The houses and pavilions in the house stood silently and quietly, and there was still the joy of the marriage in the daytime, Li Shuci looked at the dark rain clouds towering like mountains overhead, and his heart was as heavy as a boulder. Her silhouette was blurred in the orange light, and almost her whole body melted into the treacherous night.

The wind rose, the red lanterns under the eaves were stirred and swayed from side to side, the red silk hanging from the window lattice pillars flew around, whirring, the people under the night vigil in each courtyard got up to close the doors and lock the windows, and the big raindrops suddenly poured down, Li Shuci hugged his shoulders and turned around and entered the house, Yao leaned on the old lady's bed and closed his eyes to rest, Li Weiqing did not leave, he sat under the window and looked at the lights outside that were disturbed by the wind and rain, his eyes were bright and uncertain.

The heavy rain crackled on the blue brick floor in the courtyard, and the sound finally alarmed the old woman who was sleeping on the bed. She suddenly let out a sharp scream, which instantly focused the attention of everyone around her, and the scream of this life was particularly piercing in the storm, Yao Shi held the old lady dancing with her hands and feet, and shouted in her mouth: "Mother! Mother!"

However, although the old lady's eyes were wide open, her eyes were not bright, as if she had not really woken up, as if she had been caught in a nightmare. Only the mouth was still screaming and roaring, Li Shuci and Li Weiqing stepped forward to help Yao stabilize her, her body was trembling, Li Shuci kept repeating: "Grandmother, it's okay, it's just a dream." ”

"Dreaming......" The old lady fell silent again, and after a moment, her eyes slowly opened, and her scattered gaze refocused. Li Shuci's voice was low and soft, and he comforted in a soft voice: "Grandmother, it's a dream, it's okay...... Don't be afraid. ”

However, when the old lady's cloudy eyes were fixed on Li Shuci's face, Fang Cai's crazy actions broke out again, Li Weiqing surrounded her from behind and still couldn't stop her desperate struggle, her eyes were wide open, as if they could be torn apart in the next moment. This time, the cry from her mouth was clearly audible, "The Li family is finished, the Li family is finished...... The voice was sad and painful, like the soul was bound by something and it was difficult to break free, repeating this proverb or curse repeatedly......

Li Shuci stared directly at her grandmother's crazy behavior, and stood there in a daze, why did her grandmother say that the Li family was finished the moment she saw her? What did her grandmother know? Could it be that she was really the root cause of the Li family's defeat? Could it be that she still couldn't escape such a fate if everything started again? She tried again and again to guard against it, but she still failed to keep her grandmother, she still tried every possible way to let a little An Qirong succeed, she couldn't do anything, she was pretending to be smart, thinking that she could change her fate by herself. However, the moment she returned, her fate had become different, but it was only going to perish in another way.

Her grandfather, her father, her marriage...... As she learns more secrets and truths, it all seems even uglier. The torrential rain continued in the darkness of the night, and the old lady's madness did not last long before she exhausted all her energy and fell into a deep sleep once more. Li Shuci fled through the courtyards and countless corridors, and Qingge tried to hold an oil umbrella for her, but the weather was in vain.

There was a loud pouring in her ears, and she rushed headlong into her yard. Finally returned to her territory, the only place where she felt safe, at this time, her body was drenched, her mind finally calmed down, and her long black hair had fallen and was wet against her body.

The faint warm yellow light emitted from the window lattice seemed to be the only light and warmth in the world, and the faint tall figure in that bright light made her tight shoulders slowly relax and droop. As if sensing someone outside the window, the figure stopped for a moment, then moved to the door, opened the door and said to her, "Go bathe and change clothes first, I'll wait for you here." ”

The voice was firm and deep, so that Li Shuci unconsciously wanted to listen, she walked slowly towards the side pavilion, after washing it and letting the girl dry her hair, when she tidied up and stood in front of the Confucian King, it had been half an hour, only a few candles were lit in the house, the side face of the Confucian King was in a trance in the dark yellow shadow, and the small tear mole was deep and outstanding, so that his face was no longer cold and indifferent. Li Shuci suddenly felt that such a strong sense of existence made it seem that only his momentary attention was left in the world, and nothing else. This gaze made her gradually regain her strength, and her heart floating above the stormy waves finally calmed down. "Let the prince wait. ”

The Confucian King looked at her, as if he thought she had been in a daze for too long, and he ignored her greetings, but asked, "What are you thinking about again?"

Her thoughts were chaotic, and her low voice subconsciously blurted out: "Yang Yan......"

As soon as this name came out, she suddenly felt that the air around her body froze, and a strange atmosphere spread indoors, although the face of the Confucian King under the shadow of the lamp did not move, his tone was not as gentle as Fang Cai, and said: "It seems that even if the Yang family has long been involved in this right and wrong, you still have affection for Yang Yan." ”

Li Shuci didn't know why he said this, what she originally wanted to say was: Yang Yan and her marriage should also be dissolved as soon as possible. But I thought that now that my grandmother is dying, even if the marriage contract is not dissolved, if she insists on keeping filial piety for her grandmother and not talking about marriage, when the filial piety period is over, maybe everything has already settled, and there is really no need to make any more troubles at this juncture. But now she was really in no mood to explain too much, so she did not answer the words of the Confucian king, but said: "My grandmother's body is in decay, but I have nothing to do. ”

The Confucian King stood up, his face came out of the warm light, and became cold and hard again, and he said: "In my opinion, in your current situation, if you don't resist and obediently marry Yang Yan, the Shen family, the Yang family, and the Li family, if the three forces can really balance each other, you can also save the Li family from another perspective and save the lives of your parents and relatives." ”

"I will never stand with the Shen family in this life!" she interrupted the Confucian King stiffly, she had always been cautious in front of him, and she had never used such a sharp tone now.

King Ru raised his eyes to look at her, "So, you can explain everything to Yang Yan and let Yang Yan help you do what you want to do." ”

"What does the prince mean by this?" Li Shuci looked at the Confucian King with a condensed face inexplicably, wondering if he was angry today, "Yang Yan will never turn his back on his family, and why should he ...... for me?"

"Aren't you childhood sweethearts? You must also have a very deep relationship, if you can convince your father to participate in the Shen family's conspiracy, everything can be solved. ”

"Lord Wang!" Li Shuci was a little angry, "I said it, my parents and I will never be with the Shen family! If the prince thinks that I am a burden now and there is no way to help the prince, the prince can naturally say clearly, it's a big deal, let's go our own way and break up." Why do you want to hurt people by saying these things over and over again?"

The Confucian King's face was completely dark, and Li Shuci almost felt a burst of cold aura emanating from him, he took a step forward, came to her, and said above her head: "It's a big deal?

He was more than a head taller than her, and she tried to look up at him, but she became more and more confused, how did they provoke their current conversation? She heard him say coldly: "You have used this king, and you want to leave so easily?"

"I, I didn't ......," Li Shuci defended, "only the prince can help me, how could I think like that...... It's just that the prince doesn't seem to want to get involved too much in the affairs of my Li family, so I originally wanted the prince to help me dissolve the marriage contract, but I don't think I should cause any more trouble at this juncture and cause trouble......"

"Do you want to break the marriage?" the Confucian King's frowning brow slowly loosened, and a look of surprise was changed.

"Well, but I think I haven't finished yet, and my grandmother's business...... It doesn't seem like this matter is very urgent, so ......"

"I'll help you. ”

Li Shuci looked up in surprise, "What?"

"I'll help you out. The Confucian King looked down at the heavy blue and black under her eyes and the tiredness on her face, and he suddenly felt that what this girl had endured seemed to be a little too much.

Li Shuci was amazed at how quickly the Confucian king's attitude changed, and he did everything this man had said to her since he appeared. However, she didn't forget that the two of them were initially based on quid pro quo, and at this time she finally had a clue and started some bits and pieces in the diary during the coma. "Lord Wang, what I told you last time was that Shen Hao took advantage of the opportunity of the monarch appointing him to investigate the deficit and secretly find the handle of the court officials, in a vain attempt to control it. ”

"Yes. What's new for you?"

Li Shuci nodded, "Ya Niang of the Ukiyo Building." ”

"She?" the Confucian King pondered for a moment, "such a woman with long sleeves and good dancing among the nobles of Shangjing, and quite a famous woman, is indeed worthy of attention. But as far as I know, that's all there is to it, and I have suspected her, and sent someone to investigate, but I have found nothing special, but it is the same as that of other women who have fallen into the dust, and what new discoveries have you made?"

"I'm just guessing now, if I want to determine whether she is a member of the Shen family, I still need the help of the prince to determine one thing. Li Shuci's eyes were deep, and the Shen family's methods were endless, but what kept them invincible was because they had mastered the unknown secrets of many officials, and used them to threaten and lure. If you can peel off the cocoon on this piece, you may be able to ruin the Shen family's arrangement for many years, and even if you can't, it will also be a major blow. "The prince can't help but check the Zhilan embroidery workshop that has some dealings with all the ladies in the palace. ”

The Confucian King was surprised and puzzled and said, "Zhilan Embroidery Workshop?"