Tangled

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Su Qingwanluan drove southward, traveling along the official road without hindrance.

"I'm really tired after sitting for a whole day." Su Qingwan complained softly.

"When we arrive at the inn later, we can soak in hot water to soothe our fatigue." Mu Luoluo sat next to Su Qingwan, and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Ask a maid to come up and beat my legs. I don't want you to do this." Su Qingwan pushed Mu Luoluo, motioning her to sit down.

"If you ask other maids to come up at this time, you have to stop the car, which is quite time-consuming. If you bear with it, you will arrive at the inn soon." Mu Luoluo stretched out her hand and pulled Su Qingwan into her arms, and kissed her comfortingly. forehead.

Su Qingwan also had the same reason after thinking about it, so she had to give up.

This time when Su Qingwan returned to Ning, everything was refrained from extravagance and kept simple. She brought five servant girls along with Mu Luoluo. The other two eunuchs are in charge of driving, and the six inner guards are there to protect Su Qingwan's safety at any time.

·

"When I enter the city tomorrow afternoon, I won't go with you. I'll go first on horseback, and I'll go to Su Manor to find you the next morning." Mu Luoluo scooped up a ladle of water, and gently poured it down from the top of Su Qingwan's hair.

"Alright." Su Qingwan slightly raised her head and looked at Mu Luoluo, "I left home suddenly last year, I'm afraid there are still many things that I haven't explained clearly."

"The big things have already been taken care of, but some details still need to be told. Besides, after all, my father is in charge of the overall situation of the Mu family, and I'm just doing the aftermath for Zhuangzi left behind by my mother." Mu Luoluo smiled and combed carefully with a wooden comb. Su Qingwan's black hair.

"If something happens, send someone to the Su family to look for me at any time. Even if the Su family can't take care of me, this palace is also a first-class concubine personally appointed by the emperor, and no one can overwhelm me if I think about it." Su Qingwan turned around in the bathtub , holding the edge of the barrel with both hands, looking at Mu Luoluo with burning eyes.

"The Mu family is just a small tea merchant, so there will be such a big thing." Mu Luoluo laughed at Su Qingwan's overly serious expression, reached out and lifted her chin, and lightly touched her lips, "Okay, After washing, get up and let the water cool carefully to catch a cold."

"Your matter is a big matter to me." Su Qingwan got up, "Do you want to call someone to change the hot water, and you wash it too?"

"That's unnecessary, it's against the rules." Mu Luoluo quickly surrounded Su Qingwan with a bath towel, then carefully smoothed out her hair and wrapped it with silk. The imperial concubine's black hair is precious and must be taken care of carefully.

Su Qingwan looked at Mu Luoluo steadily for a while, but was speechless to refute. After all, this is not the Shangqing Palace where everyone is confidant. There are many people with eyes mixed with walls and ears, so they must be more careful than in Shangqing Palace.

·

On the morning of the fifteenth day of the first month, Mu Luoluo rode Juechen back to the city first.

In the afternoon, Su Qingwanluan drove into the city, according to the etiquette, all members of the Su family had to walk out the door and kneel down to welcome Concubine Shu back to Ning.

"I lead the Su family up and down, and welcome the concubine Shu!" Su Huaiyu, the second son of the Su family, greeted them first, followed by Mrs. Su Yang, the wife of the eldest son Su Huaijin.

"Freedom from etiquette." Su Qingwan was naturally happy to see her mother, but the etiquette cannot be broken, and she had to act according to the etiquette one by one.

After entering the hall for a while, saluting again, Gui Ning's gift was considered complete, and the idlers and others retreated, so Su Qingwan was finally able to talk to her family about her family's problems.

"Mother!" Su Qingwan threw herself into Mrs. Su's arms, tears welling up in her eyes, "A daughter is not filial, it's hard for her to serve her mother."

"Ms. Concubine Shu, what are you talking about? The empress is safe in the palace, so the old woman will be safe here." Mrs. Su was also overjoyed when she saw her daughter, but she couldn't stop crying.

"Guining is a happy event. Why are mother and elder sister crying?" Su Huaiyu smiled from the side, but was unexpectedly patted by Su Qingshu who was also wiping tears.

"When you get married, you will know what it's like." Su Qingwan was amused by Su Huaiyu's inexplicable face, and raised her hand to wipe away her tears. "Father and brother haven't come back yet?"

"On the first day of the first day of the lunar new year, there was a letter from Fei Ge, saying that the teacher was about to return to the imperial court. I think it is almost to the imperial city now, and I will be back in a while." Su Huaiyu replied.

"I, the son of the Su family, have never been disappointed with Your Majesty." Su Qingwan smiled softly, looking at Su Huaiyu in front of her, "I think when I first entered the palace, Huaiyu hadn't tied her hair yet, and now she is about to perform the coronation ceremony. He is also as heroic as an older brother."

"My eldest brother went to battle with his father at the age of 16, but I am already eighteen, but I have never followed my father to fight. I really can't be compared with my elder brother." Su Huaiyu was a little disappointed. He heard that there were many people who went to war at the age of fifteen or sixteen.

"This expedition is too abrupt, and the battle is a quick battle. To you, there is no meaning of exercise, so it is normal for father not to take you." Su Qing gently comforted, "Brother, the world was not peaceful at that time, and you went out to fight when you were young. It's also a last resort, who doesn't want to sing and sing every day to be healthy."

"That's right, Huaijin discussed with me before the expedition, and wanted Huaiyu to get married as soon as possible, so he must have such a restless temperament." Yang Qingliu pursed her lips and smiled.

"Sister-in-law!" Su Huaiyu called out in a low voice, her ears blushing.

"Does anyone have a girl of the right age?" Su Qingwan suddenly became interested, and turned to look at her mother.

"The youngest daughter of the Yun family is now 16 years old. I can see that she has excellent talents, temperament and character." Mrs. Su said slowly.

"The young girl of the Yun family, I have seen her before when I was a child, but she is such a wonderful person, why didn't she go to the draft?" Su Qingwan wondered.

"Ms. Concubine Shu doesn't know that the grandpa of the Yun family passed away the year before last, and she was still in the filial piety period when she was drafted last year." Madam Su said, and glanced at Su Huaiyu.

Su Qingwan understood, and couldn't help but frown, "Thinking that he, the Yun family, has a scholarly family, he is not right with me after the general family. I heard that the fourth son of the Feng family is not yet married, and the second Fengyun family is married. Perhaps he is more worthy of being a talented person." The word "beauty."

Su Qingshu was about to speak, but was held back by Yang Qingliu, who shook her head lightly. Although Su Qingwan was puzzled, she still obediently stood still.

Su Huaiyu, who was not stopped by anyone, naturally listened to Su Qingwan's words, "How could you not be right? My sister-in-law also comes from a family of literati, so it's right not to be right with my elder brother?"

Su Qingwan didn't speak, just looked at Su Huaiyu and smiled blindly. Madam Su couldn't help it anymore, and took the opportunity of drinking tea to suppress the smile on the corner of her mouth. Yang Qingliu and Su Qingshu who were beside her had already bent over laughing.

It was only at this moment that Su Huaiyu came to his senses, his face turned red, and he didn't know what to say.

"Okay, since it's a concubine's love and a good family, I can't say anything. When my father comes back, I'll just ask a matchmaker to come and ask for a marriage." Su Qingwan turned to Su Qingshu after finishing speaking, "Sister should also learn how to love her husband and raise her children. Make a good wife."

"The concubine Shu mentioned something." Mrs. Su nodded, and gave Su Qingshu a meaningful look.

Su Qingshu was flustered by Madam Su's look, and hurriedly hid behind Yang Qingliu.

"You guys go down first, I have a few words I want to say to Concubine Shu." Mrs. Su waved her hand, and the blushing brother and sister who were teased by Su Qingwan, together with Yang Qingliu, left in a hurry.

"I don't know what mother's order is?" Su Qingwan saw that Mrs. Su restrained her smile, and corrected her attitude accordingly.

"Qingwan, the lady of the Mu family was selected to enter the palace, and the eldest lady of the Mu family also entered the palace. I know that you two have the same heart. My Su family also had a verbal engagement with the Mu family, and it was my Su family who betrayed him. The Mu family." Mrs. Su put down the teacup with a complicated expression on her face, "But I hope you can remember that you are the concubine Shu who went out of the Su family first, and then Su Qingwan who is her mum, and the son of the Su family is fighting for the country abroad , You also bear the honor and disgrace of the Su family on your shoulders."

"Daughter understands." Su Qingwan smiled slightly, and took Madam Su's hand, "Don't worry, mother, Luoluo and I are not reckless people. We have our own sense of what we are facing and what to do, let alone Xiaoxiao now. He is also well-loved in the palace, his Mu family is the same as my Su family, we both shoulder the honor and disgrace of the family."

"You have a good idea when you pee. Then Mu Luoluo followed her mother. I am relieved of you two, but I just want to tell you a few words." Mrs. Su patted the back of Su Qingwan's hand, "Luoluo didn't agree Are you coming back together?"

"She's going back to the Mu Mansion first, and she'll come over tomorrow." Su Qingwan replied, "She still has something to explain at home."

"He's also a good boy." Mrs. Su sighed, "I'm tired of the bumpy journey, let's go and rest first, and then clean up the dust for my mother at night."

"Yes." Mrs. Su treated Su Qingwan with the courtesy of a concubine, and Su Qingwan treated Mrs. Su with the courtesy of a mother and daughter, without exceeding the rules.

·

Let's talk about Mu Luoluo, after parting from Su Qingwan in the morning, he rode fast all the way, entered the city from the north gate, and left the city from the west gate.There is a low mountain in the western suburbs outside the city, and on the top of the mountain is the Mu family's ancestral tomb.

Mu Luoluo dismounted at the foot of the mountain, and led the horse up the mountain on foot. There was much rain and little snow in the south of the Yangtze River, and the forest road was slippery. sound.

A mountain has a top, and a road has an end, no matter how slow Mu Luoluo walks, she will arrive there at some point.The tombstones of the ancestors stand quietly, telling the glory and low tide of the Mu family in the past century.

Mu Luoluo tied the horse to a tree, entered the cemetery alone, and knelt down in front of an old grave.This is a joint burial, but there is only one person's name on the tombstone.

"Mother, my daughter came to see you." Mu Luoluo raised her hand and wiped the dust off the tombstone with her sleeve. "My daughter is not filial. She didn't come back to see you on the anniversary of her death last year. I'm afraid she won't be able to accompany you in the future."

The wind blows through the canopy, making a rustling sound, as if someone is whispering.

"Last year's draft, Xiaoxiao won the favor of the emperor. Once she entered the palace, she was very favored. I also entered the palace with her for the sake of Qingwan." Mu Luoluo said in a low voice, as if she was afraid of shocking the spirits of the ancestors. It’s as deep as the sea, and I don’t think I’ll be able to come back after this trip. Please don’t blame my mother. You and your father are deeply in love with each other, so you must be able to forgive me. You once said that when you meet someone you like, even if you are separated by mountains and seas of fire. You have to follow him thousands of miles away, and I did it.”

Mu Luolu paused for a moment, and then continued, "Mother, here is an unfilial daughter, and I have one more thing to ask, that is, I want to ask my father to raise Aunt Yin as an equal wife. Being an equal wife is just a matter of status, and it can't reduce the weight of a mother in his father's heart. Xiaoxiao is quite favored by the emperor in the palace now, and there is a smooth road ahead of him, and there is absolutely no reason to ruin it because of his birth. I am not interested, but I am quite interested in becoming an official. If Xiaoxiao can earn some face for my Mu family, it will do more good than harm to Zixu's future. I think my mother can tell the difference between the good and the bad better than me."

After Mu Luoluo finished speaking the most difficult words, she breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the slightly old scarlet letters on the tombstone, she couldn't help but feel her nose sore.

When my mother passed away, my father was devastated, and my younger brother was not enough to manage the family. I was forced to take over the Zhuangzi and Mu's shops left behind by my mother. Eight petals were struggling for a while, but in the end, they came over stumbling, and then their father recovered, and Zixu Ziwen grew up, but Miss Mu's reputation had spread to the point that no one dared to come to propose marriage. Luoluo didn't want to get married either.

"Now that the Mu family is peaceful, mother can feel at ease." Mu Luoluo raised her head and held back her tears. "Most of what my daughter said today may make mother unhappy. It's her fault, but I have to say that." If the mother knows about it, please forgive me, and we will meet in Huangquan in the future, and the daughter will ask her mother to ask for her sins."

After finishing speaking, Mu Luoluo kowtowed repeatedly and sat for about half an hour before leaving.