One of the books was badly damaged, half of the book seemed to have been soaked in water, the handwriting was blurred, and there was a stench, as if it had just been fished out of the ditch.

Cersei was very puzzled, obviously she and Desheng had checked well at that time, why did they find out that the book was damaged the next day, but it was she who was responsible for drying it.

Thinking that she thought about it repeatedly, she still fell into their calculations, and I am afraid that they deliberately led her to do it when she rushed to the study to find a painting.

Beth and the others had been dealing with her for a long time, and she thought to herself that she knew them very well, and she was definitely not the one who could come up with such a solution. Even Mrs. Hou can take advantage of her visit, and she knows that Mrs. Hou has to talk about her ancestral home every time, except for Jade and Mama Zhou, she can't think of anyone else, and Mama Zhou wants to maintain a good relationship with her in person no matter what, she may stay out of the matter, but she will not dig a pit directly.

After thinking about it, Cersei took the book and went to the Emerald House.

Jade lives in a room by herself, and is lighting the lamp and sitting on the kang to sew winter clothes for Lin Huaijin. Seeing Cersei come in, he didn't show any surprise, as if he expected her to come in.

"Sister, look at this." Cersei placed the book on the table.

Jade covered her nose and glanced at it, and her face became strange: "This is ...... Copybook? ”

Cersei nodded and turned one of the pages: "Sister take a look." ”

Jade looked at the words that were in a mess, her expression returned to normal, and she sneered: "What are you doing when you show me this." ”

Cersei looked at her and smiled. She kept an eye on the books before she posted them, and left herself mostly unimportant idle books and calligraphy notes for her to practice calligraphy. There are a few copybooks that Shizi used when he was a child, and they look relatively old, much like those ancient books.

Only Jade is literate in Jihui Courtyard, but everyone doesn't dare to call her for the work of drying books. When she heard Biss talk about it a few days ago, she thought that this matter was planned more properly, even if Cersei found out that the book was broken, it would be a day later, even if she knew that someone else had harmed her, she had no basis for it, so she could only admit it.

Cersei was a little proud, and deliberately flipped over the text a few times to let the smell escape wider. This is the rubbish of Yan Zhenqing's "Duobao Pagoda Tablet" that the prince asked her to visit, she has only been on the page for a few pages, and at this time she found that it was damaged, and she was scared into a cold sweat, and she was secretly glad that she was cautious at that time.

Seeing that Jade frowned, she closed the notebook and said with a smile: "Just take it to my sister to see." I was bored with this temporary post, so I took advantage of Desheng to wait, came out to disperse, and came to talk to my sister by the way. said that since I came to Jihui Academy, we have never been close, and I didn't know that my sister was such a capable person. Not only did they buy off the maids around the second young master, so that they could post books before the second young master went to Mrs. An yesterday, but they could also know when Mrs. Hou would visit. ”

As she spoke, she brushed her fingertips over the writing: "I thought about it, it should be that yesterday when Bisi and the others took advantage of me to find a painting, they sprinkled something on it, it was cold outside, it didn't work, and after a day of warmth in the study, it finally melted the wet book." Fortunately, it's just a copybook, if it's a rare book, I'm afraid I'll be dragged away by my mother-in-law tomorrow, no, maybe I'll be dragged away tonight. Seeing that my sister is dressed so neatly, she must be going out for a while. I don't know where my sister plans to go. ”

Jade was silent for a while, then smiled at her: "What do you mean, do you mean that I helped Beth calculate you?" If you don't have evidence, I won't follow it here, so I have to go to my wife to argue. ”

Cersei looked at her cheeks that were lit up by the light, and also smiled: "Where did my sister say, I just said it, just to talk to my sister and be close to her." Actually, I've always been curious, my sister seems to have no quarrel with the world, and she is in the house by herself every day, and never mingles with them. You are not the same kind of person as Bisi, Green Branch, and Qin Sang, but why do you hate me inexplicably like them? ”

Jade was about to speak, but Cersei immediately said: "Bisi obviously hates Yancao more, but she doesn't bully her much, but keeps pinching me, not because she doesn't dare, but because of your attitude, right?" I don't know what you hate about me, but if you say that you, like them, look down on me from a background, I don't believe it. Sister, you're not their kind of person, and you can't pretend to be it. ”

After speaking, he looked at her seriously: "Take a step back and say, if you really don't look down on my background, then I'll go, and the courtyard still has to choose another little girl to come over." Choosing one that has no foundation, it's similar to the current situation, if it's a powerful family, then aren't you worried about your status being threatened? ”

Jade looked at her, brawling her arms on the kang table, holding her cheeks to look at her, the lights jumping in her eyes, the face of the small flame burning was innocent and innocent, as if it was really just curiosity.

Cersei spread his hands: "Sister, you see, I don't have much to offer, I just want to be fed and clothed, I never want to fight for anything, and I can't fight for anything, wouldn't it be better to keep me?" ”

Jade's expression was a little complicated, and she lowered her eyes and didn't look at her. Cersei was not in a hurry, as if she had really come to play with her, looking here, touching there, full of curiosity.

After a while, Jade said sullenly, "You shouldn't be here." ”

Cersei turned his head: "Huh? So where should I be? ”

Jade didn't answer, but moved back, burying her face in the shadows, her expression indistinguishable. After another half of the day, he said, "You can't be here." If you're sold, at least you're still alive. ”

Cersei squinted: "Sister, do you know anything?" ”

Jade shook her head slowly, got up and opened the door, and took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. The cold wind poured in, and on a moonless night, she stood by the door, looking like a ghost in the light of the lights: "You go, I won't embarrass you again in the future." ”

Seeing her like this, she knew that she would not say anything more, so she nodded and went back to the house with a stomach full of doubts. Jade's strange appearance has always haunted me, and I always feel a little confused and uneasy.

*******

In the main room.

Zhou was about to rest after grooming, and Mama Tao hurriedly begged to see: "Madam, Jade is here, and she is here to ask for sin." ”

Zhou was a little surprised and called Jade in. Jade made a big salute, didn't get up, knelt down and said, "The slave has the entrustment of the lady." ”

Zhou glanced at Mama Tao, and Mama Tao stepped forward and said, Zhou's eyes became sharper and sharper: "You are all bold, and you dare to use any means." If you really damage any rare books because of this, you will not be able to pay them all back. ”

Jade's face turned pale, and she bowed her head and said: "The slave maid was confused for a while, and begged the lady to spare the slave maid." ”

Zhou's face was not good: "Mama Zhou is old." I asked her to stay in Jihui Courtyard, originally so that she could standardize the little girl and not let you go too out of line, but she was good and became a bodhisattva there. ”

Jade knelt still, not daring to answer.

Zhou Shi said again: "Since I didn't damage any books, I will spare you this time, but I can't punish you a little." I will punish you with twenty boards for three months, can you admit it? ”

Jade thanked him, and Zhou waved his hand: "Go down, you have to remember that you are serving the prince, and you can have small means, but you can't mess up the Qingming of Jihui Courtyard and harm the prince." ”

Jade should be "yes" and was led down by Mama Tao to be punished.

But after a while, Mama Tao came back and waited for Zhou to lie down.

Zhou Shi was much more awake and was not in a hurry to sleep: "You go and check if the people in our courtyard have anything to eat inside and outside." ”

Mama Tao hesitated: "Madame thinks that the people in the courtyard have been bought?" ”

Zhou's chin bowed: "She is so bold, even Mrs. Hou dares to calculate." ”

Mama Tao helped her lean on the pillow: "The people in our courtyard don't dare." Mrs. Hou came to be a guest, and the mother-in-law and girls outside the second gate knew that she was from Jihui Courtyard, and it was not unusual to know. ”

Zhou's face was tired: "What you said is that I haven't figured out how to deal with her yet, after all, I've been cultivating for so long, so let's let it go first, I hope she can understand after being taught a lesson this time, and the masters are not something she can calculate." ”

Mama Tao nodded, and Zhou pulled Mama Tao to say something considerate: "What do you mean by grandpa, the beggar saved by the prince is raised in the outer courtyard, and there is no shortage of her mouthful of food, and grandpa has to think of me to place her in Jihui Courtyard." It's just an unidentified beggar, do you still want the prince to take her in as a house and sell her a virtuous reputation? ”

"Grandpa Guo has instructed you, and you also signaled Jade to kick her out, in case Grandpa Guo knows, wouldn't it be worth the loss."

"I'm just worried that she went into the study within a few months of her visit, and it was obvious that she was scheming. Although I put Yancao with Shizi, he has not taken it away, so I can't send people to bed. Now the prince and I are becoming more and more intimate, he is older and has his own ideas, and I don't want to take care of everything, but now I am afraid that the beggar will enter his eyes, lose his reputation, and my relatives will be affected in the future. ”

"The prince is a filial person, if you find a time to say a few words to him, he will understand. Grandpa Guo must have considered this by doing this, Madame must bear with me, don't quarrel with Grandpa Guo because of these trivial things. ”

Zhou sighed: "Grandpa's mind has become deeper and deeper in recent years, and he loves to be in Aunt Su's courtyard again, and he can't say a few words to me when he is idle, what is he thinking and what he is busy with, I can't guess at all, it's better to understand that cheap maid." Don't you see that my mother's family is losing power, and I can't spoil my concubine and kill my wife? ”

"Bah, ma'am, you can't say that. Grandpa Guo is not bad to the Zhou family, this time the old lady is on her birthday, didn't she ask Mrs. Tuesday to take the young master and Miss Biao to Beijing. ”

Zhou's face was even more tired: "This was invited by my grandfather, it was asked by my sister-in-law." Speaking of which, although my brother is not angry, he has raised a pair of good children. It's just that Ziqian's body is too weak, and a few days ago I got a letter from my second sister-in-law, saying that Ziqian was dizzy somehow and was in a coma for three days, which made the chickens and dogs jump at home. As soon as I woke up, I had to go to Beijing, my sister-in-law has always been used to him, and I thought that there were many famous doctors in Kyoto, so I wrote a letter to ask my grandfather. ”

Mama Tao waited for Zhou's to drink a sip of water, sat on the side of the small pestle next to the bed, and accompanied her to do homely cooking: "You are drilling the horns again." Although it was asked by the second lady, it also had to be agreed by the grandfather of the country, right? You and the second master are blessed, the young master took the Xie Yuan of the township test at the age of twelve, in exchange for whose children, don't they all have to be treasured? Our son is also a pearl-like character, this blessing is only called blessing for a long time, and the blessing of you and the second master is still to come. ”

Zhou's smiled slightly: "Exactly, think of my big sister and big brother, who mentioned it back then, who didn't praise it, the world mentioned Runan Zhou's family, only knew the Zhou family's big house, our second room has been pressed so much that we can't raise our heads, what now?" One was imprisoned in Honolulu, waiting for the will of exile, and the other died young, and a son and a daughter were not left, which shows that people can't just look at the scenery for a while. ”

After thinking about it, he said: "Although my grandfather's affection for me is average, he can be regarded as respectful. Even if he had a problem with me, he still gave my children to me to raise. He is an ambitious person, just looking at what he has done in the past few years, it looks rough, but in fact, he can't grasp the handle at all on the bright side, so it seems that we can still be prosperous for a few years. My father and mother were really discerning, and I was still angry with them because of this marriage. Now that I think about it, if I hadn't married him, I wouldn't have the life I have today. ”

Mama Tao covered her mouth and smiled: "What Madame said, with the skills of our grandfather and the prince, our house is not only a matter of prosperity for a few years. Grandpa Guo has an idea, you and Grandpa Guo are one husband and wife, so just follow him more. I don't understand what Grandpa Guo thinks, so why not follow it more. "You can't screw him left and right, so you can only get angry. Mama Tao thought in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it.

Zhou closed his eyes, covered the light in his eyes, and lowered his voice: "Ayu, now you dare to persuade me against my will, but I can't joke with the future of the world." I have to think about how I can make the prince tired of her without a trace. ”

Mama Tao knew that persuading the Zhou family could not be done overnight, so she didn't mention it, and only smiled kindly: "That's because Mrs. gives face to the old slave and doesn't care about the old slave." Seeing that Zhou was sleepy, he stepped forward to help her lie down, covered the quilt for her, blew out the lamp, and instructed the girl on night duty at the door a few words, and then went back to the house.