma."
When Cheng Yunshuo heard this, he sat down on the chair. After a while, he asked, "Is Cheng Qi in charge of the border now?"
Lu Lingjun nodded. She had never expected that six years ago, Cheng Qi ran back to his hometown on the border. Now that the war had broken out, it was him who would take over from the old marquis and lead his old troops on the border to fight the enemy.
After a long time, Cheng Yunshuo said leisurely, "With Cheng Qi here, I feel relieved. I will write him a letter and ask him to take good care of my father."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
The matter of the old marquis was suppressed, and only Lu Lingjun and Cheng Yunshuo knew about it.
After Cheng Yunshuo knew that his father was in trouble, he was no longer in the mood to go to the temple.
He stayed in the mansion, and for this reason he went to see Qin and had dinner with her for the first time.
Qin didn't know yet that something big had happened at the border. Seeing her son being so proactive and filial, she ate her meal with extra relish.
Her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are all at her side, and the family is laughing and talking happily.
At this time, at Bishuiyuan, Li Bixiang saw that Cheng Yunshuo never left after he returned, and she became confused.
What did Lu Lingjun want to see him about?
How could he still be kept?
Could it be that she also knew that Cheng Yunshuo had asked for a long vacation and scolded him?
Li Bijie didn't know the reason, but fortunately Cheng Yunshuo stayed in the mansion. As long as he was here, she had hope!
As a concubine in the backyard, she has no power or influence. What else can she expect except the favor of her master!
But on that day, Cheng Yunshuo stayed in the main courtyard for the first time.
You should know that Cheng Yunshuo hasn't stayed in Lu Lingyun's yard for many years, only occasionally on the first and fifteenth days of the month.
And after that day, Cheng Yunshuo stayed at Lu Lingjun's place for several days in a row. He ate with her in Qin's courtyard. Cheng Yunshuo basically did not go out during the day and stayed close to Lu Lingjun.
Seeing this, Li Bixi became anxious again.
If it was any other concubine, she would have stopped the person and snatched him away, but since the person was with Lu Lingjun, how could she dare to go there openly!
As she thought about it, she set her sights on Cheng Lanying.
The next day, Cheng Yunshuo asked Lu Lingyun in her yard about the latest situation at the border and whether there were any letters. Xiaoju, the maid from Bishuiyuan, came to ask for a meeting.
"Master, the second young lady is ill. Auntie wants you to go over to her." After Xiaoju came in, she knelt down with a plop and said.
When Cheng Yunshuo heard this, he was already worried about his father's affairs, so he didn't care about anything else. "Lan Ying is sick, just call a doctor, why ask me to go!"
"The second young lady has been calling your name when she was sick. Please go and see her!" Xiaoju looked at him timidly.
Cheng Yunshuo was annoyed and was about to send the man away, but Lu Lingjun glanced at him.
"Prince, just go. There is no news around. If there is any letter, I will inform you the first time." She said to Cheng Yunshuo.
After hearing what she said, Cheng Yunshuo frowned and stood up, "Let's go."
"yes."
After Cheng Yunshuo was called away again, the maids in the courtyard began to speak.
"Madam, you've given that person face again. Aunt Li is now bold enough to come to our courtyard to snatch someone away!"
"That's right. I think she's really pushing her luck. She's used to begging for our young lady's favor the last two times. She's done it once, twice, and now she's even dared to snatch someone right under your nose the third time!"
"Young Madam, you can't do this anymore. Aunt Li thinks you are easy to bully!"
"Okay, do your thing." Lu Lingjun smiled faintly.
This is indeed what Li Bixi did, which is to take advantage of others.
What Li Bixi likes most is to repeatedly test other people's bottom line, and then jump on the bottom line that has been tested.
Once she was scolded by the other party, she would hold back and step back a little. If she was not scolded, she would become more aggressive and move forward a little more.
But who said that this was testing Lu Lingjun's bottom line?
What Lu Lingjun let go of was Cheng Yunshuo's bottom line!
The biggest characteristic of Cheng Yunshuo is tolerance. No matter whether it is Xing Dairong or Du Ruo, he gives them the limit of tolerance. Before reaching this limit, he will always indulge them. Until the limit is reached, he will not indulge them any more.
Li Bixiang has been panicking recently and has started to frantically test Cheng Yunshuo's bottom line. How can she not help her?
This way.
Cheng Yunshuo followed the maid Xiaoju to Bishuiyuan. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Li Bixi, who was weak and helpless, guarding the bedside.
"Lanying, don't worry, your father will definitely come back."
"Lanying, hold on."
When Cheng Yunshuo saw her like this, he suddenly felt annoyed.
What is going on!
Cheng Lanying got hurt and sick, and she looked like she was dying.
His father was at the border and his life or death was unknown, but they didn't even call him over! They asked him to come over for such a small matter!
"What's wrong with Lanying?" Cheng Yunshuo asked in a calm voice.
"Prince, you are finally here." Li Bixi looked at him, tears streaming down her face before she spoke, "Lanying is sick."
Cheng Yunshuo was annoyed to death when he saw her tears, because they were so fake and he could no longer see any sincerity in them.
"She's sick, call a doctor! Why are you looking for me?"
His annoyed tone not only made Li Bixi's heart skip a beat, but also made Cheng Lanying on the bed frown.
She called out weakly from the bed, "Daddy."
Hearing her speak, Cheng Yunshuo's face looked better, but not much better. "You are sick, so take good care of yourself. I will ask someone to get a doctor for you later."
"Daddy!" Cheng Lanying glanced at her mother and said according to her mother's instructions, "My daughter was wrong before, and this time I really know I was wrong. Daddy, can you spend more time with Lanying and don't abandon her?"
In the past, when Cheng Lanying said this, Cheng Yunshuo would always be soft-hearted. But now, her tone was so much like her mother's, which made Cheng Yunshuo disgusted with her. "Who told you to say that!"
Cheng Lanying was even more dissatisfied with his harsh question, "Dad, what do you mean?"
"Let me ask you, who taught you this?" Cheng Yunshuo glanced at the mother and daughter coldly.
Li Bixiang turned her head and quickly dodged.
Cheng Lanying was completely moved to tears by his tone, "Daddy, what's wrong with you? Why are you so fierce? Do you really not want Lanying anymore?"
"Lanying, don't cry. How could your father not want you?"
"But mother, Daddy is really fierce. Daddy is totally different from before."
"Enough!" Cheng Yunshuo interrupted her crying. He looked at the crying Cheng Lanying and the weak and helpless Li Bijie who kept wiping Cheng Lanying's tears with disgust.
This was the first time he felt so annoyed by being delicate.
It is true that being frail and helpless will arouse sympathy, but if one is too frail, he or she will really become useless and a burden.
At this time, he would think of Lu Lingjun, and how powerful her calmness and composure were.
At this moment, he suddenly felt that he was so stupid in the past few years. Why would he let a woman like Li Bixiang take care of the child?
What else can she do except teach children to cry!
"I think you don't know how to teach a child! Not only did you treat the child sick, but you also made him cry all day long. Someone, come here! Aunt Li doesn't know how to teach a child, so send Lanying to the young lady to be raised! From now on, Lanying and Bingzhi will be raised by the young lady!"
The two people who were crying were both stunned when they heard this.
The maid in the courtyard received the order and went forward to take people away. Cheng Lanying immediately burst into tears and screamed, "I won't go! I won't go! Mother, please save me!"
"Lanying!" Li Bixiang didn't know why this happened, so she rushed over.
Li Bixi pulled Cheng Lanying down from the hands of the maids. She hugged Cheng Lanying tightly and pleaded with Cheng Yunshuo, "My Lord, I was wrong. Please have mercy on me and don't take Lanying away! I have taken care of Lanying since she was a child. She is my flesh and blood. You are going to cut off my flesh by taking her away! I was wrong!"
Cheng Yunshuo looked at Li Bixi who was begging for mercy frantically, and he felt annoyed but also soft-hearted. Before he could open his mouth, Cheng Lanying in Li Bixi's arms burst into tears.
"Bad daddy! You are not a good daddy to Lanying at all. You are the worst person in the whole mansion! I hate you!"
"Lanying!" Li Bixiang couldn't stop Cheng Lanying from talking.
Cheng Yunshuo looked at Cheng Lanying, who had her mouth covered and was looking at him with hatred, and couldn't help but frown.
"What did you say about me?"
"Master, Lanying is still young and doesn't understand." Li Bijie hugged Cheng Lanying tightly and begged for mercy.
Cheng Yunshuo stepped forward and pulled Cheng Lanying out of her arms, "What did you say to me?"
He claimed to be the best to Cheng Lanying in the whole mansion. He held her in his arms, spoiled her and played with her since she was born. This was a treatment that neither Cheng Suying nor Cheng Binghao had ever received...
But in the end, among all the children, she was the only one who always said he was a bad guy and hated him the most.
"Lanying, don't talk nonsense!" Li Bijie warned hurriedly.
Cheng Lanying, who was dragged out, completely ignored her mother's warning. She stared at Cheng Yunshuo with eyes full of hatred that went deep into her bones.
"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"
Cheng Lanying was making a lot of noise, hitting, beating and screaming.
Children's feelings are much more direct than adults'. If Cheng Yunshuo disliked her and ignored her as his daughter from the beginning, Cheng Lanying would not do the same.
The most terrifying thing was that he gave her unique pampering, letting her have fantasies and expectations every day, giving her enough confidence every day, praising her highly, and then coldly depriving her of it. How could Cheng Lanying not hate him?
Cheng Lanying couldn't tell what was true and what was false. She only knew that the father in front of her who didn't love her was extremely bad.
She hated him so much in the whole mansion.
After hearing what Cheng Lanying said, Cheng Yunshuo fell into silence as he looked at her eyes and the way she rushed over to hit him desperately.
Li Bixi was so frightened that she grabbed her and begged for mercy in a hurry, "My Lord, please forgive Lanying. Lanying is young and she didn't mean it like that. Lanying, please apologize to your father."
Cheng Lanying looked at Cheng Yunshuo stubbornly, her eyes full of hatred, and she was determined not to bow her head.
"Hurry up! What did your mother teach you?"
If this happened in private, Li Bixi would have beaten Cheng Lanying's buttocks to pieces. But at this moment, she had no time to think about those things. She was so anxious, but it was of no use.
Under Cheng Lanying's gaze, Cheng Yunshuo turned and left.
He left Bishui Garden and stood alone in the backyard of the huge marquisate.
"Master, where are we going now?" Qingfeng asked carefully while standing behind him.
Cheng Yunshuo thought for a long time and said, "Let's go to Guangji Temple."
He left the mansion again and went to Master Yuanqing.
After he left, in Bishuiyuan, Cheng Lanying was forcibly snatched away from Li Bi'e by the group of maids.
This time, Li Bijie didn't try so hard to snatch it. She even looked at Cheng Lanying with a hint of coldness and hatred.
"Mother, mother, I won't go to the mistress! I won't go, I won't go!"
"If you hadn't said that just now, how could I help you!" Li Bixi was furious. "You keep talking back to your father. You should go to the mistress and learn some good manners!"
She just had the chance, but she didn't cherish it. When I told her not to talk back to her father, she actually listened to me!
She even dared to scold, beat and argue with her father in front of him. She was as stupid as...her father!
She really didn't want such a stupid and useless daughter.
"Mother! Mother!" Cheng Lanying held on to the door tightly and stretched out her hand to reach Li Bixi. Li Bixi's eyes were cold, but she sat down on the ground and began to cry sadly.
"Daughter, daughter, my daughter!"
She cried so hard that tears welled up in her eyes, looking like a pitiful mother who loved her daughter so deeply that she was torn apart by her husband.
At this time, in Lu Lingyun's yard.
Not long after Cheng Yunshuo left, Lu Lingjun opened the account book of miscellaneous items that had been piled up over the past few days and began to sort them out, when he heard a commotion outside.
"What happened?" Lu Lingjun asked.
As soon as she finished speaking, the maids grabbed Cheng Lanying and brought her to her.
"Madam, the prince asked you to discipline the second young lady from now on."
Lu Lingyun: "..."
She looked at Cheng Lanying, who was being escorted here by the group of maids, crying and with tears and snot all over her face. She called a maid over and asked in a low voice what happened.
After knowing what had just happened in Bishuiyuan, she looked at Cheng Lanying helplessly.
"Take the second young lady down and have her wash up properly."
"yes."
Cheng Lanying cried even louder.
Because she didn't dare to act unruly in front of Lu Lingjun, she could only cry.
After Cheng Lanying was taken away, Lu Lingjun asked again, "Where is the prince?"
"The prince has gone to Guangji Temple."
When Lu Lingjun heard that he went to the temple again, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Young Madam, do you want to invite the prince back to ask him?"
"No need, let him do whatever he wants."
Within two days.
There was news coming from the border again.
It wasn't a letter from home, but a war report that was sent directly to the palace.
Hearing that it was a great victory at the border, Ningyang Hou led his former subordinates to defeat several major barbarian forces and successfully recovered the border town that had been captured before.
The emperor was overjoyed after hearing this, and ordered Ningyang Hou to pursue the victory and this time to inflict severe damage on the barbarians, making it impossible for them to recover for several years or even more than ten years.
Lu Lingjun passed the news to Cheng Yunshuo who was in the temple.
It seems that the old marquis has survived the disaster and will not be back in the short term.
After hearing the news, Cheng Yunshuo did not come back. He asked Qingfeng to pass on a message, saying that he would stay in the temple and pray for his father.
Lu Lingjun ignored her, after all, she had a lot of things to do.
As long as there was good news at the border, she could rest assured for the time being. She drafted out a list of betrothal gifts for Lu Kuan and added a lot of things to it.
"Big sister, our Lu family can't afford so many things, right? And this three-story house, has our Lu family ever had one?"
Lu Kuan came to her after court today.
"Dad has given all he could, and I've added some to the rest. Think of that house as my wedding gift to you." Lu Lingjun said.
When Lu Kuan heard this, his hands trembled, "This..."
"You are my biological brother, and Nan Yuan is my cousin. As your elder sister, I must show some appreciation when you two get married." Lu Lingjun looked at him, "You must treat Nan Yuan well in the future."
In her previous life, Lu Kuan and Tong Nanyuan had both given her warmth and help. Lu Lingjun was grateful and she would repay anyone who had been kind to her and would repay them whenever she had the chance.
Lu Kuan held the heavy betrothal gift in his hand and nodded heavily, "Of course, I will treat Nan Yuan well."
He looked at Lu Lingjun with bright eyes, sat next to her, and shared a lot of good news with her.
He just received his transfer today and officially went to the Grand Council to work as a clerk.
That is, he was the one who discussed important matters with the ministers in the Grand Council and took notes for the emperor, and also did a bunch of miscellaneous tasks.
This official position is low-ranking and has no power, but it means one is truly working for the emperor.
All the civil and military officials in the court had to be polite when they saw him.
Lu Kuan can know the emperor's movements first.
He told Lu Lingjun about the war at the border, and mentioned that the emperor, upon hearing that the old city had been conquered and that they were still encircling the barbarians, praised the Ningyang Marquis repeatedly. He intended to wait for the Ningyang Marquis to return triumphantly and to reward the Ningyang Marquis's mansion generously.
After hearing this message, Lu Lingjun couldn't help but feel happy, "I know."
"Big sister, please don't tell anyone about this."
Lu Lingjun took a sip of hot tea and said, "I'm not stupid."
She poured a lot of tea for Lu Kuan and set a date for the wedding with him. After the date was set, Lu Kuan left the Marquis' Mansion.
A month passed in a flash.
During this month, Tong Nanyuan came from Jiangnan, and her marriage with Lu Kuan was scheduled for ten days later.
There were continuous reports of good news from the border, and during this time, a letter was received from home saying that the old marquis' life had been saved, which made everyone feel relieved.
Lu Lingjun finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the letter sent back by Cheng Qi.
As for Cheng Yunshuo, he was still in the temple and did not return home.
Lu Lingjun was too lazy to care about his business. Now that Tong Nanyuan had come from Jiangnan, she had to arrange her marriage with Lu Kuan.
Today is the day for a big gift.
She took Cheng Suying, Cheng Lanying, Cheng Hui and the maids to the Lu family early in the morning.
After arriving at the Lu family, she did not see Liu, but instead saw the two sisters Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang.
"Where is my mother?" Lu Lingjun asked.
"My aunt is sick." Liu Qingping walked up to Lu Lingjun affectionately, "My mother went to see her."
"She's not well yet?"
"How can that be good?" Liu Qingshuang said, "If she were to see so many good things being carried away today, she would be sick for several more months!"
Lu Lingyun: "..."
The huge number of dowry boxes tied with red silk were piled up in the yard. Lu Lingjun went to see Old Man Lu and chatted with him for a while. When the time came, she led a group of people in a carriage to deliver the dowry to Master Tong's house.
Along the way, everyone was chattering.
Cheng Suying was unusually talkative today, and kept asking questions to her aunts and uncles.
Cheng Lanying, who came along with them, fell completely silent and was unable to fit in with them at all.
Once we got off the carriage and entered Tong's mansion, the difference in treatment became even more obvious.
Everyone in the Tong family surrounded Cheng Suying and doted on her.
After all, Cheng Suying had followed Lu Lingjun to visit her mother's home since she was a child, and everyone treated her as Lu Lingjun's biological daughter, that is, their niece.
The ladies, all dressed in extravagant and noble clothes, pulled Cheng Suying close to them and gave her gifts and red envelopes.
At this moment, Cheng Lanying truly felt the difference between her legitimate daughter and her illegitimate daughter.
Normally, she didn't feel much in the Marquis' Mansion.
After all, in the Marquis' Mansion, her father is the boss, and the servants are all very discerning. She will have whatever Cheng Suying has, and she will also ask her father for something that Cheng Suying doesn't have. She is no worse than them.
The difference between a legitimate daughter and a concubine's daughter is just a difference in title.
She lived with her aunt, which was the same as Cheng Suying living with her mistress.
But once she came out, she saw something different.
Cheng Suying's uncle was a top scholar who had won three first prizes in the imperial examinations. Her cousin, Master Tong, was a third-rank official. Her aunt was a young lady of the Duke's Mansion. Her cousins were daughters-in-law of the Shaoqing of the Guanglu Temple...
Each of them came from a wealthy and powerful family, and these people all doted on her, loved her, and cared for her.
And she...
Her mother was just a concubine, and she had no relatives on her mother's side. Even if there were any, they were poor people who worked in the fields for a living.
Is this the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children?
These are things her aunt couldn't give her.
Cheng Lanying stood alone at the side, looking at Cheng Suying with great envy for the first time.
Here, Lu Lingjun met Tong Nanyuan and Tong Nanxia. After seeing them, she was immediately surrounded by them.
"cousin!"
"cousin!"
"Nanyuan." Lu Lingjun was very happy to see Tong Nanyuan coming from Jiangnan. "Did you have a smooth journey?"
"Yes." Tong Nanyuan nodded heavily, her eyes reddened, and she hugged Lu Lingjun, "I finally see my cousin again. After we parted six years ago, Nanyuan thought she would never have the chance to see her again in this life."
"That's not the case," Lu Lingjun touched her hair, "From now on we will be a family, and there is no need for us to separate in the future."
"Yeah!" Tong Nanyuan looked at Lu Lingjun and then at Tong Nanxia, and nodded excitedly.
At this time, Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang also came over.
After everyone got to know each other, they began to tease the bride, Tong Nanyuan, who was about to get married.
Everyone was talking about the betrothal gift and the groom, which made Tong Nanyuan blush.
Seeing that everyone was chatting so happily, Lu Lingjun simply found a yard and had a group of women gather together to chat, leaving all the details of the gift-giving to her second aunt.
"Our cousin is very popular. Now all the unmarried women in Beijing envy you, Nan Yuan!"
"Okay, stop talking." Tong Nanyuan said with her face flushed and her head half lowered.
"Okay, let's stop teasing the bride," Liu Qingshuang said at this time, "I do know some new things about Duke Liu's mansion. Do you want to hear about it?"
After she said this, Cheng Hui, who had been following Lu Lingjun, immediately brightened her eyes, "But what about Qin Shaojing?"
"Yes." Liu Qingshuang nodded, looking at everyone with eyes full of light, and whispered with her mouth half covered, "My eldest sister-in-law quietly told me that Qin and the second young master Liu had a falling out."
"What?"
"What's going on?" Tong Nanyuan was the first to be excited. She had just come from Jiangnan a few days ago, so she had never heard any gossip. This was someone she knew, so she asked hurriedly, "What happened before?"
Liu Qingshuang recounted the story of how Qin Shaojing had beaten and killed the maid who climbed onto the bed, and how Duke Liu was going to die, and then said, "Qin and her husband have been arguing for several days, and the Second Young Master Liu no longer goes to her room."
"Is it because she beat and killed that maid?" Tong Nanyuan asked with a frown.
"Actually, it's not." Liu Qingshuang kept it a secret, "Guess."
"Good sister, how do you want us to guess? Just tell me!" There was no way Tong Nanyuan could guess.
Seeing that everyone's appetite had almost dropped, Liu Qingshuang said mysteriously, "My eldest sister-in-law said that there was a rumor in their yard that the two of them had a quarrel, and Young Master Liu called her a slut and said she was very dirty!"
After Liu Qingshuang finished speaking, everyone at the scene stared with wide eyes.
"What do you mean?" Cheng Hui was the first to break the atmosphere and asked, "What happened to her?"
Obviously, she cares most about Qin Shaojing.
Liu Qingshuang glanced at everyone and said, "I heard that she had an affair with someone in her yard some time ago and was caught red-handed by Liu Er!"
This news was truly explosive, so explosive that everyone couldn't stop talking.
Qin Shaojing...she was having an affair with someone?!
After everyone was shocked, Liu Qingping was the first to ask a question.
"That's not right. According to what you said, Qin Shaojing did something dirty and was caught. How could Duke Liu's Mansion let her go easily?"
"Yes, if Liu Er caught her in the act, how could she survive? She was lucky enough not to be hanged by the Liu family. How could she still argue with him?"
"Yes, at worst she should be divorced. How can the Duke's Mansion tolerate a daughter-in-law who does such a shameful thing?"
A group of people asked at once.
"I don't know what Qin's situation is now," Liu Qingshuang shook her head repeatedly, "This matter is not allowed to be discussed in Liu Guogong's mansion. My eldest sister-in-law said that the master of the second house personally ordered to shut up and not allow anyone to discuss it."
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. When Lu Lingjun heard this, he basically understood what was going on.
The one who has an affair with Qin Shaojing is probably her father-in-law!
Therefore, no one was allowed to discuss it in the Duke's Mansion. Qin Shaojing's husband Liu Ye didn't dare to say anything and could only quarrel with her in private.
In her previous life, she had heard about the dirty things that happened in Duke Liu's mansion, and the most despicable one was the eunuch's affair.
In this life, it was Qin Shaojing who married into Duke Liu's mansion, and it seemed that nothing had changed. What was supposed to happen still happened.
After listening to what Liu Qingshuang said, Cheng Hui frowned and fell silent.
Everyone started talking about other things, and it was not until the evening, when it was getting dark, that they gradually dispersed.
After Lu Lingjun brought Cheng Suying, Cheng Lanying and Cheng Hui back to the Marquis' Mansion, a servant came to report.
"Madam, the Third Young Master is back."
"Oh? Why is Bingzhi back?" Lu Lingjun asked.
After Qin Shaojing asked to send Cheng Bingzhi to another good Honglu Academy, Cheng Bingzhi never came back.
The Honglu Academy that Qin Shaojing arranged for Cheng Bingzhi was not as good as Tianfu Academy, but it was also a second-tier academy after Tianfu Academy.
And it's outside the capital.
In those days, except for major festivals, the academy basically closed for one day on the tenth or fifteenth day. That day off was not enough for the students to travel back and forth, so Cheng Bingzhi never came back after he enrolled.
It was not a festival and there was no important event to call him back. Lu Lingjun was quite puzzled when he heard that he had returned from the academy. Why did he come back?
The servant looked embarrassed and said, "Madam, the third young master has made Honglu Academy famous."
Lu Lingjun stopped and asked, "Why?"
"Honglu Academy said that the Third Young Master is too young to keep up with the academy's teaching progress and cannot complete all the courses. They asked the Third Young Master to stay at home for a few more years and then register again in a few years."
Lu Lingyun: "…."
Doesn't this mean that Cheng Bingzhi was dull and was kicked out of the academy?
Come to think of it, top-notch colleges have no shortage of students. Instead, they have to be selective about their students. Poor qualifications of students will affect the reputation of the college!
When they grew up and failed the imperial examination, they stopped studying and still said they graduated from such and such college, which brought shame to the college.
"Where is the Third Young Master now?"
"In Bishuiyuan, with Aunt Li."
After hearing this, Lu Lingjun thought of the trouble Cheng Yunshuo had caused her, and said, "Bring the Third Young Master here."
"yes."
At this time, in Bishui Garden.
Li Bijie looked at her son who had not been home for a long time with heartache. She prepared a table full of delicious food and added vegetables and meat to the dish for him with chopsticks one by one.
"How come you've become so thin in just two months?" Li Bijie said with concern.
"Mom, they never give me food." Cheng Bingzhi grabbed the chicken leg and ate it with his mouth full of oil.
"Why?" Li Bixi became anxious when she heard this.
Cheng Bingzhi looked unconvinced. "The old teacher asked me to recite books every day. There were 20 students in the classroom. He made me recite every day. If I couldn't recite them, he asked me to copy the books. He didn't allow me to eat until I finished copying. I didn't finish my meal for a long time."
After listening to this, Li Bixiang's face had a very complicated expression. She looked at her son who was only concerned with eating, and thought about the reason the servants told her when Cheng Bingzhi was sent back just now.
She already knew that Cheng Bingzhi had dropped out of Honglu Academy because of his poor talent.
But even if her son really had poor talent, she couldn't treat him like this!
For such a large and famous college, is it impossible for them to teach students in accordance with their aptitude?
He has poor aptitude and is slow at memorizing things. Can't you just ask him to memorize slowly?
If he is not allowed to eat and is not allowed to eat enough, won't he be even less motivated to memorize his lessons?
In the end, it was all because of that bad college that her son's time was wasted!
Li Bixi was complaining in her heart, with resentment in her eyes, and she kept picking food for Cheng Bingzhi, "Son, I will find you a college. You should study hard and become famous in the future. You will make those dogs who look down on you look down on you feel bad!"
After she said this, Cheng Bingzhi, who was enjoying his meal, paused and said, "I will never go to the academy again! I don't want to memorize books! No!"
Li Bixi: "…"
She wanted to make this brat mad to death. Among her two children, Cheng Bingzhi was the one she relied on the most.
Cheng Lanying is a daughter. It doesn't matter if she is stupid or not. It's enough if she can get more attention from Cheng Yunshuo. Cheng Bingzhi is her hope and her lifeblood.
If he doesn't study hard, how will he compete for this position in the future!
Just when Li Bixiang was about to get angry, Nanny Wan came to her yard.
"Aunt Li." Nanny Wan gave her a perfunctory look and didn't even bother to greet her.
The concubine is only half a master, and is still a servant in a sense. To be honest, her status is similar to that of the butler and the head nanny in the mansion.
Even worse than that!
Because the head butler and the head maid are the masters' confidants and have real power, it is a real position.
The concubines only serve their masters.
Normally, younger maids and servants would consider their masters' expressions and give some face to the favored concubines. However, when they met the head butler and the head nanny, they would not greet them.
And the one who came was Nanny Wan.
It was polite of Nanny Wan not to ask Li Bixi to bow to her.
"Madame Wan is here." When Li Bijie saw her coming, she quickly stood up and greeted her with a smile.
"Madam Li, you don't have to be polite. I'm here on a errand." Nanny Wan glanced at her and said.
"What's the matter?" Li Bixiang tried to please her cautiously, fearing to offend her.
However, despite her flattery, Nanny Wan still did not show any mercy. Nanny Wan waved her hand and said, "Come here, take the Third Young Master away."
When Li Bixi heard this, her eyes widened instantly.
"Madame Wan!"
"Aunt Li, have you forgotten that the Young Master has instructed before that the Third Young Master and the Second Young Miss will be raised by the Young Madam from now on?" Nanny Wan looked at her coldly, put on airs, and said sternly.
Li Bijie really forgot about this!
Ever since Cheng Yunshuo got angry with her a month ago and went to the temple, all she thought about all day was what was wrong with him and how she could please him again.
She reviewed the situation every day, and finally realized that perhaps she was too anxious during this period.
That day, when she saw herself in the bronze mirror aging very quickly and scaring Cheng Yunshuo away, she suddenly became anxious.
She was a smart person and she had never had any illusions about Cheng Yunshuo. She knew clearly that Cheng Yunshuo did not love her at all. What he loved was her face which was extremely similar to his white moonlight.
With this face, she entered the Marquis's Mansion, monopolized his favor, and obtained all the resources she has today.
She is a very calm and calculating woman. External things are generally not enough to affect her mood. Only her face is the foundation of everything for her.
Beauty faded and love faded. When she saw herself suddenly getting old, to the point where she even affected Cheng Yunshuo, she couldn't suppress her panic.
She is not Lu Lingjun, who has the status of a mistress and great strength, nor is she Qiu Ling, who has a close friendship and the status of a family child. All she can rely on is her face.
How could she not panic when her most important support was about to collapse?
This panic caused her to make a series of stupid moves.
He sent Cheng Lanying to invite him several times, and went to the temple to arrest people...
Even though she felt Cheng Yunshuo was rejecting her, she still moved forward.
It was because she was too scared, afraid that Cheng Yunshuo would completely dislike her before her children grew up.
But since Cheng Lanying was forcibly taken away, she was alone in Bishuiyuan. After thinking it over again and again, she finally calmed down.
She realized that if she stuck to Cheng Yunshuo like that when he was already rejecting her, it would only make him more annoyed.
Maybe it will be better if you slow down.
After all, no one has replaced her yet.
After she calmed down, she looked forward to Cheng Yunshuo's return every day. She would make plans and try new ways to attract him again. Her heart and eyes were full of thoughts about the man, so she had no idea about anything else.
Besides, Cheng Bingzhi had been studying away from home, and Cheng Yunshuo said at the time that Cheng Bingzhi also taught Lu Lingyun how to raise the child. In her opinion, there was no difference.
Anyway, Cheng Bingzhi is basically in the academy and doesn't come back, so there is nothing for Lu Lingyun to teach.
After Nanny Wan came to arrest people today, she realized that Cheng Bingzhi had been expelled from the academy and he had to stay in the mansion for a long time!
She would really be sent to be raised by Lu Lingjun like her sister.
"Bingzhi!"
"My son!"
Li Bixiang no longer cared about anything else and rushed forward to hug Cheng Bingzhi tightly, refusing to let go.
Nanny Wan was an expert at handling such situations. She stepped forward to pull the people away, stretched out her hand and quietly twisted Li Bixi's flesh, leaving a big bruise. Li Bixi cried out in pain.
No matter how much she loved him, she would not let go and would hold her beloved son in her arms.
Cheng Bingzhi screamed loudly in this situation.
"Mom!"
"Mom! Save me!"
"How dare you!" Nanny Wan scolded him fiercely, "Your mother only has one young lady. If the Third Young Master calls the wrong person again, don't blame me for reprimanding him!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Bingzhi was frightened like a quail. He shrank back immediately, even holding back half of his tears. He took the initiative to let go of his mother's arms, and followed the maids' pull to go into the hands of Maid Wan.
"Mrs. Li, please don't lose your status. It is a blessing for the Second Young Lady and the Third Young Master to be raised by our Young Madam!"
After saying this, Nanny Wan smoothly dragged Cheng Bingzhi back to report.
Li Bixiang, whose son was taken away, fell to the ground and sobbed. Seeing Cheng Bingzhi being taken away, she didn't care about anything else. She got up from the ground and followed Nanny Wan and the others to Lu Lingjun.
"Young Madam! Please have mercy! Return Bingzhi to me!"
Li Bixi cried in front of Lu Lingjun, but unlike usual, this time she was crying with real emotions.
Cheng Lanying really saw it. She stood behind the crowd, watching her mother crying sincerely and emotionally, and she felt inexplicably strange in her heart.
Her mother was not like this the last time she was taken away.
She just cried in front of her father. After her father left, he never thought of pulling her back and asked her to come here to learn the rules.
When Cheng Bingzhi was taken away, her mother actually cried all the way to the mistress's courtyard. She cried so heartbreakingly that I felt so sorry for her that I didn't even want to call her spineless.
I just want to feel pity for the mother whose son was taken away from her!
But, she is her daughter!
Cheng Lanying felt extremely sad. At this moment, the young girl suddenly realized that her father didn't love her, and her mother didn't love her either.
"Auntie Li, what are you doing?"
Lu Lingjun made her tired of crying. Normally, shedding a few tears while acting wasn't that annoying, but when she really cried, it gave her a headache.
"Madam, I know you are magnanimous and a kind person. Please return Bingzhi to me! I will definitely be grateful for your kindness and serve you wholeheartedly in the future!"
Li Bixi cried and said.
Lu Lingjun raised an eyebrow. Her gratitude? Her dedication?
Not to mention how true it is, even if it is true, she doesn't need it.
Lu Lingjun looked at Li Bixi, whose eyes were blurry with tears, and sighed, "Aunt Li, I am not the kind of person who would separate a mother and her child. A few years ago, I said that I wanted to bring Lan Ying and Bingzhi over to raise. If you don't want to, I won't force you. But the order was given by the prince, so what can I do?"
Lu Lingjun indeed thought so. After all, she already had two sons and a daughter, so she didn't need Li Bixi's child.
That idiot Cheng Yunshuo stuffed people into her place, but she still finds it annoying!
Even though she had always been a good mistress who managed the household well, respected her parents and loved her children, she was asked to refute Cheng Yunshuo on the matter of raising her children, saying that she didn't want to raise them? Asking him to send the child back to his aunt!
Forget it.
It wouldn't take much effort to arrange the child with her, and it wasn't worth it for Li Bixi to damage her reputation by asking her to stand up for her and gain benefits for her.
"Young Madam, please! Please tell the prince, he will definitely agree!"
Lu Lingjun sneered, she stood up lazily, and turned her back to her, "Instead of Aunt Li begging me, you might as well beg the prince. As long as the prince asks, you can continue to support the second young lady and the third young master."
After Lu Lingjun finished speaking, he went straight back to his room without listening to any more nonsense from Li Bixi.
Li Bixiang, who was crying on the ground, got up from the ground after seeing her close the door.
After Lu Kuan was overjoyed and finalized the deal, Lu Lingjun went to the three houses of Tong Mansion, Lu Family and Marquis Family.
The miscellaneous chores in the mansion were temporarily handed over to Qiu Ling and Ling Long. They could handle the affairs of the mansion at any time and report to Lu Lingjun after they were done.
If you encounter a major matter that you are undecided about, you can first tell Nanny An, who will then inform Lu Lingyun to make the decision.
The day before the wedding, Lu Lingjun left home early to visit the Tong Mansion to see Tong Nanyuan's wedding dress and help her check the things for tomorrow's wedding for the last time. All the affairs in the mansion were left to Qiu Ling and Linglong.
In Qiuxiang Courtyard, Qiu Ling and Ling Long gathered together, listening to the housekeepers from the mansion come to report on chores and arrangements to them.
In such a huge mansion, food, clothing, housing and transportation are all problems.
For example, when the seasons change, the masters and concubines in the mansion need to buy new clothes, the maids and servants need to be given clothes, the kitchen needs to change the dishes, the old and broken materials need to be replaced, and a pavilion in a certain courtyard needs to be repaired. All kinds of miscellaneous matters need to be decided by someone.
Qiu Ling and Ling Long listened carefully to the managers' reports and said, "Just proceed as usual and follow the guidelines set by the young lady."
Qiu Ling and Ling Long may not understand and know how to deal with everything, but they know to follow the rules.
Just follow the standards set by Lu Lingjun before.
This may not be outstanding, but it will definitely not be wrong!
Nowadays, when doing things, you don't have to do them beautifully, as long as you don't make any mistakes, you will definitely pass.
"yes."
The stewards responded one by one and then left their yard.
Of course, things like account books were not given to them. Lu Lingjun only asked them to help with the chores, and the core things were still sent to Lu Lingjun's courtyard.
After the managers left, Qiu Ling and Ling Long breathed a sigh of relief.
Both of them looked at each other as if it was not easy to be the head of a family.
"It's really hard for the young lady to manage the entire mansion alone."
"Yeah, I didn't feel that way before, but now I hear all this nonsense every day and it really makes me feel overwhelmed."
Linglong said.
At this time, the little maid in their room said, "Aunt Qiu, Aunt Ling, and Aunt Li are here to see you."
When they heard Li Bixi coming, they both became alert and looked at each other.
"Please ask her to come in."
"yes."
After a while, Li Bixiang followed the others in.
Qiu Ling saw her and said, "Oh, what wind blew to bring Aunt Li here?"
"Aunt Qiu." Li Bixi smiled at her ingratiatingly, "How are you doing lately?"
"It's okay. It's just that the young lady asked me and Linglong to help her share the burden. It's a bit tiring to assist with the chores in the backyard. I really didn't know that the young lady was so busy every day." Qiu Ling said with a smile.
"Yes, if some people can be more motivated, they can help the young lady share some of her worries. If we have one more person working together, I don't know how much better it will be." Linglong looked at Li Bijie meaningfully.
A few months ago, when Lu Lingjun delegated power for the first time, she and Qiu Ling completed all the tasks assigned by Lu Lingjun.
This time, Lu Lingjun gave them more power, and everyone in the Marquis' Mansion saw it. It was well deserved!
They both can do it!
When Li Bixiang heard this, a dark light appeared in her eyes.
Isn't this the one he's talking about?
She said she couldn't do anything at that time.
Humph! If Lu Lingjun asked her to do the same work as them, she would be able to do it well!
Li Bixi suppressed the dim light in her eyes, put on a smile and looked at Linglong, "Bixi is stupid, how can she compare with her two sisters, how can she manage this family."
"Stop calling us sister. Everyone knows that you, Aunt Li, are so much older than us. It makes us act like we are older than you." Linglong continued to mock.
Li Bixiong couldn't help but clench her back teeth when she heard Linglong mocking her age and appearance, which were what Li Bixiong cared about the most.
This little whore who came out of a brothel will be waiting for her sooner or later!
At this time, Qiu Ling said, "Okay, Aunt Li, you don't come to me for no reason. You must have something to ask me. If you have something to say, just tell me."
Upon hearing this, Li Bixi quickly suppressed her anger and looked up at Qiu Ling pitifully, "Aunt Qiu, Bixi really has something to ask you. The Third Young Master has not been eating well since the day he was brought to the Young Madam's courtyard. I'm really worried. He is still young, and I raised him since he was a child. He can't adapt to the change of location."
"Oh, look at what you said, Aunt Li, it's just like our young mistress is treating the third young master harshly!"
"Aunt Ling, how dare Bixi say such a thing? Although Bixi is humble, the Third Young Master is my flesh and blood. How can I, as his mother, not feel sorry for him?"
"Who are you mocking? You are the only one who can give birth to a child, and you are the only one who can be a mother?" Linglong glared.
In the entire Marquis's Mansion, she was the only concubine who did not have children. What's more, she entered the mansion earlier than Li Bi'e.
Linglong has been anxious over the years. After all, there is a big difference between having children and not having children.
Who doesn't want a child of their own so they can have something to look forward to in the future?
"Aunt Ling, I really didn't mean that. Look how dumb I am at speaking..." Li Bixiang begged for mercy, but she was secretly happy in her heart.
Kill this bitch who can't lay eggs with a stab in her heart!
Ask her to be proud, but what is there for her to be proud of? She doesn't even have a child. She will be kicked out sooner or later!
"That's enough." At this time, Qiu Ling interrupted Li Bi'e and looked at her. "Aunt Li, I pity you as a mother, but this is about the Third Young Master, we can't make the decision. You should wait for the Young Madam to come back and then go and ask her."
After Cheng Bingzhi was brought to Lu Lingyun's yard that day, Lu Lingyun began to teach him rules and some lessons.
The homework assigned was not much and was even quite easy, but Cheng Bingzhi did not study at all.
For this reason, he even used the same tactics he used in the academy to fight against the teacher, procrastinating and refusing to eat until he finished learning.
Seeing him like this, Lu Lingjun simply reduced her schoolwork. Cheng Bingzhi saw that this trick worked and became even more demanding. He was even more unwilling to study and simply used slacking off and not eating well to fight against her.
After a few days, Li Bijie saw everything and felt that Lu Lingjun was treating him harshly.
How can I endure this?
Li Bixi hurriedly looked at Qiu Ling and said, "Aunt Qiu, I'm not here to beg you to release the Third Young Master. The Madam said before that I can go and beg the Young Master. I'm begging you to let me out today! I saw that the Third Young Master didn't have a good breakfast today. I don't know when the Madam will come back, so please let me out first and I'll go and beg the Young Master myself."
Qiu Ling and Ling Long looked at each other when they heard this.
Qiu Ling turned her head and looked deeply at Li Bixi. As a mother, she could understand Li Bixi's heart. She sighed, "Madam Li, if jade is not polished, it will not be a useful thing. You will not be wrong to let the third young master be raised by the young lady."
"Aunt Qiu, consider this as a plea from me," Li Bixi knelt down in front of Qiu Ling with a plop, "Bingzhi is truly my beloved flesh and blood. Even if you bury me alive, I can't bear to see him suffer like this!"
When Qiu Ling saw her kneeling down, she immediately stopped trying to persuade her with extra words. She waved her hand and let her go, "Madam Li, you go."
"Thank you, Aunt Qiu. Thank you, Aunt Qiu."
After receiving the order, Li Bixi immediately got up and walked out expressing her gratitude profusely.
Linglong looked at her like that and said, "Sister Qiu Ling, if you let her go like this, what if the young lady is unhappy?"
Qiu Ling turned her head and glanced at her. "Do you think raising children is a good job? We are tired enough taking care of all the chores in the mansion, and the young lady has to take care of the children too. She is so tired!"
Linglong nodded when she heard this.
That's right. The young lady has already raised two sons and a daughter, and she really thinks she is willing to raise Li Bixi's children.
Qiu Ling sighed, "That Aunt Li, she really can't see her future clearly. The young lady is willing to support her, that's really a favor from her!"
Li Bixi left Qiuxiang Courtyard and spat out a mouthful of bad luck.
Today she has been humbled in front of the two of them, and one day when her son inherits the Marquisate, she will make them repay her tenfold or a hundredfold!
After receiving the order, she rode in a carriage out of the mansion and headed straight for Guangji Temple on the outskirts of the city.
Cheng Yunshuo has been listening to Zen in Guangji Temple for more than a month.
The longer he stayed here, the more relaxed he felt, and during the day he even practiced in the temple with Master Yuanqing.
He felt an unprecedented peace of mind.
All the emptiness and worries of the past seemed to be filled by the morning bell and evening drum, and the unceasing Buddhist teachings.
Cheng Yunshuo had never had great aspirations. When he was young and energetic, he had fantasized about making some achievements so that his family would look up to him. However, he could not be as brave as his father in going to the battlefield and making achievements. He was also ashamed of those spoiled sons of wealthy families who only knew how to enjoy sensual pleasures all day long.
He just did his job diligently, from the Jinwu Guard to the Imperial Guard, the job was simple but repetitive every day.
As time went on, he found himself being consumed by mediocrity.
mediocre.
Mediocrity kills people the most terrifying thing. He has neither the courage to become better nor the reason to degenerate. He still has children, a father and a mother, and everyone is pressing down on him and watching him.
At this time, he realized the importance of a loved one.
There are so many people filling up his mediocre life. If there was one person he loved among them, then life would not be so difficult.
He returned to the Marquis' Mansion every night over the years, and only when he saw that face did he feel a brief sense of satisfaction.
For this sense of satisfaction, he can keep giving, let things go, or turn a deaf ear to everything.
But he didn't know since when he no longer felt that sense of satisfaction.
He was suddenly killed by the mediocrity of life.
We have to face those empty and hopeless days every day.
Until he reached the temple.
"Donor Cheng, Amitabha."
When Cheng Yunshuo was helping the temple's novice monks clean the main hall, he heard the voice of Master Yuanqing behind him.
"Master Yuanqing, Amitabha." Cheng Yunshuo turned around and saluted him.
Master Yuanqing looked at him with a Buddhist smile on his face, "Donor Cheng is a guest in our temple, so you don't need to do these things."
Cheng Yunshuo held up the broom and said, "I just feel comfortable doing some chores."
Master Yuanqing smiled even more Buddha-like, "Amitabha, Mr. Cheng has a connection with Buddha, very good, very good."
At this moment, as soon as he finished speaking, a female voice came from behind him.
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Li Bixi held back her anger and walked forward. "Our prince is the prince of Ningyang Marquis's Mansion. He will inherit the marquisate and make great achievements in the future. How can he have a connection with Buddha and do such chores here every day!"
"Bixi, why are you here?" Cheng Yunshuo said dissatisfiedly when he saw Li Bixi rushing towards him.
"My Lord," Li Bixi came out from behind Master Yuanqing and looked at him with her watery eyes. "You have been out for a long time. I am worried about you."
She deliberately changed into a light pink long dress today and styled her hair in a simple way to make herself look younger and more lively.
She also looks more like the woman back then.
Her eyes were no longer as pitiful as before, but were shining and full of vitality as she looked at Cheng Yunshuo.
This is the homework she has done in the past month.
She specifically went to ask Qiu Ling, who had served Xing Dairong in the past and had the longest contact with her, and asked her indirectly about Xing Dairong's daily dress preferences and expressions.
Just to rekindle Cheng Yunshuo's heart at this moment.
As expected, Cheng Yunshuo was stunned when he saw the refreshed Li Bixi.
At this moment, Master Yuanqing in the middle shouted "Amitabha", interrupting Cheng Yunshuo's gaze.
Master Yuanqing still looked at him with a faint smile, "Donor Cheng, since you have family members visiting, I will not disturb you."
"Amitabha." Cheng Yunshuo responded to him, bowed and watched Yuanqing leave.
After Master Yuanqing left, Li Bixian walked up to him leisurely and looked at the broom in his hand. "My Lord, you are so precious, how can you do these things?"
Cheng Yunshuo said, "There's nothing to do in the temple, just some small things."
"How can this be a trivial matter?" Li Bixi continued to look at him with shining eyes, and said distressedly, "Your Highness, you have never done such a thing in your mansion."
"Okay, what are you doing here?" Cheng Yunshuo interrupted her mumbling.
"Your servant, I just came to see you." Li Biying blinked, and her autumn-water pupils once again overlapped with the pair in Cheng Yunshuo's memory.
On that day, Li Bixi also stayed in the temple.
When Qiu Ling and Ling Long heard the news from the servant that Aunt Li was staying in the temple with the Prince, they both felt like they had been deceived by her again.
Didn't Li Bijie say that she was going to ask Cheng Yunshuo to release Cheng Bingzhi?
Why are you begging me to stay there?
Qiu Ling immediately waited for Lu Lingjun to come back and told her about this, fearing that she would blame her.
Fortunately, after hearing this, Lu Lingjun did not react and just said that she would stay there if she wanted to.
It is also good for two people to worship Buddha together.
Qiu Ling was immediately relieved that she didn't blame her.
Lu Lingjun always let these concubines compete for favor as they wished. Anyway, she was not competing for Cheng Yunshuo.
She has a lot of things to do!
On the second day, Lu Kuan got married. Most of the officials in the capital came to congratulate him at his wedding banquet.
Those were naturally not Old Man Lu's connections. Even Lu Lingjun himself didn't have many familiar connections. Most of them came for Lu Kuan.
Congratulations came in waves, and everyone knew that the Lu family was now in its heyday.
As a result, Lu Lingjun attracted many noble ladies in the capital to come and get to know her. Everyone said that she had a good brother and married into a distinguished family.
While a group of people were complimenting Lu Lingyun, at the wedding banquet, a woman outside the crowd gritted her teeth.
Lu Lingjun called a group of people to gather around and drink their wine one by one. After a while, the hostess Zhang came over.
"Miss, you have worked so hard." Aunt Zhang said to Lu Lingjun with a smile on her face. Aunt Zhang was the most favored aunt in the mansion.
Liu said she was sick and didn't want to come to his banquet, so she was the one who presided over the banquet for the female guests. However, the people who came to the scene were basically going to Lu Lingjun.
They either toasted her or greeted her, doing most of Aunt Zhang's work. Aunt Zhang looked at her with gratitude. After all, she was just a little aunt, born in a humble family.
Before getting married, she was a girl from an ordinary family. How could she have seen such a scene and interacted with so many families of dignitaries? If she showed a little timidity or handled it improperly, it would be a disgrace to the entire Lu family!
"What are you talking about, aunt? Today is my brother's big wedding day. I am taking a few glasses of wedding wine for him to share in the good fortune." Lu Lingjun said with a smile.
Aunt Zhang was very happy when she heard what Lu Lingjun said. She raised a glass of wine to toast Lu Lingjun. This young lady not only married well, but also spoke nicely.
She never put on airs with an aunt like her, and she would say polite words. It's really hard not to like her! At this time, a voice sounded behind them, "Aunt Zhang, please toast to the elder sister. I am also Lu Kuan's legitimate sister, why don't you show me respect?"
Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a woman in her twenties holding a boy of six or seven standing in front of them. The woman's clothes were not gorgeous. Only the two lapels were made of silk, and the rest were twill. Although not rich, fortunately, the clothes were relatively new.
In the backyard full of silk and satin, it was barely acceptable and not too shabby. The one who came was Lu Hanyi, who had not been seen for a long time. Lu Lingjun took a look at Lu Hanyi's clothes, blinked her eyes slightly, and still kept a smile on her face. She knew in her heart that she had really had a hard time these years.
The Li family was not a wealthy family to begin with, and they had to support many people. The old lady at the top was old and greedy, and she had to eat and use all the good things first.
In order to be filial and have a good reputation, the Li family had to send all the things to her first. There were also several uncles living with her and the aunt who was divorced, and then there was Li Wenxun's generation. Unfortunately, the head of the family was still the eldest wife, Wei.
Wei was shrewd and good at calculating, so how could she have any good things to share with Lu Hanyi? Besides, Lu Hanyi had been staying at home with her son these years, and Li Wenxun was an official outside, so it was considered good that he didn't ask for money from home, and it was impossible for him to send back a penny of his salary.
So Lu Hanyi had to rely on her dowry and her mother's secret supplies to make ends meet these years. Today, she came to attend Lu Kuan's wedding, and her barely presentable outfit was the best she could offer.
"It's the Second Young Miss." When Aunt Zhang saw her, she hurriedly forced a smile on her face and went to greet her, "How can I not respect you, I just didn't see the Second Young Miss just now."
"How can Aunt Zhang see me now? I'm dressed so ordinary, how can I be as radiant and rich as my eldest sister!" Lu Hanyi's words made Aunt Zhang's teeth tremble.
Aunt Zhang really wanted to complain, if you are jealous of others' wealth and glory, why didn't you marry him in the first place! Outsiders don't know, but their own family doesn't know it.
The Marquis' Mansion didn't say which young lady to hire at that time, but the Li family specifically asked for the eldest young lady. Didn't Lu Hanyi rush to snatch the rich son-in-law of the Li family! Now that you know that others are living a rich and glorious life, why didn't you go there earlier!
But Aunt Zhang didn't dare to say anything, because Lu Hanyi's mother Liu was still oppressing her. If Lu Hanyi goes back to complain, she will not have a good time.
"The second young lady is just as radiant!" Aunt Zhang complimented, "The daughters of our Lu family are all good!" Aunt Zhang was so slick that she didn't offend anyone, but Lu Hanyi was still dissatisfied. "How can I compare with my elder sister! My elder sister is famous for her virtue and everyone praises her."
What Lu Hanyi hated most was that in both her past and present lives, no matter who she married, Lu Lingjun had such a good reputation! She was always praised!
In the years she had been in Beijing, whenever Lu Lingjun was present, everyone would surround her. She was like a mouse in the shadows, and could only look at her secretly in the crowd. Today was Lu Kuan's wedding, and she was also the eldest sister in the family, and a legitimate eldest sister, but everyone only knew Lu Lingjun, and no one looked for her.
She thought that she and Lu Lingjun were both Lu Kuan's sisters, so why was the treatment so different! Thinking that there was no difference between her and Lu Lingjun in this occasion, she couldn't bear it this time and stood up to sneer. Lu Lingjun made her feel so jealous.
She raised her glass and toasted her with a smile, "Okay, big sister toasts you a glass. Today is Kuan'er's big wedding day. Don't be angry, Hanyi." Lu Hanyi pushed her hand away, "You also know that today is Lu Kuan's wedding. What are you, a married sister, showing off here!"
Lu Lingjun: ""My mother is the real mistress of the Lu family. She is just sick, not dead!" Lu Hanyi vented her jealousy and hatred towards her over the years. "She handed Lu Kuan's marriage to Aunt Zhang. "You are the one who took charge of everything!"
"Second Miss, how can you say that?" Aunt Zhang was immediately anxious when she heard this. She crossed her eyes and said, "I asked the eldest lady to help me. You know, I am of low status and cannot drink the wine offered by those ladies!" "Then I didn't see you come to me, Aunt Zhang!" Lu Hanyi looked at Aunt Zhang sarcastically, "They are all married daughters. Why can she drink the wine offered by everyone here on behalf of Lu Kuan?" "Second Miss" Aunt Zhang was so choked by her aggressiveness that she couldn't say a word.
At this time, a strong male voice came from the corridor. "Because this house was given to me by my eldest sister." After this voice fell, today's groom strode into the inner courtyard. When the women in the inner courtyard saw him, they all turned their heads and looked sideways. Lu Kuan walked straight to Lu Lingyun.
He looked a little tipsy, obviously because he had drunk a lot of wine with the male guests. Lu Kuan looked at Lu Lingyun with shining eyes and said to everyone, "This house is a gift from my elder sister. It is not only a house, but my success today is all thanks to my elder sister." "Kuan'er."
Lu Lingyun frowned when he heard him say this in public, indicating that there was no need to say more. Lu Kuan's eyes were full of gratitude, "Eldest sister has been very kind to me, why can't I let everyone know." After he finished speaking, the women in the backyard looked at him with admiration.
These women, even if they were born rich, have worked hard for their husband's family or their father's family all their lives. How could they not envy a brother who is so grateful.
After Lu Kuan finished speaking, he turned to look at Lu Hanyi, "Second sister, you just asked, we are all married daughters, why is it that the eldest sister is qualified to arrange my wedding? The eldest sister gave me a future and a house, isn't she worthy?"