Early in the morning of the twenty-ninth day of the winter moon, Gu Huaiyu took Xiao Sirou back to Xiao's mansion.

Xiao Lingheng, Lu Youqing, Zhang Yixian, and Wangshu were all waiting at the door early.

Gu Huaiyu got out of the carriage expressionlessly, and without waiting for Xiao Sirou, he bowed slightly to Xiao Lingheng and went to the back room.

Xiao Sirou got out of the carriage as if she hadn't been home for several years, and her eyes were red when she looked at Zhang Yixian.

Gu Huaiyu's anger has not subsided, and it can be seen from his indifferent attitude that Xiao Sirou has not been doing well in the palace these days.

"Father, mother, mother, sister, ......"

Xiao Sirou called over one by one, Xiao Lingheng was still angry, so he didn't respond, Lu Youqing turned his head directly, only Zhang Yixian smiled and hugged her, and said in a round field: "Master, it's cold outside, let's go into the house and talk about it." ”

Xiao Lingheng was noncommittal, but turned around and entered the house, seeing this, everyone just acquiesced to him and followed in.

Xiao Lingheng sat down at the top, and the people quickly served tea, as if they noticed the strange atmosphere in the hall, everyone was light-hearted, and they didn't even dare to make a sound.

Xiao Sirou sat on one side, not daring to look at Xiao Lingheng's face, she trembled and picked up the tea and just wanted to take a sip, Xiao Lingheng slapped the table hard.

"Are you still in the mood for tea? Instead of the eldest sister to marry into the palace, you really think you are a princess, right?

Xiao Sirou hurriedly threw down the teacup, walked to the center of the hall and knelt down, "Rou'er didn't, and Rou'er didn't dare." ”

Xiao Sirou glanced at Wangshu, gritted her teeth and said, "It wasn't my intention to marry my cousin, it was my sister who begged me at that time before I agreed......"

Wang Shu was stroking the wound on his head, and when he saw that Xiao Sirou really came at her, his face suddenly turned angry, "Xiao Sirou, you are really cheap and good!" Why did I leave the princess's seat and give it to you for nothing? What's in it for me? ”

"You don't like Cousin Huaiyu, so let me marry him for you."

Xiao Sirou confessed all the words that Wangshu told her that day, but it caused Wangshu to sneer.

"It has always been 'the order of the parents, the words of the matchmaker', how can you like it? According to what you say, you like His Royal Highness King Yong, otherwise why would you marry him on my behalf? ”

Xiao Sirou's face turned red with anger, and she just wanted to refute, but Xiao Lingheng roared, "You two don't quarrel!" ”

"Xiao Sirou, I only ask you, did you knock your sister unconscious and throw her to the Wei River in order to marry His Royal Highness?"

Xiao Lingheng had never called her by name or surname, Xiao Sirou was immediately scared and cried: "Daddy, where do I have this time, and where do I have the strength to drag her to the river." ”

She covered her face with a handkerchief, and suddenly seemed to understand something, and turned her face to point at Wangshu hatefully, "Is this what you said to your father?" Xiao Wangshu, I knew you didn't have a good heart! How could you have fulfilled me so easily! But if you confuse right and wrong like this, and drill me in the next set, won't you have a troubled conscience? ”

Conscience? Oh, Wangshu used to be soft-hearted, but she also guessed that if she was not ruthless, Xiao Sirou would inevitably blame her. They all made selfish choices for their own interests, and no one was more noble than the other. And what qualifications do you have to talk about "conscience"?

Wangshu didn't want to quarrel with her, so he rolled his eyes coldly, "Xiao Sirou, I can't blame you for hurting myself." You know best what you have done yourself. ”

Sometimes, verbal arguments can only be momentarily refreshing, but they are the most meaningless.

As soon as the words fell, the little guard of the Xiao Mansion hurriedly ran in, and said something in Xiao Lingheng's ear, Xiao Lingheng's face suddenly turned pale, and he glared at Xiao Sirou viciously, "Look at the good things you have done." ”

He took a deep breath and said to the little servant, "Let them in." ”

Xiao Sirou suddenly had a bad premonition in her heart.

I saw two shabby-dressed and sturdy men walking straight in, and when they saw Xiao Sirou, they were like cats seeing mice, and they pounced straight over. Fortunately, the subordinates of the Xiao Mansion were quick and immediately pressed them to the ground.

While struggling, the two big men shouted unconvinced: "Miss Sirou, what do you mean by treating us like this even if you didn't pay us for hiring us?" ”

"Shut up!" Xiao Sirou was so angry that her head was about to explode, she could only raise her voice to exaggerate her momentum, "What hired you?" I don't even know you! ”

Xiao Sirou knelt down and crawled to Xiao Lingheng's side, hugging his legs in a panic, "Daddy, daddy, don't listen to them, they must be with Xiao Wangshu, they are all here to frame me!" ”

"Get out of here!" Xiao Lingheng pushed her away and slapped her directly on Xiao Sirou's face, "You didn't hire it, can people recognize you at a glance?" You don't have the strength, don't you have the strength to hire people? ”

Xiao Sirou fell to the ground, seeing that it was irrefutable, she could only sob.

Zhang Yixian saw that the situation was uncontrollable, so she had to step forward to persuade her, "The old man is angry." ”

"How can I calm my anger? Look at the good daughter you raised! hired someone to murder the eldest sister, and when it was spread, the face of my Xiao Mansion would be lost by her. Xiao Lingheng was so angry that his chest rose and fell, and Zhang Yixian gently stroked him.

When he was in a better mood, he said: "Master, it's okay for Rou'er to blame her for punishing her if she is at fault, but the top priority is definitely not these." It is a crime of deception to marry in lieu of marriage, if Your Majesty knows, not to mention that Rou'er and Shu'er can't keep it, our entire Xiao family will be finished. ”

She has followed Xiao Lingheng for decades, and she knows very well what he cares about most, and sure enough, she said it.

Xiao Lingheng glanced at her and did not refute. He sat down again, only to feel his mouth dry and cough several times in a row.

Zhang Yixian hurriedly brought the tea to him, and said slowly: "There are two ways now." Otherwise, we'll change Shu'er back unknowingly. ”

Wang Shu was shocked, and then thought that Zhang Yixian should not let go of this great opportunity, and sure enough, she continued: "It's easy to change them back, I'm afraid that the palace people have already seen Rou'er's appearance, and paper can't contain the fire after all." ”

Xiao Lingheng glanced at her, "What about another way?" ”

"Another way is to pass Rou'er to her sister's name. The holy decree only said that it was the daughter of Xiao Mansion, and did not name Shu'er. If His Majesty asked, Niang Niang only said that it was Rou'er who was set at the beginning, then His Majesty's previous thought would have become a misunderstanding. ”

Sure enough, Jiang is still old and spicy, not only letting his daughter marry into a high gate, but also picking up a cheap daughter.

Wangshu couldn't help but sneer.

"No, I don't agree." Gu Huaiyu immediately rejected Zhang Yixian's idea, he listened to it for so long, but the idea they discussed still made him accept Xiao Sirou as the concubine.

He stared at Xiao Sirou coldly, "It's not fake, it's really fake, it's a concubine, it's a concubine, I won't marry a concubine as a princess." ”

Xiao Sirou saw that he disliked her identity as a concubine, and cried even more sadly.

Lu Youqing stood up and said calmly: "I don't agree either, I don't want to recognize another daughter for no reason." ”

Zhang Yixian saw that Lu Youqing disagreed, and then said: "Otherwise, His Royal Highness will marry Rou'er and Shu'er at the same time, Shu'er is still the main concubine, and Rou'er is the side concubine, so I only say that the two family affairs will be held together that day." ”

"Ridiculous!" Xiao Lingheng glared at him coldly, the more he spoke, the more unspeakable he became, "After a while, His Royal Highness will still want the daughter-in-law of the Nakong family to be the side concubine." Do you want to attract the attention of the government and the opposition and make His Highness be accused of being greedy? ”

Zhang Yixian knelt down under Xiao Lingheng's angry gaze, "The concubine doesn't dare, it's the concubine who is confused." ”

Xiao Lingheng stroked his forehead, the current situation is really a headache.

"You all go down, let me think about it and see how best to keep the Xiao family."

Wangshu glanced at Xiao Lingheng, and helped Lu Youqing, who wanted to stop talking, to retreat.

Gu Huaiyu didn't say anything, but his expression was still dissatisfied, and he strode away.

"Little lady......" Xiao Sirou looked at Zhang Yixian in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Zhang Yixian secretly glanced at her and scolded angrily: "Isn't it a shame? Don't hurry up and go back with Your Highness first! ”

Xiao Sirou immediately understood, and hurriedly stood up and followed behind Gu Huaiyu.

Seeing that Xiao Sirou finally caught up with Gu Huaiyu, Zhang Yixian breathed a sigh of relief.

Wangshu helped Lu Youqing to walk into the garden, chatting as he walked.

"What is my mother's plan for what Zhang Xiaoniang said just now?"

"Naturally, it's impossible for me to recognize her daughter, and I didn't give birth to her, and I'm not generous enough to be like that."

Wangshu was silent for a while, and suddenly said: "If your father really asks you to recognize Xiao Sirou when the time comes, you can also admit it, and you can't argue with your father for her." ”

"It's not like yours." Lu Youqing glanced at her in surprise, she looked around, made sure that there was no one around, and asked, "Tell me honestly, did you arrange all these things?" You don't want to marry His Royal Highness King Yong, so you set up a situation for Xiao Sirou to marry you? ”

Seeing that Wangshu was silent, Lu Youqing couldn't help sighing: "I'm your mother, what can you hide from me?" If you don't want to say it, you can't do these things. ”

"Does it really work?" Wangshu looked at her quietly, which stunned Lu Youqing.

"A mother should know very well what is most important in a father's heart. It's not me, it's not you, it's not Zhang Yixian and Xiao Sirou, it's the Xiao family, it's power, it's his official position and reputation. For the sake of the family, what is it to sacrifice one of me? He didn't care what I thought, and I wouldn't be stupid enough to beg him. ”

After Wangshu finished speaking calmly, there was no ridicule, no blame, or even resentment in his eyes, just a simple awakening.

Lu Youqing touched her hair distressedly, "Child, I have wronged you." ”

In the evening, Cui Jinyuan walked into the kitchen to give Gu Huaijin sencha as usual, and a figure waited behind the door early, Cui Jinyuan was startled.

"Mother." Cui Jinyuan pulled Aunt Cui over and hurriedly closed the door.

"I thought that you were afraid that you would run out of medicines, so I took some more for you." Aunt Cui glanced at the teapot in Cui Jinyuan's hand, "Does Your Highness also eat tea every night when he is in autumn?" ”

"Yes." Cui Jinyuan's eyes shook slightly, nodded unnaturally, took the paper bags, and quickly put them into his sleeve.

"That's good." Aunt Cui took out another thing from her arms, which was Gu Huaijin's calligraphy notebook that she practiced on weekdays, "This is the handwritten book you gave me last time, remember to put it back in its place." ”

Cui Jinyuan took them one by one, she hesitated slightly, but still called Aunt Cui, "Mother, why do we follow that person's instructions and do things?" Your Highness, he is very good to us. ”

Aunt Cui stopped, and the sparse moonlight stroked the wrinkles on her face, making her very vicissitudes, "Your Highness, he is indeed a good person, but that person gave you and me life, and we can't help but repay this kindness." ”

A sigh came into Cui Jinkite's ears, and when she looked at it again, Aunt Cui's figure had disappeared into the night.

Cui Jinyuan put the teapot on the stove, suddenly remembered something, and took out the paper bags from his sleeve.

came to mind Gu Huaijin's nervous appearance when she pleaded for her, the playful appearance when she broke her hair, the gentle appearance of giving her clothes, and the serious appearance when she said that she wanted to give her a name.

He said he would always protect her.

The heartbeat suddenly sped up a little, and Cui Jinyuan unconsciously smiled. She picked up the teapot and threw all the packets into the fire.

When Cui Jinyuan went in with tea, Gu Huaijin was practicing calligraphy.

After a while, the palace man brought a wooden plate with a red wedding dress on it.

Cui Jinyuan carefully stroked the delicate embroidery of the stitches, "This is too exquisite." ”

"Try to see if it fits, and if it doesn't, I'll let them change it." Gu Huaijin circled a date on the paper with a pen, "This day in two months is an auspicious day." ”

Cui Jinyuan came to Gu Huaijin, looking at the colorful days, and her heart was extremely happy.

Gu Huaijin put down the pen and gently held up her chin, "Ming'er remember to call Aunt Cui to come over, and I will tell her about our family affairs." ”

"No need." Cui Jinyuan lowered her head in a hurry, Xu realized that her reaction was too big, she slowly stroked the handwriting on the paper, "I will tell her about this matter personally." ”

"Okay, it's up to you." Gu Huaijin was unconscious, still looking at her dotingly.