On the last day of April, the sun grew more and more intense, and the population was so dry that even the rough servants preferred to linger a little longer under the porch or in the house, let alone the other pampered ones. Inside and outside Xuanle Hall, whether it is the house where the host or the guest lives, the ice basin is put aside from morning to night, and the fan in the hand of the little girl has not stopped, but it still can't drive away the heat, which makes people can't help but worry, before it enters May, the sky is already hot like this, how should I spend it in midsummer and June?

Zhu Jingcheng leaned listlessly on the circle chair, holding a miscellaneous anecdote and flipping through it carelessly, and he felt that the little girl behind him was playing the fan too slowly, and the wind was too light, so he simply sent people away, and he kept fanning with a big folding fan.

Liu Dongning came in with a handful of landscape jasper pots, paused at his feet, and then stepped forward with a smile and said: "There are clouds in ancient poems, 'being quiet for people's hearts is cool', my cousin is so impetuous, he will only feel hotter and hotter." After that, he handed over the jade pot, "This is sent by my mother, take the sour plum soup that has been cooled by ice cubes, and add licorice, you drink a few sips, maybe it will be cooler." ”

Zhu Jingcheng immediately snatched the jade pot, casually took the cup in the tea tray on the table, poured most of the cup, and drank it in one go, and then breathed a long sigh of relief before saying: "Don't say cool words, I have never seen such hot weather in Dongping and the capital, it is like a fire, where can I calm down?!" ”

Liu Dongning smiled, sat down on the chair opposite him, and poured himself sour plum soup with a cup, as if casually: "Pingyang is in the south, and the summer is indeed hotter than the capital and Dongping, and it is normal for you to feel unaccustomed." If you really can't bear it, I'll ask my uncle to get you a good big boat and go south along the Taiping River, which is much cooler than riding a horse. ”

"Really?!" Zhu Jingcheng blurted out, then paused again, and said with a smile, "Forget it, my father didn't set a time limit, and it didn't matter if I was ten days and a half months late, why should I rush in this hot day and ask for hardships?" It's never too late to get on the road when it's raining and the weather is cooler. If you're in the mood to see the sights of Cannes, why don't you come with me? ”

Liu Dongning put down the teapot, the smile on his face was a little unbearable, "Besides, Mu Xin is here, how can I leave her to go to the mountains and rivers by myself?" ”

"Then even my aunt will go with me." Zhu Jingcheng said with a smile, "My aunt lives in the capital for half a year, and Heng'an for half a year, so she rarely goes outside, right?" It is rare to have leisure, and it is good to see the scenery of Dagang. I plan to wait for the affairs of Cannes to be completed, and then I will go down the river to Guihai to see the world! I have often heard people say that there are many merchants from overseas, and there are all kinds of rare and exotic treasures, and I have long wanted to go and see them. Previously, when the queen was on the Qianqiu Festival, the birthday ceremony on our palace was not in line with the queen's wishes, and the birthday of the Queen Mother in September and the Queen Mother's birthday in November could not go wrong again. I'll go for a walk in Guihai, and maybe I'll be able to get something good! ”

Liu Dongning smiled, quietly lowered his head and drank sour plum soup, and said after a while, "It all depends on what my mother means, but there is one thing: you go to Cannes to do business, but you only came to my grandfather's house to play for two days by the way, because of the hot weather, it doesn't matter if you are late on the road, my aunt has always loved you, and she will say it in front of the prince, but you go to Cannes to do business and bring our mother and son...... I'm afraid that the prince will blame you. Why bother? ”

"What are you afraid of?!" Zhu Jingcheng said with a smile, "I mentioned it to my father before I came, and my mother also asked me to be closer to my aunt and cousin, they won't blame me." Let's do it, let's take a boat south together, and the road won't be boring! ”

Liu Dongxing's fingers holding the teacup tightened tightly before he smiled, "The idea is a good idea, but you have to ask your mother first." If my mother wants to go outside and have a look, I will ask my uncle to prepare another boat, and set off a few days later than you, and when we arrive in Cannes, you will also do good things, and we will have a good time together, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds? ”

Zhu Jingcheng smiled and high-fived: "Then it's decided!" I'll just wait for the weather to get a little cooler, and I'll go first, but you'll have to keep up?! After finishing speaking, he said again: "What if you can't find a place for us to stay?" I will leave two men for my aunt and aunt and for you, and they will know where I am staying in Cannes, and they will save you more than any more husbands. ”

Liu Dongning paused in his hand, and the smile on his face remained unchanged: "Cousin is thoughtful, my brother has thanked you first."

It's just that...... What about my eldest brother? Do you want to take him with you? It's not that I don't speak for my cousin, it's really ...... His temperament, you must be annoyed too, right? But you can't leave him here alone. ”

Zhu Jingcheng raised his eyebrows and smiled meaningfully: "What's the point of coming together?" Although he is not very clever, but he is also a rare honest man, let's not talk with him, let him mix with Lao Luo and them, I see that the day before yesterday at the banquet, they are quite compatible. ”

Liu Dongning pursed his lips tightly, knowing that he really couldn't push it anymore, his mother, needless to say, must be willing to do it, and no matter how much he persuaded him, he would just be trained, but if he walked with Zhu Jingcheng, he was afraid that his father would be difficult to do in Beijing...... I can only follow his wishes first, send people away, and then think about it.

Zhu Jingcheng poured another cup of sour plum soup with a smile and drank it, only to feel much cooler, his heart was very comfortable, and he was also interested in having some fun, so he asked: "When I was at the banquet that day, I saw your brother wearing a sachet, which tasted quite light, but it was a little interesting." My mother thinks that the incense made in her is too strong, and she smells tired of it, so she asks me to help her keep her head. I don't know where your brother's incense came from? ”

How could Liu Dongning be in the mood to say anything fragrant at this time? can only say vaguely, "Zuo is just a few herbs, and there are a few commonly used recipes at home, and my brother also uses it." My aunt must be the most familiar with it, but I'm afraid I'm still tired of it. Aren't you going to Cannes and Guihai? Those two places gather goods from all over the world, are you afraid that you won't be able to find the novel incense when the time comes? ”

At this time, the little servant of the Liu family said outside the door: "Young master, Miss Liubiao called someone to send something over, saying that it was for you." ”

Liu Dongning stood up immediately, and then realized that Zhu Jingcheng was also present, and smiled a little unnaturally: "Didn't you see that I was talking to the prince of the world?" Just send it to my room, go ahead. ”

Zhu Jingcheng raised his eyebrows: "Since you are a beautiful woman, you can just go, will I stop you?!" "Why didn't he know Liu Dongning's heart knot? But it's not his fault, do you want him to lose his smile?! Suddenly, he felt that the Gu family was too boring, and he lost interest in the owner of the sachet. This Gu family's daughter is not very important, but she is in trouble. The sixth lady in my cousin's heart loves to play tricks with herself, and even the fifth lady who my aunt is bent on pushing herself is also very ridiculous. That Miss Ten, he didn't do anything, she just stared at him all day long, no matter how beautiful she looked, she would only be unappetizing!

Liu Dongning saw that Zhu Jingcheng had a straight face and didn't speak, and his heart was faintly bitter, so he could only leave the room silently and go to see the person sent by Wen Hui.

It was the mother-in-law in Wenhui Courtyard who came, and what she brought was a box of newly made five-poison cakes and a pot of tea. The woman said: "Our young lady is afraid that the young master will be bored from reading during the day, so she asked the little one to bring tea and snacks to the young master to enjoy." This tea is made by our young lady who went to the edge of the garden pool early in the morning to collect the dew on the lotus leaves, and it is the most refreshing to drink in summer. ”

Liu Dongning was a little happy in his heart, hurriedly took the tea and snacks, and generously rewarded the woman with a purse, which contained two silver bills that weighed one or two. The woman thanked her happily and went back. Liu Dongning couldn't wait to take things back to the room, and then asked the big girl to take out a beloved jade cup she brought from home, wipe it clean with a silk handkerchief, and then pour the tea into it, take a deep breath, only to feel that the tea is fragrant, mixed with a fresh lotus fragrance, which has a unique flavor. When I opened the box of dim sum again, I saw that the dim sum was exquisite, and the five poisonous marks on it were vivid, which added a bit of joy. He immediately picked one up and took a bite, but then stopped his movements, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

The cake is filled with apricots, and he hates eating almonds the most, how did the sixth cousin forget about this stubble?

His heart moved, remembering that his cousin Zhu Jingcheng had said before that in the Gu family's dim sum, there was an almond filling that was the best, and it was more delicious than the refined snacks in the palace. At that time, the sixth cousin was present, and according to his habit, every time he sent food from the inner house, he would always ask his cousin to share it......

He put down the five poison cakes and took a sip of tea, only to feel that the fragrance of the tea had faded a little.

In the past two days, the atmosphere in the Gu family was a little strange, but he asked anyone, but he didn't get the truth, and asked his mother, but his mother told him to leave it alone. But he always felt that this matter must be related to the sixth cousin, they used to meet every day, but since the banquet that day, he has never seen her again, and when he entered and exited the second gate, he found that the mother-in-law guarding the door had all been replaced. Yesterday, he also heard Aunt Gui's girl talking in private, saying that almost all the girls around his sixth cousin were thrown out, and only two big girls who were brought back from the capital and served for six or seven years survived. He wanted to hear more clearly, but when the two girls saw him coming, they shut up and stopped talking, and he couldn't force his mother's maid to ask him, so he could only bury his doubts in his heart.

What happened to the sixth cousin? Even the girl is almost clean, it can't be a trivial matter, can it be...... Something to do with a cousin? That day...... The little girl who invited her cousin away is not the sixth cousin's person?

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became, so he took a book from the bookshelf and flipped through it, but he couldn't see it, so he turned around and walked out of the house, walked around the courtyard twice, and heard his cousin Liu Dongxing passing by while talking to someone outside the door, so he chased after him and asked, "What is my brother busy with?" ”

As soon as Liu Dongxing heard the footsteps, he immediately smirked and turned around and said, "Lord Luo is telling me that he went to the tavern in the village to eat in the morning, and heard people say that the dog barked for half the night last night, I don't know why." I was about to go out with him to ask someone. ”

Liu Dongning was not interested in this matter, so he bowed his hand to Luo Kedi, so he pulled Liu Dongxing and said: "The sun is so big outside, what are you going out for?" Why don't you talk to me? ”

Luo Kedi said with a very good look: "Then I'll go first, little brother Liu, you can do it yourself." He turned around and left.

Liu Dongxing was helpless, so he had to follow his cousin into his room, and when he saw that he was just going around the house and didn't speak, he asked, "Second brother, what do you have to say?" Seeing that there was a box cake on the table, I already had a guess in my heart: "Is this sent by the sixth cousin?" What a virtuous person! Second brother is so blessed! But he didn't say much.

Liu Dongning smiled bitterly and sat down at the table: "Brother, don't laugh at me." I actually ...... "I want to say and stop." Although this cousin has always been stupid, it is about Wenhui Qing's reputation, how can he spread it out? He hurriedly changed his words: "Actually, that Miss Duan is also quite virtuous, didn't she also send snacks a few days ago?" My brother still said it was delicious? I heard yesterday that Aunt Gui seems to be interested in being a matchmaker for her brother! ”

Liu Dongxing was almost choked, his eyes widened, but he soon found that he was a little out of shape, and hurriedly changed his face and asked blankly, "Huh?" How could it be her? Doesn't she have a crush on you? It seems that my aunt mentioned to me earlier that she was the young lady of the Gu family, right? ”

This time it was Liu Dongning's turn to choke: "How is it possible?!" Miss Duan and I are innocent! Brother, don't talk nonsense outside! He was secretly surprised, wondering how such rumors came about. What if I call my sixth cousin to hear it?!

He was in a hurry, hurriedly got up and walked out, leaving only one sentence: "I'll come when I go." And he walked away without looking back.

Liu Dongxing was the only one left in the room, and he put away the expression on his face, and a fine light flashed in his eyes.

At night, Liu Gu sat in front of the dresser of the boudoir when he was unmarried, lazily facing the mirror, and asked the girls to remove their headdresses for themselves. She twisted up a two-inch-high mutton fat white jade vial on the dressing table with her slender hand, opened the cap, poured a few drops of fragrant golden liquid into the palm of her hand, patted her cheeks carelessly, and glanced to the side: "Oh? Is this what the second wife told you? ”

Gui Eniang respectfully took the gold-inlaid beaded flower bat handed over by the big girl, carefully put it into the brocade box, and said with a smile: "The second wife has mentioned it before, but she hasn't talked about it again in the past few days...... It's just that the slave maid thinks that although the girl in this family is a little impetuous, there is no one in her mother's family, even if there are a few uncles, she can't become a climate! I have an aunt...... I can't go beyond my wife. Besides, the Duan family has some face in Cannes, and she is a concubine...... Young Master Xing is a white body, and it is suitable for her. ”

Liu Gu was silent. Haruka took a jade comb, carefully combed her hair, and carefully rubbed it with special osmanthus oil, but her ears were already erected.

Gui Eniang saw that Liu Gu didn't say that he put it in (?) may not speak), so he stepped forward and further persuaded, "Mrs. wants to do it, if the young master wants to have a chance, he has to ask the Yue family to contribute." Your mother's family, no matter how down, is much stronger than others, and when you say it, people will look at it differently! Ke Duan's ...... Not to mention anything else, just in terms of conduct, it is already a big stain, there is such a father-in-law in the ......"

Liu Gu smiled: "You are right......"