Since the death of her younger brother, Chun Tao seems to have changed as a person, Chu Nian thought that she was too sad, and the work of Vanilla House was relatively leisurely, so he did not ask her to monitor Xiao Chen, but transferred her back to Vanilla House to recuperate.

After sending those children to Jishitang, Rong'er was still depressed, and it turned out that there was no younger brother he said among this group of children.

Chu Nian asked Dark San to interrogate the scholar who was arrested, but the scholar always said that Chu Nian had seen all the children they brought into the capital.

Where will the child that Rong'er said be? Could it be that he died of illness halfway through?

After thinking a lot, Chu Nian couldn't get an answer, so he had to send someone to look for it, but there was no news for a while, and at this stall, news came from the palace that the lotus feast on the summer solstice was about to begin.

The queen mother loves lotus, so she built a huge koi pond in the harem, there are a lot of lotus flowers in the pond, there are koi of various colors between the lotus flowers, every time the lotus blooms, the palace will hold a lotus feast, only invite the female dependents of each family, you can take a huge mahogany boat, chat and enjoy the flowers on the koi pond.

At this time, the Queen Mother will personally attend and exchange feelings with the ladies outside the palace, not only the ladies outside the palace, but also the emperor's concubines.

The people who went to each mansion were the main room and the concubine, and the Liu family didn't have the opportunity to participate, it was Xiao Chen's who led Chu Yuan and Chu Er, and Chu Nian was also attached to it-after all, she was also a concubine, and the old lady had been particularly attentive to Chu Nian recently, and Xiao Chen's family didn't dare to deal with her openly.

When they arrived in the palace, Xiao Chen's family and Chu Yuan Chu Er were far away from Chu Nian, although the women of other families had heard of Chu Nian's name as the county lord of Wushuang, but few had seen Chu Nian himself, and there were fewer people who stammered, and Chu Nian didn't know most of them, so he was naturally alone, but he was also calm.

"But the third mother of the Chu family?" At this time, a voice sounded, breaking Chu Nian's tranquility, Chu Nian looked sideways, and saw a very beautiful woman looking at her curiously, the woman's forehead had a pair of sharp willow eyebrows, a pair of deep eye sockets, a bit of healthy wheat skin, red lips, although she was wearing a Kyoto woman's clothes, her appearance was more like the Western Chu people, and even the conservative clothes of the Kyoto woman looked a little charming.

But this kind of appearance made Chu Nian inexplicably feel a little familiar, and she smiled lightly: "Exactly, I don't know where the lady is?" ”

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, "You really forgot about me, and I still admire you." ”

Admire? Chu Nian lowered his eyes, "The lady said and laughed, I have nothing to admire." ”

"Tut, you bravely made Wu Yuanniang's grievances public that day in the court, but I have some credit."

Chu Nian's face was stunned, and after recalling it carefully for a while, he smiled comfortably, "Mu Yuanniang." ”

Speaking of which, it was this Mu Yuanniang who provoked her that day, and Chu Nian had the opportunity to send her out earlier, but now it seems that Mu Yuanniang didn't want to find fault that day, but just because of the matter of the Zhenning Marquis Mansion, she was unhappy.

Mu Yuanniang smiled happily, "There is no need to be so polite, the people of Kyoto are really too fake, and there are few ladies who dare to act like Sanniang." ”

Chu Nian thought about it and it became clear.

This town is sent to guard the frontier of the handover with Western Chu all the year round, and as a result, the news between Daliang and Western Chu is transmitted to each other, and Zhen Yuanhou actually talked about his feelings with the general of Western Chu, that is, he married his daughter to Zhen Yuanhou, Zhen Yuanhou is also a very affectionate person, since the general's daughter from Western Chu married him, he has never looked at other women even a glance, so many years, the relationship between the husband and wife is still as harmonious as ever.

It's just a pity that Mu Shi only gave birth to a daughter to Zhen Yuanhou, and then he didn't come out of anything, Zhen Yuanhou didn't think anything was bad, only this one daughter was spoiled, and even his daughter and Lu almost stepped on the threshold when they came to propose marriage, and he was reluctant to marry his daughter.

However, Chu Nian was more concerned about the fact that the reason why Zhen Yuanhou was sent to the border was not just because Zhen Yuanhou was brave and good at fighting, but because between the centralizers and the three ministries and six provinces, this Hou Ye has always maintained neutrality, so he was targeted by the Queen Mother's people and sent to the frontier for a reason.

In Chu Nian's opinion, Zhen Yuanhou must also have a certain means of self-preservation, otherwise, with the behavior of the Queen Mother, the people who don't follow her should have been killed a long time ago, so how could they stay until now?

Zhen Yuanhou was just sent to the frontier by Wang Zixuan a few days ago, at this moment there are only Mu and Mu Yuanniang's mother and daughter left in the family, and no one dares to provoke, this Mu Yuanniang has been in the military camp with her father since she was a child, and she was almost at the age of marriage before she was ordered by Zhenyuan Hou to stay at home honestly, although she also learned the etiquette of the ladies in Beijing, but after all, she has the unbridled blood of the Western Chu people in her body, and she is still uncomfortable when she is full of hypocrisy everywhere.

The Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion also seems to be worth wooing.

"Among these so-called ladies, I also think you are suitable to be friends, and the rest of them are all human-faced and beast-hearted, so that people don't want to get along, just call me Mu Qing."

Looking at the pretending noble appearance of those ladies, Mu Yuanniang felt a chill in her heart, this unparalleled county lord is a slightly calm person, Mo said that he performed low-key at the prince's birthday banquet that day, she later heard that this Chu San not only helped the Wu family woman, but also opened a medical hall for the Wu family woman, obviously a little warm-hearted.

Chu Nian smiled lightly and said, "Then Yuan Niang just calls me Chu Nian." ”

"Okay." Mu Qing squeezed his eyebrows and pasted it, "Nian'er." ”

Chu Nian didn't expect this Mu lady to have such a straightforward personality, and couldn't help but smile.

Mu Qing seemed to see Xiao Chen and her two daughters, who were comfortable among people, and a trace of disgust flashed in the corners of her eyes, "Those three people are your main room and your two sisters?" ”

Chu Nian followed her gaze and picked up a grape and put it in her mouth, "Exactly." ”

"I went to attend a tea party held by Mrs. Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites a few days ago, but I still hope to see her and the second mother of the Shen family pretending to be pitiful and gossiping about you, and that disgusting and contrived look can make me sick to my stomach several times."

Saying that, Mu Qing made a vomiting grimace, that playful appearance had a certain contrast with her cold and glamorous image, Chu Nian couldn't help but hook the corners of her lips, and listened to her continue: "Guess what? I didn't expect that Lord Shen was such a smart person, his sister was actually a fool, this lady of your family was so obviously acting, she actually believed it. ”

Looking at Mu Qing's angry appearance, Chu Nian was unmoved, but ...... Xiao Chen's family has actually hooked up with Shen Ruan?

"Aren't you angry? They actually speak ill of you. ”

Chu Nian smiled, picked up the teacup and took a sip, "There are many people in the world who are not used to seeing me, if they really have the ability, my Chu Nian's head has been waiting for them in the same place." ”

Mu Qing's face was stunned, looking at her white dress flying in the wind, her eyes narrowed slightly, her jade face and red lips, and her eyebrows were inexplicable.

Good! She likes this kind of crazy person, Chu Nian is a friend, she has made it!

Feeling Mu Qing's gaze, Chu Nian smiled lightly, and at this time, an elderly father-in-law stepped forward and whispered in Chu Nian's ear: "County Lord, the Queen Mother is invited." ”

Chu Nian's red lips hooked undetectably, today's highlight is finally coming.

She nodded towards Mu Qing, Mu Qing immediately understood what was going on, looked at the old eunuch on the side, and sat down on a stool just before Chu Nian, "I'm waiting for you here, you can hurry up." ”

Looking at her informal appearance, Chu Nian smiled, shook his head and said, "A-Qing still looks good in Xichu's clothes, but Kyoto's clothes have imprisoned you." ”

After saying this, Chu Nian turned around and walked towards the old eunuch, leaving Mu Qing to sit in place, his face stunned.

After a while, she rolled up her sleeves, picked up the teacup and drank the tea, "Happy!" ”

……

The old eunuch walked towards the bow of the boat because of Chu Nian, at this moment the ladies were mostly gathered at the stern, the bow of the boat was clean, only a few palace maids and mothers were waiting, and an old woman dressed in luxury was sitting on the Taishi chair, holding her head with one hand and seemed to be taking a nap, but the jade wrench finger in her hand was shining in the half-falling sunset.

The old eunuch turned around and left when Chu Nian arrived at the place, and Chu Nian stood in place without making a sound.

It wasn't until the sunset completely disappeared outside the city walls and a white moon was hung in the sky that the light was taken away by the afterglow of the setting sun, that the Queen Mother woke up leisurely.

Chu Nian noticed it for the first time, and hurriedly sorted out his robe and knelt down, "See the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother is a thousand years old." ”

Only then did the Queen Mother realize that there was another person here, she squinted her eyes slightly and looked at Chu Nian carefully, but she didn't tell Chu Nian to be flat.

"Which girl are you? Why does it look so familiar? ”

Chu Nian lowered his head respectfully, "Chu Nian, the third daughter of the Marquis of Zhenning's Mansion, has seen the Queen Mother. ”

The Queen Mother suddenly realized, "Oh-it's Chu Sanniang, hehe, the mourning family is so old that they always want to sleep, so tell you to wait for a long time, hurry up and calm down, come to the mourning family, and the mourning family will take a good look at you." ”

Hearing this, Chu Nian got up and walked calmly to the Queen Mother's side, the Queen Mother stretched out her hand, Chu Nian handed it over obediently, and the Queen Mother patted Chu Nian's hand with satisfaction.

"Okay, okay, speaking of which, when you were a child, the mourning family also saw you, and at that time you chased the cry of the mourning family's grandmother and grandmother, so unkind."

Chu Nian pretended to be shy and said, "The Queen Mother forgives her sins, and the courtiers were not sensible at that time-"

"It's okay, it's okay, there are a lot of princesses in this palace, and there is no one who dares to call the mourning family a grandmother, don't you know, your grandmother called to the heart of the mourning family, and the mourning family likes you."

As she spoke, she raised her head and carefully examined Chu Nian's face, "Alas, as I grew up, my appearance became more and more beautiful, but I was in time?" ”

Chu Nian nodded, "Yes." ”

"Is it a family affair?"

"The old lady once had two Lang Jun, but those two Lang Jun were not very satisfied with the courtiers, so they gave up."

Chu Nian lowered his eyes, and his gaze fell on the wrench finger in the queen mother's hand.

The Queen Mother's gaze was too obvious, how could Chu Nian not understand what the Queen Mother meant by seeing herself at this time? I'm afraid it's because I heard what happened in Beijing and became wary of her.

How could a person who climbed to the back of the seat by stepping on a corpse and controlling the court with tricks not have this vigilance.