After the New Year, the breath of spring is like a day, the willow trees unconsciously sprout buds, the spring cold is steep, but the cold wind will occasionally be wrapped in a trace of warmth, the ice on the water surface is gradually thinning, last year's snow is piled up behind the corner house, helplessly day by day.

Cui Ning has been both lost and sweet these days, and the loss is that she heard the news of Zhang Huan and Pei Ying's marriage, and it was not himself who became his bride first, although he also explained, but Cui Ning's heart is still full of faint sadness, when will his happiness come?

However, what made her feel sweet was Zhang Huan's confession in the palace, he made a special trip to Beijing for himself, and he had himself in his heart, which was enough.

Although the day of her marriage is getting closer and closer, there is no joy in Cui Ning's body that she is about to become a bride, her room is still as elegant as usual, a few Sassanid silverware are neatly placed on the desk, the Daqin people are cute and simple, Cui Ning is looking forward and waiting every day, she knows that her Huan Lang will definitely not let her marry Wang Yan, he will come, and she has an extraordinary trust in Zhang Huan, in her opinion, he is omnipotent, he can turn what seems incredible to others into reality, But the most important thing is that he truly loves himself.

Today is the eighth day of the first lunar month, it is not suitable to go out, but even if it is suitable to go out, she can't go downstairs, more than a dozen stout healthy women stare at her step by step, not giving her any chance, since the last time she went to the East Inner Garden, her father severely punished five women who took care of her, making these women even more trembling, not daring to be careless.

For the persistence of the father. Cui Ning was already extremely painful in her heart, in her father's opinion, happiness is so simple, as long as she is the eldest wife of a prominent family, with her husband and son, then she is happy, marriage is just the continuation of gate politics, and she is a tool to achieve this combination of interests.

As for her liking, what about her love? Father never thinks about it, maybe. This is the sorrow and misfortune of every woman in the family, and only a very few brave and lucky people can get true happiness, just like Pei Ying's bravery, and like Yang Feiyu's misfortune, and she? Can she have Pei Ying's courage and luck?

"Auntie!" A calm and slightly immature voice came from outside the door, hearing this voice, Cui Ning's heart was like a ray of sunshine shining in the cold winter. This is her nephew Cui Yao, who is also a child who is not happy.

Cui Ning immediately stood up, greeted the door and said with a smile: "What do you don't understand to ask your aunt?" ”

The Cui family is generally tall, and Cui Ning is also very tall, but Cui Yao is thin and thin. This is like his mother, he is young and old, he speaks and does things very steadily, rarely says the wrong thing or does the wrong thing, and his inner emotions are not easily exposed, so he is deeply respected by the elders, but Cui Ning can see a faint sorrow hidden in his eyebrows.

Cui Yao also loves his aunt very much, and only with her aunt can he experience a trace of motherly love and tolerance. However, her aunt is about to get married, which makes Cui Yao's heart full of nostalgia and reluctance.

Seeing his aunt ask himself, he bowed and bowed, "Grandfather asked my aunt to come over." There is something to say. ”

Cui Ning patted his head lightly and smiled: "Don't be so polite in front of your aunt, like a little old man." ”

"Yes!" Cui Yao saluted again, "Auntie's teachings, Yao'er remembers."

Cui Ning shook his head helplessly, "Let's go!" Go to your grandfather. ”

She took her nephew down the small building. A dozen healthy women followed closely. Surrounded by a fan, Cui Ning looked at them with extreme disgust.

Cui Yao saw that his aunt didn't like the people behind. Then his face sank, and he pointed at them and said, "Stand down, and don't follow any more!" ”

An elderly woman hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile: "This is the master's order, we dare not disobey!" ”

"I will not be told by whomever commanded it, and I now command you not to follow it."

These women knew that although he was young, he would definitely be the head of the Cui family in the future, so they didn't dare to resist, so they had to take dozens of steps back and follow from a distance.

Cui Ning gave him a thumbs up approvingly, and asked him with a smile, "What kind of bride does Xiao Cui want to marry when he grows up?" ”

Cui Yao's face turned slightly red, he thought about it, and replied very seriously: "It doesn't matter what kind of bride I marry, but I will definitely not marry a bride who hinders my future." Cui Ning was stunned, she suddenly thought of herself, and couldn't help but feel a little unhappy in her heart, she smiled reluctantly, knocked on his head again and said, "You are only eight years old, what do you know at a young age?" ”

The two talked and laughed and came to Cui Yuan's study, Cui Yuan's main official business today is to audit the debriefing, but after listening to it for a day, he was also a little annoyed, so he went back to the house in advance, today Cui Xiaofu asked Cui Ning to live in the palace for a few days, learn some royal etiquette, after all, she is the lord of Qinghe, and she can't lose the face of the royal family when she gets married, Cui Yuan also wants to ease the tension with Cui Xiaofu, so he agreed, and later met Wang Ang at the gate of Daming Palace, he mentioned the marriage between the two families, and implicitly asked Cui Yuan to announce the marriage.

Cui Yuan has always been worried that his daughter's marriage will be as embarrassing as Jiang Lian's, so he refuses to announce it, but he also knows that since Zhang Huan has married Pei Jun's daughter, it is impossible for him to have any hope for his daughter.

On the contrary, he was worried that his daughter would not be able to think about it, after all, she herself was very reluctant to open this marriage, Cui Yuan had seen Wang Yan more than once, in fact, he himself did not like the future son-in-law, he had some common shortcomings of the Wang family, arrogant, short-sighted, pretentious but ignorant of the sky, maybe it can be described as a young man, but he is also a young man, Zhang Huan and the Pei Mingyuan of the Pei family, and even his eight-year-old grandson is much better than him.

But the meaning of marriage does not lie in the marriage itself, no matter how unsatisfactory Wang Yan is, but at least the Wang family will be firmly tied to himself, a daughter-in-law of the Yang family, a son-in-law of the Wang family, he Cui Yuan's two moves are also considered to be successful.

At this time, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the door, Cui Yuan suddenly heard that this was his daughter's footsteps, only she would walk so softly, for fear of disturbing his train of thought, Cui Yuan sighed secretly, his daughter always thinks about others, she is sorry for her in marriage, and she will compensate her for her child in the future!

There was a gentle knock on the door, Cui Yuan stepped forward and opened the door, only his daughter stood outside the door, and his grandson sensibly did not follow.

"Oh! You're here, come in and sit. The guilt in his heart made Cui Yuan smile a little unnaturally.

Cui Ning slowly walked in and sat down, bowed his head and said, "Is there something wrong with Daddy looking for me?" ”

"Actually, it's nothing, Daddy wants to talk to you." Cui Yuan looked at the thin chain around his daughter's neck, pointed at it gently, and said, "You can give that piece of jade to Daddy!" Daddy will return it to Zhang Huan for you. ”

Cui Ning didn't speak, a look of despair gradually appeared in her eyes, seeing that Cui Yuan's heart was about to break, he knew that his words had extinguished his daughter's last glimmer of hope.

"Ning'er, you don't understand it yet, when you are more than ten years later, your appearance will gradually fade, and you will understand the difference between being an eldest woman and being a concubine? Even if you don't care and can tolerate loneliness, what about your children? As a concubine, their status and future in the family, when their fate is miserable, they will hate you. ”

"Daddy, don't say it, my daughter knows that this is fate, and I accept it." Cui Ning reluctantly held the jade, and tears once again welled up from her beautiful eyes.

Cui Yuan gently stroked her hair, and said to her with great pity: "Child, you should wear this piece of jade first!" Wait until the day you go out and leave it behind. ”

Cui Ning covered her mouth violently and turned her head, her thin shoulders twitched, she restrained herself and didn't let herself cry, Cui Yuan didn't say anything, just silently waited for her emotions to calm down.

After a long time, seeing that she was no longer crying, she smiled and said, "This afternoon, your aunt asked me to send her to the palace to learn etiquette, and you can go and stay for two days!" Daddy is also busy these days, and he doesn't have time to take care of you, and the day before you leave the cabinet, Daddy will send someone to pick you up. ”

Cui Ning's eyes flashed a subtle bright color, she seemed to understand something, she looked up at her father's temples that had grown white hair, suddenly knelt down, and kowtowed to him three times.

Cui Yuan smiled, he nodded slightly and said: "In fact, as long as you marry well, it is the greatest reward to your father, your father has raised you for seventeen years, there are no other requirements, I just hope you promise your father this time, you must not marry Zhang Huan, no matter how much you like him, you can't, this is Daddy's iron-hearted decision." ”

Cui Ning was shocked, and her father's categorical attitude suddenly made her heart, which had just a little hope, fall into the abyss again, and her whole body became cold.

Cui Ning leaned sadly in front of the window, looking at the cold moonlight over the Taiye Pool, she held a letter tightly in her hand, her father's pale temples and Huanlang's blazing eyes appeared alternately in her mind, she thought of the words of her eight-year-old nephew, and the clenched fist when her father mentioned Zhang Huan, the painful choice was like a flame scorching her heart, where should she go?

At this time, Cui Xiaofu quietly walked behind her.