Mu Tingyu smiled kindly and gently, supported his chin with one hand, and looked Duan Shaolan up and down with his eyes up and down, without hesitation.

Duan Shaolan was a little embarrassed by him, so he had to turn his head to look at Xiao Xuan who was sitting on the side.

"Have you seen enough?" Xiao Xuan immediately said to Mu Tingyu with a tiger face, but she still had a veil on her face, and Mu Tingyu couldn't see her pretending to be a vicious expression, she could only see her round eyes.

"It seems that Lord Duan should be the princess's favorite person." Mu Tingyu was not afraid of Xiao Xuan at all, and asked with a smile. "Lord Duan's surname is Duan, and he has already achieved the position of a thousand households in Jinqiwei at a young age, presumably his background will not be bad, I don't know which family Lord Duan is from?"

"My father is Duan Chengwen, the secretary of the ministry, and my grandfather is the prince of Zhenguo." Duan Shaolan replied.

After Mu Tingyu listened, the smile on his face stagnated slightly. He thought that Duan Shaolan's family background would not be too bad, but he didn't expect that Xiao Xuan's candidate for the concubine was actually the son of the Zhenguo Mansion.

Today's queen's maiden home is the Zhenguo Mansion, even if Mu Tingyu entered the imperial capital for the first time, he also knew that the queen and Emperor Liu's concubine had not been on good terms for many years. But his imperial concubine and aunt would be willing to let the children of the Zhenguo Mansion marry her only daughter, and at that time, the grandmother probably told her mother this reason, and her mother would be very angry with her aunt.

Duan Shaolan saw that Mu Tingyu didn't speak for a long time, and looked at Xiao Xuan hesitantly.

"Leave him alone." Xiao Xuan smiled at Duan Shaolan and said. "My grandmother just arrived today, I have to accompany her, you might as well go back first."

"Okay." Duan Shaolan looked at Xiao Xuan gently.

Duan Shaolan left.

"No wonder my mother is upset." Mu Tingyu opened his mouth and said. "How could the princess choose the queen's nephew?"

"I chose him because he was Duan Shaolan, not because of his background." Xiao Xuan propped his hands on the table, supported his chin, glanced at Mu Tingyu and said.

Mu Tingyu was just about to speak, when the palace maid beside Emperor Liu's concubine came over and said that the eldest princess of Yongshou had finished talking to Emperor Liu's concubine and was going back to her residence to rest.

Xiao Xuan and Mu Tingyu returned to the courtyard, and happened to meet Emperor Liu, who personally sent the eldest princess of Yongshou out.

"Think about what I said." The eldest princess of Yongshou looked at Xiao Xuan, who had just walked outside the door, and turned her face and whispered to the concubine Liu Huang beside her. "Anyway, the marriage will hasn't been made yet, and it's still too late for Xuan'er to change her mind. Even if she doesn't want to marry Brother Yu, it doesn't matter. There are still many good children of her age in each family in the imperial capital, and with Xuan'er's appearance and identity, what kind of colt can't be found. ”

"Mother, I see." Concubine Liu helped the eldest princess of Yongshou step by step down the steps, and also replied in a low voice. "I'll talk to Xuan'er about this."

Emperor Liu's mother and daughter helped the eldest princess of Yongshou to the outside of the courtyard.

"It's getting a big day outside, just send your mother and daughter here." The eldest princess of eternal life said.

"Then I'll let Suihong lead her mother over." Concubine Liu readily agreed, and Suihong, who was standing behind her, walked out quickly.

Waiting for the mother and daughter to watch Suihong lead the eldest princess of Yongshou and Mu Tingyu away, then they turned around and went back to the courtyard.

Xiao Xuan was about to go back to his room, but just turned around when he was stopped by Emperor Liu's concubine.

"Mother?" Xiao Xuan turned around suspiciously.

"I have something to tell you, you come with me to the house." Concubine Liu looked at her fresh-looking daughter in front of her, turned around and said.

Even if Xiao Xuan was a little puzzled in his heart, he could only obediently follow forward.

Her mother and daughter entered the house, and Emperor Liu's concubine dismissed the palace maids who were waiting in the house, leaving only the two of them.

"Mother, what are you trying to tell me?" Xiao Xuan asked.

"Didn't you want to know which family your eldest sister was promised before?" Concubine Liu sat down by herself. "Today your grandmother asked why you hurt your face, and I told her the whole thing. Your grandmother and I have a total of one or two, and you can roughly guess who the queen will give your big sister to? ”

"Didn't the mother concubine say before that most of the eldest sisters would be promised to people who are useful to the queen?"

"Zhen Guogong came to the palace a few days ago, do you know?" Concubine Liu's face was somewhat dark.

"I know." Xiao Xuan nodded inexplicably. "He told me about it."

"I told you a long time ago that the queen will definitely not be satisfied with the matter between you and Duan Shaolan." Emperor Liu said. "But Your Majesty has allowed this matter, and Zhenguo has been fair, that is, no matter how dissatisfied the queen is, she can only admit it."

"What do you mean?" At this point, Xiao Xuan understood. "The queen's candidate for the eldest sister is also from the Zhenguo Mansion."

"Yes, I think about it, it is estimated that the queen originally wanted to give your eldest sister to Duan Shaolan in order to envelop her brother and sister who were not compatible with her brother and sister in the early years. But Duan Chengwen and Duansu County Lord and his wife may not be willing to let him marry such a fierce princess. Emperor Liu sneered. She really thinks that she gave a slap and another sweet date, as if no one wants to grab it. No wonder, the queen began to frequently summon the Duansu county lord into the palace to speak, but the Duansu county lord was also noble and not afraid of her queen status, and she was able to hide nine times out of ten summons. ”

"Then now the queen can only choose people from the prince's room?"

"There are a lot of sons and concubines in Zhenguo, but there are only three sons. The queen knows that His Majesty values children and will not take the initiative to mention the concubine, and it just so happens that the third son of the prince is the same age as your eldest sister and has not yet married. Concubine Liu closed her eyes and said softly. The queen is afraid that the prince of Zhenguo will become a family member with me because of the second room of the birth, and she will be biased towards your brother. So on the one hand, in order to firmly bind the Zhenguo Mansion with her and the second prince, on the other hand, in order to disgust our mother and daughter, I also want you and the eldest princess to be concubines in the future. ”

Xiao Xuan listened to Emperor Liu's words, and didn't know what to say in response for a while.

"Mother, I heard that Mrs. Shizi is arrogant and reserved, and she may not be willing to let her young son be the eldest sister's concubine."

"Do you think the position of the prince of Zhenguo is stable now?" Emperor Liu said. "Although there are many heirs in the world, none of them are promising, Duan Chengwen in the second room himself sat in the position of the secretary of the ministry, and their husband and wife only have one son, Duan Shaolan, but he is very promising, and he is very valued by His Majesty and Zhenguogong. The Zhenguo Gongren is not old-hearted, and the distinction between the descendants and the concubines is not so important in his heart, and it is most important who can make the Zhenguo Mansion go the farthest. Mrs. Shizi can't look down on your eldest sister anymore, she is the eldest daughter of His Majesty, and it is good for the Shizi's room. ”

"I get it." As a mother and daughter, Xiao Xuan still understands the meaning of Emperor Liu's words. "Mother wants me to go to my father before my father officially marries me and him, doesn't she?"

"Xuan'er, I didn't mean that." Concubine Liu opened her eyes again. "The concubine won't influence your thoughts, but you have to think about it yourself."

"Mother, don't think about it. Regardless of whether the eldest sister wants to marry the son-in-law of the prince, I will marry Duan Shaolan. Xiao Xuan's eyes were firm. I am a princess, she is a princess, and we each live in our own princess house. Even if she marries Duan Shaolan's cousin, I don't have to see her if I don't want to see her. ”

"Okay, you've grown up, now that you've decided, the concubine won't persuade you much." Concubine Liu slowly raised her hand and stroked Xiao Xuan's sideburns, and said with a smile. "Alright, you go back and rest."

After Emperor Chu was angry, he suddenly remembered that the queen said that day that he had favored a suitable person for Xiao Luxiang, but at that time, he was angry and did not ask the queen about this matter.

Thinking of this, Emperor Chu put down the half-read recital in his hand and beckoned to Wu Chuan, who was standing next to him.

"Your Majesty, what do you command?" Wu Chuan immediately stepped forward.

"You go to the queen in person, and send a message to the queen on my behalf, saying that she is invited to come over, and I have something to ask her."

"Yes, the minion will go."

When Xiao Lu, who was emotional that day, was tied up and her mouth gagged and escorted back by the pennant guard, Emperor Chu only allowed Brother Parrot and Mandarin Duck to stay in the house to serve her, and the other palace maids were all transferred, and there were female flag guards inside and outside her room.

Concubine Chen thought that Xiao Lu would make a hysterical fuss, but after the female flag guard entered the house and untied her and removed a piece of cloth that was blocked in her mouth, Xiao Lu collapsed to the ground unconsciously. Like a broken rag doll, her eyes lost their light and she was allowed to be put back on the bed by the female flag guard.

In the past two days, she has not cried or made trouble, she has honestly stayed in her room, eating and sleeping obediently.

Concubine Chen was already timid, but she was also frightened by Xiao Lu's angry accusation of Emperor Chu in front of the emperor that day, and now she is also sick in bed and can't get up.

As a result, Concubine Chen's condition had just improved today, and she went to see Xiao Lu.

"Concubine Chen, just take a look at the eldest princess outside the door." The two female flag guards guarding the door stretched out their hands to stop Concubine Chen. "Your Majesty has instructed us to let the eldest princess think about it behind closed doors with peace of mind, and no one can go in and disturb her."

Concubine Chen's body was still weak, so she could only be helped to stand outside the door and watch for a while.

In the house, Xiao Lu sat on the side of the bed, looking sideways at the window. There was no expression on his face, and even if he heard someone talking outside the door, he didn't even look at it.

"Mother, you have to take care of yourself." Concubine Chen looked at her daughter stupidly, her eyes couldn't help but cry, her body was also shaky, and the palace maid who was supporting her had to whisper comfort.

"That's it, that's it." Concubine Chen was really hurt by Xiao Lu's words that day, and saw Xiao Lu's stagnant appearance at the moment. "Help me back."