On an early summer afternoon, the sun is warm but not hot.

"Here's the dress the queen made for you, and some jewelry for you. The queen mother doesn't like to say goodbye, so let me do it for me. There is also this waist card, if you want to enter the palace to see the queen mother in the future, you can take the waist card and enter the palace immediately. ”

At the gate of the palace, Li Mian handed over the things prepared by the queen to Cheng Yuguan. On the side, Cheng's father and son, Huo Changlin were a few steps away, each waiting, Cheng Fangchuan had already left after leaving the palace.

Cheng Yuguan took over the burden and the jade card, and there was a lot of reluctance in his heart.

After experiencing the days of being helpless, you will know how desirable and dependent it is for the queen and the four princes to be able to rely on themselves, and to live a life where they don't have to think about anything and don't have to do anything.

Unfortunately, she is not a carefree girl who grows up, and she can't rely on others wholeheartedly.

In her belief, she must grasp something to make herself more valuable, so that she can live calmly.

The environment in the palace was not suitable for her. Trapped in a boxy world every day, facing all kinds of people, always beware of other people's words and deeds, just to not cause trouble to others.

She can live this life for a while, but not for a lifetime.

"I was born a bird without feet, and I only believe in my own hard work. I'll come back when I've carved a corner for myself. At that time, I will repay my aunt again and be by her side. ”

The queen was lonely in the deep palace, but she couldn't stay with her, Cheng Yuguan took the waist card and looked at the palace wall behind Li Mian. It was as if she could see the queen looking at her through the thick palace walls.

Li Mian couldn't help but rub her head when she heard Cheng Yuguan say this, "I see that you are quite clear on weekdays, why do you always belittle yourself." It's not good again, and it's a little bird without feet, you just mean that I just don't want to recognize Cheng Hou, and the queen mother and I will also help you succeed. It's about going out and wandering, and that's what you want to do. You don't have to make excuses to belittle yourself for this, everyone's choices are different, there is no right or wrong. If you don't need this waist card for a while, put it away first, and when you think about it, come over. The queen mother will always be your aunt, and I am still your fourth brother. ”

Cheng Yuguan held back the sourness of his nose, "Well, I know, fourth brother." ”

"That's right." Li Mian smiled, "Okay, you go, I'll go back." ”

After speaking, Li Mian patted Cheng Yuguan's shoulder, turned around and entered the palace gate.

The thick palace door creaked and closed, and Cheng Yuguan came to the eldest uncle, no, now it should be by his father's side.

"Daddy... Father. ”

Cheng Yuguan screamed a little uncomfortably.

Cheng Lang listened, only felt a little funny, and turned his head away, not letting this cousin, who has always loved face, see it.

Cheng Liuchuan's dark face was calm, "If you're not used to it, it's better to call you uncle, don't care about those false names." ”

He knew that Cheng Yuguan had been independent since he was a child, and said that his grandmother raised her, but in fact, when Yuguan was very young, she gradually took on the portal.

said that it was the eldest lady of the Hou Mansion, but in the countryside, a grandmother and an orphan girl, although he was the patriarch who deliberately took care of her, but it was not as simple as saying that. Life is denser than leaves, and without a father to support her, she was forced to grow up at a young age.

Just now, Yuguan told the four princes that she was a bird without feet, and Cheng Liuchuan could understand. Isn't it a haven for people who walk alone in the world without the support of their parents? What's more, it's still a little girl.

"You are a capable man, and the eldest uncle will not force you to be your master, and we will be the same as before in the future. You give advice, Lang'er and they charge ahead, and the eldest uncle will back you up. ”

"Yes, little sister, how did you enter the palace and become sentimental. If you want to embroider at home and be a virtuous lady in the future, it's not impossible, say it early, let's arrange it in advance. ”

Cheng Lang smiled and said with a big grin.

Cheng Yuguan was still immersed in separation and emotion, and when he heard the words, his face did not move, and he kicked the three cousins with a flick of his legs.

Cheng Lang rubbed his legs and bared his teeth, "I thought you had become a lady, why are you still the same." ”

The family talked and laughed, Huo Changlin waited for a long time on the side, and saw that Patriarch Cheng's family and Yuguan did not take the initiative to take care of their feelings, so they smiled bitterly and took the initiative to step forward.

"When the accident happened suddenly, your grandmother couldn't accept it for a while, so our Huo family went back to their hometown at Bianguan, and later, the sky was high and the road was far away, and there was no summoning order, and the Huo family was a military general, and they couldn't return to Beijing at will. I thought that Cheng Hou was your biological father in the end, and you, as the concubine of the Hou Mansion, would definitely be able to be well taken care of, but now it seems that this is not the case. ”

Huo Changlin smiled bitterly and explained two sentences, and then said no more.

Yuguan is still resentful of his biological father, so much so that he has to break away from the relationship, let go of the identity of the concubine of the Hou Mansion, and go out of another family, then his grandfather's family, I am afraid that in Yu's care, it will be even more estranged.

And he seems to have come back late, and as soon as he entered Beijing, he was regarded as a witness by the emperor and participated in the succession of Yuguan. There are so many things that Huo Changlin didn't sort out clearly, and it was inconvenient to say anything.

"If you have something to do in the future, just come to the Huo family. Don't say anything else, the Huo family is always your other family. ”

originally wanted to say that he wanted Yuguan to go home to see his grandparents, but in this scenario, Huo Changlin was a little speechless.

After a pause, Huo Changlin stretched out his hand, patted Yuguan's arm tentatively, and then turned to leave.

Cheng Liuchuan looked at this military man with a similar temperament to him, his lonely back, and did not speak.

Cheng Lang muttered, "Little sister, your uncle, it seems to be pretty good, not so hypocritical." ”

Cheng Yuguan listened and nodded, "Yes, he should be a good person, but he is not my good uncle." ”

Cheng Lang scratched his head when he heard this.

Cheng Liuchuan patted his son. His son, who has both parents and his brother since he was a child, knows how Yuguan has been forced to support the suffering of the portal since he was a child.

When she needed to rely on her the most, her father and uncle did not show up, and at this time, a word could bridge the estrangement.

Some people, just a good person. But as a father, uncle, and other relatives, he is not so competent.

"Let's go, uncle, it's time for us to go. We have to send your batch of goods over quickly. The first time we go out to do business in the state, we have to grasp it well. In the future, whether our Chengjia stone can bloom everywhere depends on whether this head is blooming well! ”

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Yuguan adjusted his mood and got down to business.

Cheng Lang also looked at his father. He has been in the capital for many days, and he has long been worried about his family's business.

"Father, I bought a shop on Suzaku Street, which is adjacent to Jingguan Road to the west and Yujie to the east, which is very convenient."

Cheng Lang has not been idle these days, in addition to responding to Yuguan, he also selected a shop in Beijing, as a point for Chengjia Stone to settle down and retail in Beijing in the future.

Hearing his son say this, Cheng Liuchuan nodded, "Suzaku Street is good there." Let's go, I have a courtyard in the thirteen buildings to settle down, and the goods and personnel are also there, let's go back first and then make plans. ”

"Let's go!"

…

"Your Highness, Miss Cheng and Patriarch Cheng went to the thirteen buildings in the west of the city."

Li Mian stood on the pavilion floor of the Ning Hui Hall and looked into the distance, and suddenly Lin Jing appeared and replied.

When Li Mian heard this, he was a little surprised.

"No wonder there is no information about General Cheng in the official post, it turned out that he settled in the thirteenth building."

Hearing what the fourth prince said, Lin Jing nodded in agreement, "It's not, it seems that Patriarch Cheng really didn't take his title of Shenwei General in his eyes, and went to the city instead of Dongcheng, but to the thirteen buildings where merchants gathered." It's no wonder that our people didn't wait for Patriarch Cheng in advance. ”

Li Mian turned to look at Lin Jing, "What's the situation with their group?" ”

Lin Jing replied solemnly, "Patriarch Cheng and his party of one hundred and ten people, all of them are fierce and neat, and they should all be good hands in the clan. They pressed a hundred and ten taels of carriages, loaded with stones mined in the mountains near Chengjia Village, which should be sold to the south, and now they are settled in the capital, and they will set off in a few days. ”

When Li Mian heard this, he nodded, "The people of Chengjia Village have been practicing martial arts for generations, and because of the ancestral training, they can't bully the weak and bully others, so they have been trapped in Chengjia Village for a long time. They all have skills, and they have a lot of strength, according to local conditions, it is just right to do stone business, and they can give full play to their strengths. No one will compete with the Cheng clan's No. 10 Kong Wu clan. ”

Lin Jing nodded, "Who said it wasn't." I heard that this was Miss Cheng's idea, and it was she who advocated it, so the business of Chengjia Village is growing stronger and stronger, and now they have covered the market in the north, and now they are going to expand outward. I don't know what Miss Cheng's status is in Chengjia Village, anyway, when my subordinates went to investigate, they were very admired when they mentioned Miss Cheng. I didn't despise Miss Cheng because she was a woman. ”

"Her temperament is so arrogant, even if she doesn't want her identity as the concubine of the Hou Mansion, she doesn't want it, where can she tolerate others looking down on her."

Li Mian said in a low voice.

Lin Jing didn't hear His Highness's whispered words clearly, but he didn't dare to ask more, only asked respectfully, "Your Highness, Miss Cheng and the Cheng clan converge, our people, do you want to continue to investigate?" ”

Li Mian thought for a moment and shook his head, "There's no need to investigate, just leave two people to follow, and the rest of the people will be withdrawn." ”

"Yes!"

…

"Miss!"

"Miss!"

"The eldest lady is back!"

In a hall on the thirteenth floor, ten tables and chairs were set up for a banquet, specially for the return of Cheng Yuguan.

Everyone is a member of the Cheng clan, and before Cheng Yuguan returns, they have no bottom in their hearts. After all, on the one hand, she is the pampered daughter of the Hou Mansion, and on the other hand, she is a businessman who sleeps in the open air, so in anyone's opinion, as a woman, it is the best choice for the eldest lady to stay in the Hou Mansion.

It's just that the business of Chengjia Village has been advocated by the eldest lady from the beginning, and the patriarch decided to try. Every step is guided by the eldest lady, if the eldest lady goes, they will not be sure.

Now that the eldest lady has returned, it is obvious that she has not given up on them, and everyone's hearts are naturally very agitated, and the shouting of "eldest miss" in her mouth is getting higher and higher.

Cheng Yuguan and the patriarch uncle stepped up to the throne and picked up the tea cup in front of them.

"Don't be polite, you relatives, we came out this time, we have important things to do, and we are bound to open up the trade route from our Chengjia Village to Jingzhou. So without further ado, let's set off early tomorrow morning, drink this cup, eat this meal, and go to rest. I use tea instead of wine here, and I do it first as a respect. ”

Cheng Yuguan, who came out of the palace, returned to his former neat and sassy side.

"Yes, Miss!"

"Listen to the eldest lady!"

Everyone picked up the wine glasses in front of them and drank them all.

At the beginning of the banquet, Cheng Lang sat beside Cheng Yuguan and feasted, his mouth kept talking, "Since you separated from me, I haven't been able to eat and sleep well this way, but it's okay today, I want to satisfy my hunger." The shop in the capital, you will arrange someone to take over in a while, and I will definitely go with you tomorrow when I set off for Jingzhou! ”

Cheng Liuchuan looked at Cheng Yuguan, Cheng Yuguan smiled, "The third cousin can't sit still, it's okay to run more." Uncle, I have three cousins with me, so you can sit in the capital for the time being. In case we send us a letter asking for help along the way, you can also mobilize manpower in the capital. ”

Although Cheng Liuchuan is the patriarch, in terms of business, he has never competed with Cheng Yuguan, and it is not difficult to see from the words of the three of them that Cheng Yuguan is dominant in business.

Because he knew that although he was the one who came forward to do the business in Chengjia Village, from the very beginning, it was Cheng Yuguan who was promoting. Without her persistence, Chengjia Village still guards the clan field and lives the days of watching the sky and farming, where is there today's Xuanhe.

Therefore, when Cheng Yuguan said this, Cheng Liuchuan nodded, "It's okay, there are many old people in the capital, and I have also re-contacted a few world friends in the capital, so as not to need help when I get it, and I have to hold on to it temporarily." ”

The Cheng family was the premier gateway to the capital back then, and it was precisely because the double marquis was too eye-catching that Cheng's father insisted on returning to his hometown.

Now that decades have passed, the old Cheng Hou has died early, and the new Cheng Hou has lived up to his ability and is gradually lonely. With his branch, it will not be too dazzling to reconnect with the old people of the year.

Cheng Yuguan nodded.

…

"Mother, this is Yuguan's succession."

Cheng Fangchuan, who hurriedly returned home, came to Jingyuan Hall and showed his mother the succession letter signed by the queen.

The old lady held the book in her hand, and her emotions fluctuated several times before she finally calmed down.

"In the end, it is the decline of our Hou Mansion that the queen dares to call the shots. If it was your father, he wouldn't have spoken, and no one would have dared to point a finger at him. ”

The old lady couldn't help but recall that back then, the old marquis was majestic and capable, and the dynasty was old, even the emperor had to take care of the old marquis's thoughts.

Cheng Fangchuan couldn't help but bow his head in shame when he heard his mother say this.

"Therefore, the family affairs of Yulou and the five princes must be completed. Our Cheng family must have a princess so that it will not fall out of many families in the capital. ”

The old lady said resolutely.

Cheng Fangchuan also came to the spirit, "Naturally, Yulou has been carefully cultivated by the Yang family and you since she was a child, she is the leader of the Beijing Poetry Society, and she is the face of our Hou Mansion, and her marriage will definitely be successful." ”

Speaking of Yulou, Cheng Fangchuan couldn't help mentioning Cheng Yuguan again, "It's a pity that Yuguan, the queen loves her so much, if she is still at home, it will definitely be a big help." ”

Speaking of Cheng Yuguan, thinking of the unruly eyes like the Huo family back then, the old lady's eyes were distant, "No one can act so willfully, and they will definitely have to pay the price." ”

"Mother, what do you mean?"

"It's nothing, knowing that if she suffers outside, there will be a day when she begs to come to the door."

…