On September 12, after more than half a month, all the account books of the Ji family were finally sorted out, and Ji Lanzhou voluntarily donated half of the family's wealth, equivalent to 8 million taels of silver, for the war in the south.

On September 13, Duanmuxian asked for a reward for Ji Lanzhou.

Ji Lanzhou is a woman and is not allowed to enter the court as an official, but the emperor can't completely ignore the reward, so as not to chill people's hearts, the emperor pondered, the Ji family donated silver, of course he couldn't reward the silver again, so he simply named Ji Lanzhou as the county lord and titled Hejing.

The county lord of Hejing thanked the emperor for his grace and returned to the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion with a full guard of honor.

After counting the account books of the Ji family, the officials of the household department had already left, but the entire Xuanwu Marquis Mansion was shrouded in a raging storm.

"Lan Zhou, you still know to come back! I thought you were going to stay in the palace for a long time! ”

Mrs. Hou's Yu looked at Ji Lanzhou with a strange yin and yang and said, her heart was like a knife.

This is a full eight million taels of silver, enough for their Wang family to eat for several lifetimes!

Now that she gave away eight million taels of silver for nothing, Yu only felt as if a large piece of flesh had been stripped of her heart, and she really hoped that it was just a nightmare.

This is all to blame for Ji Lanzhou, who made assertions without consulting them, and blamed them for being too good to her, even if she was willful!

Isn't this girl crazy?!

In the main hall, not only the Yu family, but also the Xuanwu Hou, Zhao family and others all stared at Ji Lanzhou angrily, their eyes sharp as knives.

The atmosphere in the room was solemn and depressing, tense to the extreme, as if the bowstrings were full, and all the feather arrows on the bowstrings were aimed at Ji Lanzhou, and they were about to explode.

Today's Ji Lanzhou is dressed very noblely, wearing the county lord's makeup, lining her whole person elegantly and generously without losing her gentleness and elegance, at first glance, like a stranger, and then at a glance, it seems that she is still her usual appearance, describing delicate, and her every move reveals a weak cowardice.

"Maternal grandmother, great uncle, great aunt." Ji Lanzhou respectfully saluted them.

"You still recognize me as an uncle?!" Xuanwu Hou gritted his teeth and reprimanded, "What the hell are you thinking?!" It's such an adult, and I don't know how to measure! He was also heartbroken, and he really wanted to slap this crazy girl in the face.

But Xuanwu Hou didn't dare to push too hard.

This crazy girl can donate half of the Ji family's wealth this time, what if she goes crazy again and donates the rest of the family wealth again?!

Thinking of this, Xuanwu Hou could only barely suppress the anger in his heart, the corners of his eyes were beating wildly, his breath was held in his chest, and his heart rose and fell violently.

The air in the hall became more and more gloomy and solemn, as if it were about to drip water.

A stiff atmosphere crept through the silence, and the excessive silence was more oppressive than the rough shouting and rebuke.

After a while, Zhao slowly twisted the Buddha beads in his hand while singing with a white face: "Boss, Lan Zhou is still young and ignorant, and she is indeed patriotic, and she wants to learn from her grandfather's righteous deeds." ”

Saying that, Zhao's kind eyes looked at Ji Lanzhou, "Lanzhou, the Ji family's wealth is the hard work of your Ji family's ancestors for generations, although you have the heart, but you can't act so recklessly...... If the ancestors of the Ji family knew that their wealth had been squandered by you like this, how would the spirit of heaven rest in peace?! ”

Although her tone was gentle and gentle, what she said was "reckless" and "squandering", it was clearly a battle line with Xuanwu Hou and his wife.

Ji Lanzhou pursed his lips, stood with low eyebrows, and said nothing.

Zhao Shi looked at her like this, and his heart became angry, he stopped the Buddha beads in his hand, and changed his words: "Lan Zhou, you are also fourteen years old this year, and when your mother brought you to the Hou Mansion, she said that she wanted to kiss and kiss. Over the years, your uncle and aunt and I have treated you like a pearl in the palm of our hands, and we really don't want you to leave the Hou Mansion......"

As he spoke, Zhao pinched a handkerchief and pretended to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"Lan Zhou, I want to settle the relationship between you and Brother Wei as soon as possible, your mother and your father have spirits in the sky, knowing that you have a home, you should be at ease under Jiuquan." Zhao finally said her true purpose, and watched Ji Lanzhou's demeanor become more and more loving.

What if Ji Lanzhou is the county lord, she has no relatives and no reason, and the only one she can rely on is their Xuanwu Marquis Mansion!

When she marries her second grandson, they will teach her how to be a wife in the future.

Zhao quietly exchanged glances with Xuanwu Hou on the side, asking him to calm down for a while, and then looked at Wang Tingwei, the second grandson who was sitting in front of him.

Wang Tingwei stood up and said to the Zhao family: "But it's up to grandmother to decide." "He looks at his nose and nose and his heart, and he is a gentle and humble gentleman.

Wang Tingwei is not the main culprit in Ding Zhongqing's brawl case, strictly speaking, he is also an innocent person who was implicated, so after Jing Zhaoyin closed the case, he was released, but he lived in the Jingzhao Mansion prison for a few days, and was injured by mistake, although he was raised in the mansion for a period of time, he still looks a little haggard at the moment.

The Zhao family had already heard Wang Tingwei's eldest maid say that since the second grandson returned to Jingzhao Mansion, he had nightmares every night and had not slept well.

Thinking about it, Zhao was distressed, and slowly twisted up the Buddha beads, planning to recite the "Dizang Sutra" to his grandson several times.

"Grandmother, I can't agree to this family matter."

Ji Lanzhou's delicate and soft voice suddenly sounded, revealing a hint of apprehension.

There was silence in the hall.

Whether it was the Zhao family, the Xuanwu Marquis couple, or the other Wang family members present, they all frowned, feeling that Ji Lanzhou was starting to go crazy again, and he was talking nonsense. A girl's family is embarrassed to talk about family affairs, what kind of system!

Zhao Shi twisted his brows, his expression was cold, and he said righteously: "Lan Zhou, the marriage of children has always been the order of parents, I am your elder, and it is a matter of course for me to be the master for you." ”

Later, Zhao's tone became more and more sharp, not angry and arrogant, on the one hand, he was angry at Ji Lanzhou's disobedience, and on the other hand, he wanted to put pressure on Ji Lanzhou. She is Ji Lanzhou's maternal grandmother, of course Ji Lanzhou has to listen to her!

"Lan Zhou, do you still want to make your own decisions, and your family affairs can't be successful?! That's a private teaching, what kind of system is it?! ”

With Zhao's words, the atmosphere in the hall became colder.

Everyone else sat on the sidelines and watched the show with a smirk in their eyes.

In their opinion, Ji Lanzhou has nothing to rely on at all except for their Xuanwu Hou Mansion, and if their Hou Mansion is willing to give her a support, she should be grateful to Dade!

Wang Wanru's little face turned red, and her fists were clenched tightly. In her heart, in addition to contempt and disdain, there was more anger, Ji Lanzhou, the Tiansha Lone Star who was a father and mother, dared to give her second brother no face in public!

"Grandmother......" Ji Lanzhou, who was originally bowing his head, raised his head timidly, his eyes seemed to be shining with a layer of water, becoming more and more delicate, and his voice trembled, "You...... Why do you think so much about me?! ”

She looked at Zhao in disbelief, as if she was very hurt, "How could I ...... It was the queen who said she wanted to marry me. ”

Ji Lanzhou's plain white hand twisted the handkerchief in his hand uneasily, sad and frightened, and sad.

She bit her lower lip and seemed to have made up her mind, and then raised her hand to look at the Zhao family again, "Grandmother, otherwise, I will go to the palace now and go and tell the queen mother, you said, she is not my elder, and she is not qualified to decide on my marriage." ”

"......" Zhao was dumbfounded, he couldn't believe what his ears heard.

Her mouth fluttered, she couldn't answer for a while, she was in a state of confusion, and there was only one thought left in her mind: how could this be?! How could the queen think so highly of Ji Lanzhou?!

At this moment, the elders of the Hou Mansion are all there, and there is no position for the juniors to speak, but Wang Wanru really can't bear it.

"Ji Lanzhou, you who eat white food, where are you worthy of my second brother!" Wang Wan stood up politely, just bumped into the chair behind him, and let out a gurgling sound.

She raised her hand and pointed at Ji Lanzhou, with a delicate face on her toes, and reprimanded aggressively: "It's already very merciful for our Xuanwu Marquis Mansion to take you in as an orphan girl, and you still pretend like this, and want to use the queen to suppress us, do you have a conscience?!" …… Hmph, I think your conscience is to feed the dog! ”

The more Wang Wanru spoke, the more excited she became, and she was very angry.

Ji Lanzhou's eyes widened, and a faint layer of mist appeared in front of him, and the pear blossoms brought rain.

Although Zhao felt that Wang Wanru had gone a little too far, he didn't stop her and let her finish her words, the purpose was also to remind Ji Lanzhou of her situation.

No matter what Ji Lanzhou said, she is also her own granddaughter, Zhao is annoyed, but she still hopes that Ji Lanzhou can figure it out and stop being stupid.

For Ji Lanzhou, their Xuanwu Marquis Mansion is the best destination.

She is her own grandmother, how can she harm her?!

This girl has always been very well-behaved and obedient when she was filial piety in the house before, and it didn't take long for her filial piety to do these things.

Sure enough, this girl has been going out too much recently, she must have listened to the instigation of others outside, so she was confused for a while, and it is better for this girl to go out less in the future!

Zhao narrowed his eyes, and his eyes became deep.

Ren didn't speak, he seemed to drink tea calmly, but his eyes were cold under the half-drooping eyes, and his heart was impatient, even full of disgust.

She felt that her daughter was right, people like Ji Lanzhou were simply white-eyed wolves who couldn't be raised, cold-hearted and cold-hearted, and didn't know what to do, and she had wasted her love for her in the past five years!

How can an orphan daughter like this who is a father and mother worthy of marrying a young talent like her own son?!

Her only brother is a princess, and he deserves it!

The atmosphere in the hall became more and more weird, and the Wang family looked at Ji Lanzhou with different faces, mostly watching from the wall, or Wang Tingwei frowned slightly, feeling that Wang Wanru was so disgraceful to the daughter of the Hou Mansion, and called: "Fifth sister, ......"

"Second brother, don't speak for her!" Wang Wanru said angrily, there was still a long-suppressed anger in her heart and nowhere to vent......

Ji Lanzhou smiled miserably, his face was a little pale, and suddenly said again: "Since the fifth sister doesn't like me......"

Before she finished speaking, she saw a woman in Tsing Yi rushing towards her, stepping into the hall in a hurry, attracting several disapproving glances.

"Mrs. Tai, Master Hou, Mrs...... A guest came to see the cousin. The woman in Tsing Yi said breathlessly.

The Zhao family frowned, Ji Lanzhou has been filial piety in the mansion for five years, and he has never had any friends in Beijing, Zhao's first feeling is that there is a mansion that knows that Ji Lanzhou has made a meritorious contribution this time and has been awarded the title of county lord, so he came over to show goodwill.

The Zhao family was about to push it for Ji Lanzhou, so he listened to the woman in Tsing Yi and continued: "It's the fourth girl from the Shoufu Mansion." "When the woman in Tsing Yi talked about the Shoufu Mansion, her attitude was very solemn.

However, the Zhao family and Xuanwuhou couple did not think of the first assistant Duanmuxian, but Cen Yin.

For these nobles, although they dare not offend the dignified Shoufu, they will not take the four girls of the Shoufu Mansion in their eyes, but the four girls of Duanmu are different, and the four girls of Duanmu are standing behind Cen Yin.

Now in this Dasheng Dynasty, who dares to say a "no" word to Cen Yin, and who dares to snub Cen Yin, this is not a death!

Zhao and Xuanwu Hou both subconsciously stood up and wanted to greet them, but thinking about their identities, they couldn't pull this face.

Mother and son sat back awkwardly.

Ji Lanzhou was also a little surprised, his eyes flashed, and then his expression calmed down again, elegant and demure.

Xuanwu Hou cleared his throat and instructed Ji Lanzhou: "Lan Zhou, you go to greet the fourth girl of Duanmu." ”

"Yes, uncle." Ji Lanzhou was blessed and bent her knees in response, her half-drooping eyelids covered her dark and deep eyes, and her every move was like a ruler, indescribably elegant.

Ji Lanzhou left, only the Wang family was left in the hall, but everyone did not disperse, and the Zhao family thought that since the four girls of Duanmu had come to their Hou Mansion, how could they come to ask for peace from themselves, so they waited in the hall.

Time passed little by little, and the sun rose higher and higher outside, and this tea was drunk one cup after another......

When the second cup of tea was cold, Zhao finally couldn't help but send the big girl to check on the front, the big girl came and went in a hurry, and came back after a while, with a complicated expression.

"Mrs. Tai, Master Hou, Mrs.," the eldest girl curtsied back, "The fourth girl of Duanmu said that she came to play with the cousin girl, just go to the cousin's yard and take a walk, don't 'bother' the lady." ”

One sentence made the air in the hall suddenly chill.

Zhao's breath was strained in his chest, his chest rose and fell violently, his plump fingers clutched the Buddha beads, and his sleeves trembled, as if he had been slapped in the face.

If others dared to treat her like this in her mansion, the Zhao family would have sent her off a long time ago.

It's just that the backer behind the four girls of Duanmu is too stable!

Duanmu Fei suddenly felt that his nose was a little itchy, rubbed his nose, and said in his heart: Hmm, who is worried about himself? It can't be a big brother, right? I've been very well-behaved lately, and I went to boudoir school for half a class the day before yesterday!

"Fourth girl Duanmu, go this way."

Ji Lanzhou walked beside Duanmu Fei to guide her, and the two walked into a winding verandah, blocking the scorching midday sun out of the verandah.

Xuanwu Marquis Mansion is also the founding of the country since the centennial nobles, the location of the mansion is surrounded by mountains and rivers, the outer courtyard and the inner courtyard add up to at least forty or fifty acres of land, it is not easy to have such a mansion in Beijing, it is not easy to maintain such a large house, the cost can be imagined.

The Hou Mansion is well maintained and repaired, as far as the eye can see, the mountains and stones are embellished, the garden is full of flowers, the competition is beautiful, the pieces of glazed tiles reflect the brilliant and bright light under the eyes, the gold is brilliant, magnificent.

The verandah they walked on still faintly exuded a faint smell of paint, looking at the vermilion bright and dazzling, it seemed to be newly painted, and the pillars were carved with mighty and domineering golden unicorns, but they didn't seem to match this clear and exquisite garden......

Duanmu moved his eyebrows and looked around in a half circle.

Ji Lanzhou seemed to know what she was thinking, and suddenly said: "This is the verandah that my eldest aunt just repaired this spring...... Yu felt that the summer was too sunny, so he found a craftsman to repair this verandah here, and also destroyed all the original elegance and exquisiteness in this garden.

"It's a pity, there were originally three hundred-year-old plane trees here...... Ji Lanzhou raised his hand and pointed to a few places around, with some regret in his tone, "My mother used to like the plane trees here the most, and she also set up a swing here......"

If my mother is still alive, I will definitely be sad to look at the appearance of this Hou Mansion at this moment, and to see how my grandmother, uncles and aunts are doing now. Ji Lanzhou's eyes were stained with a bit of sorrow.

As soon as Duanmu Fei heard the swing, his eyes lit up, and he also felt pity, "I remember that this mansion is the mansion of the former Chao Yuwen family, right?" Yuwen Zhen is good at calligraphy and painting, craft, feng shui and architecture, this mansion is designed by him personally for his own location, not only good feng shui, but also natural and fresh, graceful and luxurious, the pavilions and pavilions and mountains and rivers cleverly integrated, the end is a must in Beijing. ”

Ji Lanzhou looked at Duanmu Fei with some surprise, but she didn't expect that she seemed to have some research on architecture and feng shui.

"I still have the original design drawings of this Hou Mansion there, can the four girls of Duanmu take a look?" Ji Lanzhou said with a smile.

Duanmu Fei was busy and full of interest. This trip was really not in vain!

While talking, the two walked out of the winding verandah, and continued to walk along a bluestone road, the surroundings were quiet and beautiful, and the air was less of the smell of paint, and more of the rich fragrance of osmanthus flowers.

Ji Lanzhou pointed to a courtyard behind the osmanthus forest and said, "Fourth girl Duanmu, that's my yard." ”

Ji Lanzhou lived in the palace for half a month before returning home, and looking at the courtyard in front of him at this moment, he had a feeling of both familiarity and strangeness.

For her, it was her mother's home, but it was not her home.

She pinched her sleeve, and suddenly changed her words, and said softly, "...... At the beginning of that day, my grandmother and uncle made all kinds of excuses for not wanting to hand over the account books, sometimes saying that the year was very old, and some of the account books did not know where they were piled up, and sometimes saying that it was almost the end of the year, and it was better to wait for the end of the year to give the new accounts and the old accounts together......

"Later, the household department was in a hurry, and my grandmother almost wanted to come to the hard ......"

Ji Lanzhou chuckled, and the wind blew away her words.

Sometimes, she doesn't understand how people's hearts can be so sinister, obviously flesh and blood......

She knew that her grandmother wanted to make her "sick", wanted to detain her in the house in the name of her madness, and regarded everything she had said as crazy words, and even she and her eldest aunt were ready to go into the palace to cry.

However, the queen was one step ahead of them.

"The queen's decree came in time, and I went to the palace." Ji Lanzhou said lightly.

Now that the wood is complete, my grandfather and uncle can only accept it.

In fact, she had already arranged the way back when she went to beg Qi everyone, Qi family is upright, if she is really locked up in the mansion, she will definitely make decisions for her. However, I have to say that the queen's decree did save her a lot of trouble.

While talking, the two walked into a bluestone path between the osmanthus forests, and the cinnamon fragrance on the tip of their noses was even stronger.

Ji Lanzhou stopped again, raised his eyes to look at the golden and silver cinnamon around him, his brows gradually relaxed, and he smiled slightly.

Although she was smiling, her heart was a little lonely, a little cold, and this loss naturally emanated from her smile and smile.

Who wouldn't want to live carefree if they could; If so, who wants to do their best!

The Wang family is her maternal grandfather's family, and if it weren't for the last resort, she wouldn't want to come to this point.

They are her last relatives!

Ji Lanzhou looked at the swaying osmanthus branches in front of him and the osmanthus petals scattered like rain, and was a little in a trance.

"When I was a child, my mother also took me back to save my family, and my grandfather was still there, and my grandfather, grandmother, and several uncles and aunts were all very kind to me. Five years ago, after my father passed away, the Ji family was thin and I was young, so my mother took me back to Beijing with me, and I have always been very ......good."

"In the third year after coming to the capital, on the night of my father's sacrifice day, my mother committed suicide by throwing herself into the lake, and the people in the house said that my mother and my father had a deep love affair, and my mother was martyred."

As he spoke, Ji Lanzhou's thin white fingers tightly clenched the handkerchief in his hand, and his body was straight.

Duanmu Fei looked at Ji Lanzhou's beautiful side face and stared slightly.

Even if Ji Chengtian and his wife have a deep relationship, and Mrs. Ji is grief-stricken and wants to be martyred, it should be at the most painful time, not two years later...... Does she feel that her daughter has settled properly and has no worries, or is she ......

Duanmu pursed her lips, her big black eyes flashed as bright as stars, and she asked, "Miss Ji, how are you now?" ”

Ji Lanzhou knew that she was asking the Hou Mansion about her attitude, the corners of her lips hooked slightly, and she smiled.

Her smile is light and gentle, delicate and weak, like a delicate phalaenopsis.

She roughly said about the forced marriage of the Zhao family, and then said meaningfully: "I haven't lived in the palace for half a month. ”

Ji Lanzhou is a smart person, even if no one tells her clearly, she knows vaguely who is behind her to enter the palace to live......

She did not waste this opportunity, and during this time in the palace vaguely expressed her expectations, and the queen promised to help her marry when she had chosen someone.

With the queen in front, how can the Wang family influence her marriage again?!

While talking, the two of them entered Ji Lanzhou's courtyard without hurrying, the willow branches in the courtyard swayed in the wind, and the willow leaves began to turn yellow this season, but the slender branches and leaves were still graceful.

Compared with the golden splendor of the Hou Mansion, this courtyard is particularly quiet and elegant, whether it is the flower and wood fence in the courtyard, or the decoration in the house, exudes a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

Ji Lanzhou took Duanmu Fei to her study, took out an old piece of parchment from a mahogany carved box, and spread it out on the large case in the window.

This yellowed parchment with yellowed corners is obviously more than ten years old, and it is a drawing of the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion, with gentle and delicate brushstrokes.

As if seeing Duanmufei's doubts, Ji Lanzhou took the initiative to say: "This is what my mother painted with her own hands when she was young, imitating that old drawing...... My mother has always been very fond of architecture, and has collected a lot of related books, such as "The Book of Wood", "The Chronicle of Long Things", "Yuanye", and "Examination Records" written by Yu Wenzhen......"

Seeing Duanmu Fei's eyes getting brighter and brighter with her words, Ji Lanzhou was also infected with her smile, and said: "Duanmu Fourth Girl, the emperor gave me the county lord's mansion, and I plan to move to the county lord's mansion to live." The next time the girl goes to my house, shall I ask the girl to look at my book collection? ”

Ji Lanzhou's delicate face smiled shallowly, and his voice was as soft as usual, as if a feather was scratching people's hearts, but for some reason, it gave people a very different feeling from usual, less weak and more calm.

Duanmu Fei also raised his head from the drawings and looked at Ji Lanzhou. She knew that since Ji Lanzhou said so, then she should be completely sure that she would be able to leave the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion.

is different from Ji Lanzhou, who was helpless in the past, now she is relying on the holy order, and she exchanged a full eight million taels for a trace of sainthood!

This Ji girl is really interesting.

Duanmu Fei also smiled, laughing so that his black and white eyes were bent into a crescent moon, and he said, "Miss Ji, I will definitely go to play with you." ”

Duanmufei and Ji Lanzhou looked at each other and smiled, everything was silent.

Since the emperor gave the county lord's mansion, wouldn't it be disrespectful to the emperor not to live?

This time, Ji Lanzhou can leave the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion openly and honestly by relying on the "holy order", not only that, since she has to "move" away, she can't leave the Ji family's things in the Xuanwu Marquis Mansion anymore, right?!

Now that the household department has sorted out the accounts and given half to the imperial court, it means that everyone in the world knows how much the other half has, and Ji Lanzhou can easily get back everything from the Ji family with great righteousness.