The Lady of the Red Chamber

Situ Yu's anxious expression eased, he looked at Concubine Zhen and said, "Concubine Mother, you have a solution."

Concubine Zhen caressed the ruby ​​on the armor, looked at the second prince, her long and narrow phoenix eyes gleamed with a lingering light: "Second, you are just too impatient. Mother concubine asks you, Lin Ruhai has been in Yangzhou all these years What can he do if he has both talents? Isn’t the Yangzhou Salt Farm still under the firm control of our Zhen family. This confidant of the sixth child is inferior to Lin Ruhai in everything, so why don’t you worry about not being able to handle it?”

"The few at the pier..."

Before the second prince could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Concubine Zhen with a chuckle: "It's just that a few disobedient salt workers died. Can anyone still throw it at us?"

Thinking of something, Concubine Zhen narrowed her eyes, and raised her slender eyebrows: "Second brother, Lin Ruhai is your father's companion, and the friendship is deep. His words are very important to your father's decision-making." It’s justified now to think of a way to win Lin Ruhai over. As for Yangzhou, naturally there is a concubine who will help you look after it.”

Hearing Concubine Zhen's words, the second prince tightened his cheeks unconsciously. This is a small gesture he often makes when he is indecisive: "But there is an eyeliner to report that it is Lin Ruhai who visited Zhen Guohou's mansion, could it be..."

Concubine Zhen looked at her son and shook her head, then sighed softly: "You, why don't you think about it, if he really intends to seek refuge with Lao Liu, will it be delayed until now? The second wife of Zhen Guohou's residence is Lin Ruhai's sister Since he returned to the capital, it would be disrespectful if he didn’t come to the door. Not to mention, before that, didn’t he go to the Rongguo Mansion many days in advance before going to Zhen Guohou’s Mansion?"

"But mother concubine, now that Lin Ruhai's daughter has been taken away by him, we have no way to check and balance him. How can we talk about winning over?"

Thinking of this, the second prince was quite annoyed: "Lin Ruhai is just a smelly and hard stone, no one can persuade him. We tried our best to let his wife die. But in the end, the eldest lady of the Lin family lived It’s been a few years since he entered the Rongguo Mansion, and he’s come back. Let our hard work go to waste.”

Concubine Zhen Gui saw her son's anxious face was even stained with a dark red, and smiled lightly.The delicate and smooth catkin grabbed the second prince's cocooned palm and patted it in the palm of his hand: "You, you are always so easy to get angry, but don't think about it, maybe this may not be a bad thing."

"Huh?" The second prince looked up at Zhen Guifei, his eyes were full of puzzlement.

Concubine Zhen didn't speak, instead she took the tea from the maid and passed it to the second prince: "Second, how about this tea?"

The second prince was puzzled, but still listening to Zhen Guifei's words, he took a sip: "Isn't this Red Cloud Tea?"

"Then you know, this tea, the sixth one rewarded Jia Yuanchun with some, and Jia Yuanchun even sent it back to Rongguo Mansion."

The second prince's brows were tightly frowned. He really didn't know about it. After all, Concubine Zhen Gui had been staring at the Sixth Prince's Mansion all the time: "Red cloud tea is extremely precious. Concubine Hui and the sixth child both know Jia Yuanchun's identity." , how could you treat her so favorably?"

Seeing the appearance of the second prince, Concubine Zhen sighed and waved her hand.Immediately a court lady took the teacup and retreated.

After all the maids left the main hall, Concubine Zhen said: "It's just to give the Jia family an illusory hope, and let us go by the way. Do you really think Jia Yuanchun is favored?"

Thinking of Rongguo Mansion's sloppy face, Concubine Zhen sneered, quite disdainful: "This Rongguo Mansion is also big-hearted, do you really think that Lao Liu has a lot of fancy for them? I have already promised to give the name of a prince and concubine, But she is still not satisfied, she wants to be the high-ranking imperial concubine in the palace, and she doesn't want to see if she has this fate."

The second prince was a little embarrassed: "Mother and concubine, in fact, I said that I was the one who accepted Jia Yuanchun at the beginning. After all, their Ningrong Second House has quite connections in the army, and Jia Yuanchun was born on the first day of the Lunar New Year..."

Before the second prince could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhen Guifei.

Concubine Zhen looked at the second prince, her face full of hatred: "You are really confused. So what about Jia Yuanchun who was born on the first day of the new year? There are so many people born on the first day of the new year in the world. Good fortune? Even if there is, is it possible to compare with your father? As for the connections in the army—"

Concubine Zhen raised the corners of her bright red lips and said mockingly: "Now the Wang family and the Jia family are married, and they will grow stronger by leveraging on the power of the Jia family. Now it is only right for you to pamper that girl Xiluan. The Rongguo Mansion has long been in decline. , but the eyes are big and the heart is empty, thinking that he is the Duke's Mansion. I don't even look at how many nobles in the capital are willing to associate with them."

The second prince tilted his head slightly, and looked at Concubine Zhen in puzzlement: "In this case, why does the mother and concubine ask Jia Baoyu to be the companion of the minister's son?"

Concubine Zhen looked at the second prince with a smile, and explained lightly: "The Jia family is also from our side after all. They have two hearts now, if they don't beat them, how can they deter those ministers under you? But Sacrifice a bastard, just to make an example to others."

The second prince didn't refute after hearing this, he lowered his head and said: "What the concubine mother taught is that the son has been taught."

"As for Miss Lin's family..." Concubine Zhen looked at her beautiful Danko carefully, with an inexplicable light in her eyes: "The Jia family now wants to separate from us to please the sixth child. Although it is only an abandoned son, after all, history The old matriarch is the grandmother of Miss Lin's family. If she disagrees, I can't be ashamed to ask the emperor because of the face of the Duke and Madam."

"As for Lin Ruhai. No matter how stubborn he is, his daughter will always take care of her life. If we can use this to marry Miss Lin from his hands, why don't we worry that he won't be on our side?"

The second prince was so admired by his mother and concubine that he clenched his left fist and beat his right: "Yes."

After thinking for a while, the second prince hesitated and said: "But the quota for concubines and concubines is already full. Do you want to divorce the concubine and marry Miss Lin?"

Concubine Zhen laughed out of anger, and nodded the second prince's forehead: "What are you thinking?"

"Ah?" The second prince raised his head, not knowing what was wrong with him.

"Don't you think about how old you are? Marry Miss Lin, are you married or enmity?" Concubine Zhen laughed and said: "My eldest grandson has just turned twelve, and the age difference between Miss Lin and Miss Lin is not too big. Miss Lin You will be entering Yuxiu Academy soon, you should also let your princesses get close to her more in the academy, and often bring her to the house to play. Childhood sweetheart, childhood sweetheart, isn’t it a good story?"

In Zhaoyang Palace, when Concubine Zhen and the Second Prince were discussing how to win Lin Ruhai over, Yun Qingxuan also entered the palace again in the carriage of the Marquis of Zhen Guo.

Concubine Hui and Concubine Chen Yi sat in Deyang Palace, talking and laughing while watching the Eleventh Prince joke.

Seeing Situ Jin clasping his hands, with his back straight, raising his head to glance at the palace gate from time to time, and then immediately lowering his head to hide it, Concubine Hui laughed so hard that she almost couldn't straighten her waist. She pointed at Situ Jin and said to Concubine Chen Yi: "Young lady!" Wei, look, since Eleven went to Lao Liu's mansion, he doesn't like to enter the palace very much. It's rare that he is willing to sit with me more today, I thought it was because of me that there was something auspicious about it Qi attracted him. Only now do I realize that it was not Xiangrui who attracted him, but the little ancestor of our Yun family."

Eleven bit her lips, a faint blush appeared on the tips of her ears, and her moist voice was rare to be nervous: "Concubine Hui, son... son..."

Concubine Hui smiled even more happily.Seeing the embarrassment of the eleventh prince who wished he could bury himself, he waved his hand mercifully: "Okay, okay, I know you are filial, just now it was the concubine who was teasing you. Drink tea quickly."

The eleventh prince would drink tea when he was nervous, and Concubine Hui and Concubine Yi knew about it.

After hearing Concubine Hui's words, the Eleventh Prince heaved a sigh of relief, picked up the teacup in his hand and sipped lightly, with graceful gestures.If it weren't for the tips of his ears still being red, I'm afraid he really couldn't tell that his heart was full of spring water ripples.

Concubine Yi sat on her seat and smiled softly, took the teacup from Lan Xia, the eldest maid of Deyang Palace, and handed it to Concubine Hui: "Sister, I have been laughing for so long, I must be thirsty, drink some tea to moisten my stomach." Soothe your throat."

Concubine Hui tasted the tea, savored it carefully, her eyes lit up, she looked at Concubine Yi and said, "Youwei, what kind of tea is this, it even smells like a lotus flower."

The corners of Concubine Yi's lips curled up, and she looked at Concubine Hui, her delicate peach-blossom eyes were filled with warmth like water: "It's just wrapping the gauze with good tea leaves in the lotus at dusk. The lotus closes at night, and after a night Influenced by the tea, the tea naturally has a fragrance. I also added some lotus heart in it to clear away the inflammation. But this tea tastes better if it is made on the same day. If my sister likes it, I will cook more these days Just bring some to my sister."

Concubine Hui shook her head, took another sip, and said, "It's tiring for you to take so much trouble. It's just a fresh meal."

Seeing that the teacup was empty, Concubine Yi poured another cup of clear tea into the pot: "It's not very troublesome."

My sister was bumped by Zhaoyang Palace some time ago, and she was very angry, this kind of tea is the most suitable.

As for picking the tea leaves by herself, and taking a boat by the lotus pond in the evening to look for the best lotus leaves, she would not tell Concubine Hui about such things.

While speaking, the court lady Lan Qiu came in and saluted, and reported respectfully: "Your Majesty, the second wife and eldest miss of Zhen Guohou's Mansion are waiting outside the hall."

Concubine Hui immediately laughed, and said repeatedly: "Hurry up and ask sister-in-law and come in slowly."

Lin shi walked in with Yun Qingxuan. The two first saluted Concubine Hui and Concubine Yi, and then saluted the Eleventh Prince.

The eleventh prince stood up, turned slightly sideways and received Lin's half-respect, looked at Yun Qingxuan, smiled warmly and nodded in greeting: "Cousin, we meet again."