Early the next morning, the ladies of the palace saw off Zhao Zhen at the gate, and Li Jingyan also came unprecedentedly. Yi Xuan looked at her haggard, and her originally round face was thin and her chin was sharp.

After Zhao Zhen set off, Yixuan led everyone back to the house.

"Can the concubine go to the princess and sit there?" Li Jingyan followed.

Yixuan stopped and looked at her in confusion, "Of course you can." ”

Li Jingyan just followed her silently all the way and didn't speak. It wasn't until she entered the main house of Cuiwei Courtyard that Yi Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Is there something wrong with Concubine Li?" ”

Li Jingyan did not answer.

Seeing this, Song Ju said roundly: "Don't be surprised, princess. The master has something to say and wants to ask you separately. ”

Yixuan's eyes flashed for a moment, and she understood: "Shuang'er stays, and the rest go down." ”

"Yes."

The maids in the house, large and small, walked away.

"Just ask." Yi Xuan calmly sat down on the kang and began to peel lychees.

Lychee is sweet and tender, delicious is delicious, but you can't eat too much.

Yixuan ate a few, but Li Jingyan still didn't speak.

"What the hell do you want to ask me?" Yixuan is going to run out of patience.

Is what Zhuang Liu said true? It's really the princess who ordered him to ......" Li Jingyan's eyes were red, and she couldn't ask any more questions halfway through.

"It's not." Yixuan denied it very succinctly.

“……”

"Look, I said no, you don't believe it. Well, I said it's me, and you believe it? ”

"......" Li Jingyan was angry at her indifferent attitude, but what she said was indeed right.

Li Jingyan took a sip of tea, lowered her head and said gloomily: "Is Zhuang Liu's death related to the princess?" I want to hear the truth. ”

"I didn't kill people. I have already sent someone to find the murderer, and when I find someone, I will give you an explanation. ”

Li Jingyan nodded.

"Concubine Li, this palace reminds you, you are the concubine of the Hou Mansion, and you are the concubine of the King of Yu, you can't let your temperament come and go when you do things, you don't think about the prince, you have to think about the stability of the Hou Mansion."

Li Jingyan frowned, her ears were calloused when she heard these words these days.

"Now, the rumors of the entire palace have been suppressed for you, and no one dares to say anything. Don't slap yourself in the face, make this discouraged appearance, and make people see the joke. ”

Li Jingyan's face turned red and argued: "Where do you understand my feelings." ”

"No one doesn't allow you to be sad, but sadness is in your heart, not on purpose to mess with the prince. Why didn't you come last night? ”

"I'm sick." Li Jingyan lowered her head and pulled her handkerchief.

"You're not sick, you don't want to see the prince. You hate the prince for ruining the good things you and Zhuang Liu. Who is the prince? Heavenly nobles, tolerating you to continue to stay in this palace is already extraordinarily gracious, do you have to let him clean you up? ”

Li Jingyan was speechless when asked, was silent for a long time, and suddenly said: "Do you know that the prince has never touched me." ”

Yi Xuan was stunned.

What does this mean? Does that mean...... That one?

How can it be!

Li Jingyan's tone was a little sour: "I also want to be the prince's concubine, but the prince won't give me a chance." I know I'm wrong, but I'm wrong willingly. ”

Li Jingyan's eyes are bright, clear and firm.

Yi Xuan looked at her for a long time and sighed: "How can life be perfect." You want wealth and honor, and you want a loyal lover, and you will be disappointed in the end. ”

"I don't want to be rich ......"

Yixuan sneered, "Really? Then let me ask you, if you don't have a lot of money, Zhuang Liu will be good with you? ”

Li Jingyan's face turned pale.

Although she wanted to convince herself that Zhuang Liu loved her as a person, she still couldn't help but feel weak.

"You are supported by the Hou Mansion and the Royal Mansion, and you must do things in accordance with the demeanor of a Hou Mansion concubine and the side concubine of the Royal Palace. Otherwise, why should I provide for you? ”

Yixuan's words were sharp and tight. Li Jingyan took care of the loss, and her hair was stuffy.

She has never dared to tell her father about this.

She didn't dare to imagine how disappointed her father and mother would be when they found out about this. Will you regret giving birth to her daughter......

"The concubine knows what to do." Li Jingyan bit her lower lip.

*

On the other side of Zhilan Courtyard, Hu Qingyun's cousin Xia Yan and cousin-in-law Qin Bishu were buzzing with each other.

The subordinates were busy moving things and cleaning up the east chamber.

Xia Yan is the son of Hu Qingyun's mother's sister, and now he is Chinese New Year's Eve, and his appearance is very good. Hu Xian was brave and good at fighting back then, and naturally won the favor of many young ladies of the family, and Hu Qingyun's mother Shen was one of them.

The Shen family is a scholarly family, and the combination of the Shen family and Hu Xian, one article and one martial arts, has brought up Hu Qingyun's temperament of being soft on the outside and rigid on the inside.

"Cousin and sister-in-law, sit down, Su Wen make tea." Hu Qingyun greeted the two warmly.

Qin Bishu was holding a boy who looked like he was five or six years old, white and cute, combing two pigtails, and his eyes were curiously rolling on Hu Qingyun's face.

"Brother Hong'er come here, don't you recognize me?" Hu Qingyun beckoned to him.

Qin Bishu patted Xia Hong, "It's called cousin." ”

Xia Hong called out softly and glutinously, "cousin", Hu Qingyun's smiling face blossomed, and he took a piece of jujube paste and yam cake from the table to coax him: "Come here." ”

Xia Hong ran over, was picked up by Hu Qingyun, kissed him on the little face, and fed him cakes.

Qin Bishu smiled: "You are used to hurting Brother Hong. ”

"I'm not blessed myself, looking at Brother Hong'er cute, I can't help but hurt him more. He followed you all the way, Sister An, why didn't he come? ”

Xia Hong is the second, and the eldest is a girl, named Xia An, who is just nine years old this year.

Xia Yan said: "Sister An is making a fuss about going back to the capital, so she asked the nurse to take her back first." ”

Xia Yan was originally a fellow governor in Kuizhou Mansion, Sichuan, and this time he returned to Beijing to report on his work, and his promotion was in sight, so he stopped by to see his cousin Hu Qingyun.

Of course, it's not just a family visit.

"You don't have to worry about her alone?" Hu Qingyun was surprised.

"It's the official road, and you're accompanied by a housekeeper, so nothing will happen."

"Children, it's better to keep a watch." Hu Qingyun looked at Brother Hong wistfully, "If I am blessed to give birth to a boy, I can't wait to be by my side all the time." ”

Qin Bishu laughed, "My sister doesn't know the hardships. You too, why haven't you moved for a few years? ”

Qin Bishu came up and pulled Hu Qingyun's hand and looked at her with pity.

If Hu Qingyun marries an ordinary official eunuch, he is not in a hurry to have an heir. After entering the palace, this palace is the same as in the palace, and a woman's status can only be considered truly stable when she gives birth to a son. Otherwise, even if you are the queen, it is useless.

Hu Qingyun's eyes flashed slightly, and he shook his head with a wry smile. The prince didn't have a round sex with her at all, it was too embarrassing, she wouldn't say it if she died.

Hu Qingyun put Brother Hong down, and took two pieces of jujube paste yam cake to him, "Go play outside, Su Wen follows." ”

Su Wen promised to take Xia Hong's hand and coaxed her out.

Inside, the atmosphere became a little quieter.

Hu Qingyun took the tea lid and plucked the tea foam, took a sip, raised his eyes and asked, "Cousin and sister-in-law, what did you think about what I told you last time?" ”

Hu Qingyun wanted to inherit Xia Hong under his name, and from then on Xia Hong was her son and lived with her.

As for why Xia Hong was chosen, the reason is very simple.

Qin Bishu is the younger sister of Princess Duan, Qin. In the future, if Xia Hong has the opportunity to inherit the palace, the king will definitely contribute. With the support of King Duan, even if there is no blood relationship between Xia Hong and Zhao Zhen, the resistance will be much smaller.

Hu Qingyun also thought that he could choose one of the Zhao family's disciples. But in this way, her intention to covet the palace is too obvious. Even if it is Xia Hong, she plans to teach by her side for a few years in the name of foster care, and then ask Zhao Zhen for a seal.

As for the children of the Hu family, they do not have this qualification. So after thinking about it, it is still Xia Hong who is the most appropriate.

This is a method of self-interest and others, and it is impossible for Qin Bishu not to be tempted. But when she thought that the son she was pregnant with and gave birth to in October became someone else's in a blink of an eye, she couldn't tell the blame in her heart.

If you can't tell what is not clear in the letter, you can only discuss it face-to-face. So I took the opportunity of Xia Yan to go to Beijing to report on my work to discuss this matter carefully.

Qin Bishu sighed faintly, glanced at his own man, and then spoke: "Brother Hong'er is my flesh and blood, I really can't bear him." Two days ago, I asked him, if you can't see your mother one day, will you think? Brother Hong immediately grabbed my clothes and cried. ”

Qin Bishu said, his eyes were also a little sour. She remembered what her sister said in the letter, and asked her not to be stupid, when Brother Hong grew up, he would definitely remember who his mother was, and take her to the palace to pay respects.

But who knows? Brother Hong is still so young, if he really forgets her, and only recognizes Hu Qingyun as a mother in the future, what is the meaning of her sacrifice?

made a wedding dress for someone for nothing.

Xia Yan was listening, and it was difficult to speak. He now has a son, of course, he is still young, and it will not be difficult to regenerate in the future. But Brother Hong is his eldest son after all, and the feelings are different.

However, it would be a great blessing if this happened.

But this matter has more to do with his wife, and he has always loved the Qin family, so he is ready to listen to his wife.

When the wife agreed, he agreed. If the wife doesn't agree, he doesn't.

Hu Qingyun saw his cousin's sullen appearance at a glance, and knew that he couldn't make the decision on this matter. If you want Brother Hong to be your son, you have to get Qin Bishu.

Qin Bishu did not directly refuse her, which showed that Qin Bishu was still itchy about the power and wealth of the palace, but he was afraid that she would turn her face and not recognize people. When Brother Hong is really developed, he will not let Qin Bishu, his mother-in-law, enjoy happiness.

Hu Qingyun felt a sigh in his heart. She is still afraid that in the future, Brother Hong will use the entire palace to subsidize her father and mother! She, who is an adoptive mother, lacks the layer of blood, and she is no better than her mother.

She is not afraid, what is Qin Bishu afraid of?

"Children are always like this, recognize their mother. Cousin-in-law, although I have never given birth to my own, I feel close when I look at Brother Hong, which is also a natural fate. Don't worry, hand over Brother Hong'er to me, I will definitely raise him for nothing, teach him to read and understand, and never treat him badly. Hu Qingyun swore an oath.