People who think I'm ugly are so sweet

After that, Luo Tao reminded Song Yanqing that it was time to leave for the palace, and he waved Xu Xilu back to the palace.

In the Tidal Pavilion, Xu Xilu disappeared strangely in the middle of the night. Jiudong was so anxious that he almost cried. He almost went to tell Xu Taihe and Mrs. Zhang. Seeing that he came back safe and sound, he held back his tears.

Jiu Dong asked: "Young master, where did you go last night? I just stayed outside, why didn't I see anything!"

Xu Xilu smiled: "I just went to see a friend."

Xing Nong noticed with sharp eyes that she had never seen the clothes on Xu Xilu's body before, and just looking at the materials, even a wealthy family like Xu's mansion would not be able to use them.I'm afraid that the friend my young master went to see last night was not easy.

After Jiudong complained, he began to gossip, "Young Master, I heard that Madam and Master had a big fight early this morning, which made Master furious and directly restrained Madam's feet."

"Huh?" Xu Xilu played with taste, "So that's how it is." No wonder Xu Xuanying lost control in Prince Duan just now.The mother and son, apart from other things, are really sincere to each other.

Not long after, the servant from Zuixueju brought Wen Ning Wan over.It was a pity that Xu Xilu was no longer needed, so he asked Xing Nong to put the Wen Ning pills and the washed old clothes together, put them away carefully, and return them to Song Yanqing when he had a chance.

It was night, and the night was as cool as water.

Although Xu Taihe ordered that the Zhang family not be allowed to visit during the confinement period, Zhu Ping managed to open the door of the ancestral hall with a few taels of silver.

Mrs. Zhang knelt in front of the tablet of Xu's ancestors, her eyes were slightly closed, a Buddhist bead was rolled in her hand, and she was chanting words.When she heard the sound of opening the door, her hands paused, "Here we come."

Zhu Ping closed the door lightly, holding a food box in her hand, "Madam has nothing for a day, let's eat something to pad my stomach first." Then, she opened the food box, took out a plate of horse cake and handed it to Zhang In front of Shi, the latter didn't even look at him, he just asked, "Is Xuanying okay?"

"It's okay, it's okay," Zhu Ping put down the pastry, with a happy expression on his face, "Master, I'm staying in Grandma's room tonight."

Mrs. Zhang sighed softly, "He did it for me."

"Ma'am, why are you bothering?" Zhu Ping persuaded earnestly, "You are such a dignified and dignified person on weekdays, why when you come to the master...you know that the master is angry, so be patient, so that you can please the master. joy."

"I don't want his heart, and I don't want it anymore." Zhang said calmly, "Now, I don't care about others. I only hope that Xuanying can fight for me."

Zhu Ping has followed Mrs. Zhang for many years, and knows her temper well. She knew that it would be useless to persuade her now, so she followed her and said, "Ma'am, I have already found out. The master was no different last night. He came out of Fuqu Pavilion early this morning. Then he came to our Shi'an Garden angrily."

"Xie Yao?" Mrs. Zhang pondered, "She doesn't even want her to be a housekeeper, so why did she suddenly take care of Xuanying's affairs?"

Zhu Ping thought for a while, then said: "Madam Xie may not be the one who wants to talk too much. Xiaoyu from Yinyan Pavilion said to the servant girl today that on the fifteenth day, when the second lady wanted to eat supper after nightfall, she went to the kitchen to get it. When I passed by the pond, I saw Mrs. Xie and the second young master together, and the two of them were whispering, not knowing what to say."

Zhang's face changed, "Xie Yao and the second child? Is she sure she read it right?"

"The moon was very bright that day, and Xiaoyu could see clearly." Even though there were only the two of them in the ancestral hall, Zhu Ping couldn't help lowering his voice, "Speaking of which, Madam Xie and the second young master did get closer. At that time, the second young master ran to Fuqu Pavilion every three days. Even the famous doctor that the Xie family specially found for Mrs. Xie was used by the second young master. Although Mrs. Xie is the second young master's concubine and she is getting old, but After all, she is still a beauty, madam, do you think the two of them will..."

Mrs. Zhang raised her hand abruptly, "This matter is no small matter." If there was something wrong with them, Mrs. Dong's fate would probably be light to them.

"What does the lady mean to investigate?"

Mrs. Zhang shook her head, thought about it again, and asked, "On the fifteenth day, is there anyone beside them?"

"Yes." Speaking of Zhu Ping, I felt a little regretful. If they were really alone and widowed to enjoy the flowers by the pool, as long as there were witnesses, they would not be able to tell with ten mouths, but there were just a few maids and servants. follow.

"It doesn't matter if there is." Mrs. Zhang smiled slightly, "This matter does not need conclusive evidence, as long as there is a little sign, we can ignite the fire."

Zhu Ping didn't quite understand Zhang's meaning at first, but when she slowly came to her senses, she almost wanted to clap her hands and applaud, "Madam is absolutely right, as long as this matter gets to Master's ears, even if it turns out to be false in the end, Master will not be happy." It is inevitable that there will be thorns. In this way, both Mrs. Xie and the second young master will have a hard time."

"We don't need to do it ourselves." Mrs. Zhang said slowly, "Is Qingyang still anxious about his marriage?"

"That's not true." Zhu Ping covered her mouth and smiled, "A girl who has not left the court pesters me every day, asking Madam when she will find someone for her. I feel ashamed for her."

"Go and tell her that as soon as she finishes this matter, I will start looking after her." Mrs. Zhang smiled ambiguously, "I must find a good home for her."

Three days later, Zhang's foot restraint was lifted, and the first thing she did after she came out of the ancestral hall was to confess her mistake to Xu Taihe.Xu Taihe has always respected her as his regular wife, and rarely sees her bowing her head to show weakness. Xu Xuanying has also stayed in Lin Ruyun's room these few days, and most of the anger in his heart has dissipated. Finally, he warned her with a few words. Even so.

In August, the sweet-scented osmanthus in the garden blooms, and the whole street is filled with a refreshing fragrance.In a blink of an eye, it was Xu Taihe's 45th birthday.

Xu Taihe didn't want to make a big deal as it wasn't his full year's birthday, he just wanted to have a reunion dinner with the whole family.Several young masters and ladies put all their energy into preparing gifts for him, but Xu Xilu didn't worry about it.Xu Changying knew that it was not easy for his younger brother to live in the mansion, so every year when he prepared congratulatory gifts for his father, he would also prepare a gift for Xu Xilu.Sure enough, two days before Xu Taihe's birthday, the servants of the General Zhenyuan's Mansion brought him a gift prepared by Xu Changying, a pair of copybooks written by famous people in the previous dynasty.Xu Taihe is in the Ministry of Industry, but he is also a scholar after all, so as long as you send him some masterpieces of calligraphy and painting, he will never go wrong.

Xu Anning was not as lucky as her brother.She is a girl who has lost her mother, and she has almost no spare money on hand, and her sister only thinks about her own marriage, so she doesn't care about her.After much deliberation, she could only embroider a picture of a hundred years of life with her own hands as a birthday present for her father.

Xu Anning stayed up all night, and finally finished embroidering the hundred-year-old picture. She was happy and didn't feel tired, so she ran to Xu Qingyang's room to share the joy with her.When she got to the yard, she realized that it was midnight, and the second sister must have gone to bed long ago.She walked to the door of Xu Qingyang's room with a glimmer of hope, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the light was on inside. When she was about to knock on the door, she heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the room.

"Second Miss, is your method feasible?"

Xu Anning thought for a while, only felt that this voice seemed to be heard in Shi'an Garden, could it be Madam's?

"Why can't it work?" Xu Qingyang said, "Since Xu Xilu has such a good relationship with Mrs. Xie, he will definitely go to the appointment. When the time comes, we can just go to the theater."

The man seemed not at ease, "Second Miss, forgive me for talking too much, but the handwriting must be imitated..."

"I know, I know," Xu Qingyang said impatiently, "Go back quickly, don't delay Miss Ben's sleep."

Hearing this, Xu Anning hurriedly slipped back to her room.She hugged Baishoutu tightly, recalling every sentence she heard just now, her deer-like eyes were full of panic.

The next day, just as Xu Xilu had finished his breakfast, Xing Nong came to report: "Miss San is here."

Seeing Xu Xilu, Xu Anning's mood, which had been restless all night, finally calmed down a little.Xu Xilu saw that there was a change in her complexion, so he asked Xing Nong to serve her a cup of hot tea before asking her what happened without haste.

Xu Anning collected himself and told Xu Xilu everything he heard last night. "Second brother, I don't know what they are plotting, but I vaguely feel that second sister wants to..." Xu Anning continued with difficulty, "I want to kill you, second brother."

Xu Qingyang wanted to harm himself so that Xu Xilu wouldn't be surprised at all, but he didn't expect Xie to be involved in it.Xu Xilu ran through the information Xu Anning gave in his mind: he has a good relationship with Mrs. Xie, he went to the appointment, his handwriting...

Seeing that Xu Xilu hadn't made a sound for a long time, Xu Aning called softly: "Second brother?"

Xu Xilu came back to his senses, and said gently: "An Ning, thank you for telling me this matter, I know it well, don't worry."

Xu Anning nodded, hesitated to say: "Second brother, I have persuaded my second sister several times to let her live in peace of mind, but she has never listened to a word, I can't stop him , and I don't want my second brother to be hurt, I, I'm a little scared..." Xu Anning's eyes gradually turned red again as he spoke.

Xu Anning is just a teenage girl, and it is difficult for her to choose between her elder sister and elder brother, let alone Xu Qingyang is her sister born with the same mother.Xu Xilu was very touched and gratified that she could do this. "An Ning," Xu Xilu said in a gentle tone that Jiudong had never heard before, "Your kindness, my second brother will remember it."

On the day of Xu Taihe's birthday, Xu Changying and his husband Yu Rongbei rushed over from General Zhenyuan's residence early.Xu Xilu seldom saw this brother-in-law once a year, but he had a good impression of him.This Yu Rongbei is completely in the style of a warrior, more generous and hearty than Xie Qingshen, and it is said that he has the potential to be fearful.Every time he came to Xu's mansion, facing the serious old father-in-law who had read poetry and books, he would be very cowardly, put on a serious face, and when the elder left, he would tug on Xu Xilu to chat with him like a joke.

Before lunch, the female relatives were talking homely in the back room, and a few men were sitting outside chatting awkwardly.In addition to Yu Rongbei, two young masters who have a good relationship with the Xie family and the Xu family also came.After all, with the relationship of the Xie family, these two families can be regarded as family friends.

Xu Taihe, Xu Xuanying, and Xie Qingshen were all civil servants, and no one else could get in their mouths when they talked about important affairs in the court.Xu Xilu and Xie Qingshen sat facing each other, their eyes staring wide-eyed; Yu Rongbei sat next to Xu Xilu, showing an expression of listening carefully, but his eyes began to relax long before half a stick of incense.In the end, Yu Rongbei couldn't bear it first. Seeing that the people above were chatting happily and had no time to pay attention to himself, he nudged Xu Xilu with his elbow and whispered: "Xi Lu, what gift did you give your father-in-law this year?" ?”

Xu Xilu leaned slightly in his direction, "A set of copybooks, as in previous years, was prepared by my elder sister for me."

Yu Rongbei said disapprovingly: "Your sister has given these to you all these years, nothing new. Brother-in-law, I made a special trip to find a famous craftsman in the capital, and wanted to carve a gold statue for my father-in-law for him. Who would have thought that after your sister knew about it, she would send it to me?" I scolded a bloody head, saying that I was vulgar. Xilu, do you judge, which is better, copybook or gold?"

"Gold." Xu Xilu said without hesitation, "Brother-in-law, next time you want to give me a gift, just stick to your own ideas and don't listen to my sister."

Yu Rongbei looked moved as if he had found a confidant, "I knew you understood me!"

Xie Qingshen watched the two chat so happily, but she couldn't participate in it, and the depression on her face could hardly be hidden.

"By the way, I heard from your sister that you want to find a job in the army?"

Xu Xilu hurriedly said: "I'm just talking casually, brother-in-law don't worry about this soon."

Yu Rongbei smiled slyly, "Originally, brother-in-law, I couldn't help you even if I wanted to, but I didn't expect you, kid, to be able to. When did you climb up the high branch of Prince Rui?"

Xu Xilu looked blank: "Huh?" Having drank wine together, taken aphrodisiacs/medicines, bathed, and stayed up all night, is it considered climbing?

Yu Rongbei was about to explain, when he suddenly heard his father-in-law call his name, he immediately stood up reflexively, "Father-in-law! What do you want?"

Xie Qingxin almost laughed out loud gloating, Xu Xuanying also showed a faint smile, but that smile faded the moment she saw Xu Xilu.Xu Taihe shook his head helplessly, and said: "Today, King Bei'an's proposal to marry the royal daughter-in-law has been approved, and the final decision is King Ning's Princess Huiyang, and the wedding date is set at the end of this year. According to the practice of this dynasty, At that time, the Forbidden Army of the capital will escort Princess Huiyang to marry the northern border, is there such a thing?"

Yu Rongbei said respectfully: "Yes, my father is old, the Holy One is sympathetic, and he is allowed to stay in Beijing, and my son-in-law will escort the princess all the way north."

Xie Qingsu said: "Northern Xinjiang is where I go to the extreme north. It is winter every year for half a year. It is frozen three feet, and there are constant sudden snowfalls. The territory is vast and sparsely populated."

Yu Rongbei added: "But this is the border between our dynasty and Beiliang. Every winter, the people of Beiliang will raid the border and plunder. It is extremely rampant. In order to prevent foreign invasion and protect the people on the border, Beiliang King An had to be guarded with heavy troops all year round."

Xu Taihe stroked his beard and said, "King Bei'an is the only king of the opposite sex in my dynasty. Back then, he volunteered to go to that cold place, and he sacrificed a lot."

"My father-in-law is very right," Yu Rongbei echoed, "The Holy Majesty is deeply impressed by the loyalty of King Bei'an. If there is an unmarried princess in the royal family, I am afraid that the princess is willing to marry. Otherwise, the Queen Mother will not be so precious." My little prince went to northern Xinjiang to send him off—”

Xu Xuanying's hand holding the teacup shook, and the tea overflowed from the cup. He didn't care to wipe it, and asked, "Is it the little prince who sent Princess Huiyang to marry?"

Yu Rongbei didn't know why Xu Xuanying was so excited, and stammered: "Yes, yes...Is there any problem?"

Xie Qingsu said: "Prince Duan has a distinguished status, so he is the best candidate."

"That's right," Xu Taihe agreed, "Only when Prince Duan goes, can he be worthy of King Bei'an's hard work."

Xu Xuanying showed anxiety, "But the climate in northern Xinjiang is harsh. In winter, it is completely icy and snowy. My little prince grew up in Shangjing. How can he stand that kind of place?"

Xu Xilu smiled and said: "After all, the young prince is also a grown man, others can bear it, why can't he bear it?"

Xu Xuanying suddenly turned to Xu Xilu, her face no longer had the warmth of the past, and said ferociously: "What do you know! You don't know him at all!"

As soon as these words came out, several people looked at each other in blank dismay.The eldest son of the Xu family has always been gentle and refined, how could he lose his composure in such an occasion with outsiders?Xu Taihe also showed concern, warning: "Xuanying."

Xu Xuanying realized her impoliteness, took a deep breath, and forced a smile, "I was in a hurry and accidentally made a slip of the tongue, please forgive me, second brother."

Xu Xilu said generously: "Brother and the young prince are brothers and sisters, so naturally they will be worried about them. I can understand that the elder brother is at ease."

Several people talked again, and at noon, they went to the middle hall for dinner together.After the meal, the Zhang family sent someone to spread the word, saying that they had specially invited a well-known theater troupe from central Beijing to come to Xu's mansion to set up a stage to celebrate Xu Taihe's birthday, and everyone moved to the backyard.Xie Qingshen came to the Xu Mansion several times, and it was the first time that she met the female family members of the Xu Mansion except the two wives.He touched Xu Xilu, looked at Xu Qingyang and Xu Anning, and asked in a low voice, "Are these your two younger sisters?"

"Yes, the one wearing the carmine dress is my second sister, and the other is my third sister," Xu Xilu joked, "Does it look good?"

"It's pretty," Xie Qingxin admired sincerely, "especially your second sister, who looks like you."

Xu Xilu laughed: "Like me? Are you sure?"

Xie Qingsu said: "Second Miss Xu, there is a certain resemblance between her eyebrows and eyes."

Even Xie Qingsu said that, Xu Xilu had to face up to this problem.He has always had a bad impression of Xu Qingyang, and he inevitably wears tinted glasses when looking at her. In his opinion, Xu Anning is ten times prettier than her.But when I think about it carefully, everyone said that after he lost weight, he was carved out of the same mold as his biological mother Liu, and they also said that Aunt Dong entered Xu's mansion because of her appearance that was [-]% similar to Liu's. Xu Qingyang With the same father as him, it seems reasonable that they both look alike.

Xu Xilu tried to look at Xu Qingyang objectively, and he found that she also had a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes, which he didn't usually notice.

Xu Xilu was in a complicated mood.

Everyone sat down in front of the stage, and the servants served tea and snacks, Zhang said: "Master, let's order a play."

Before Xu Taihe could speak, Xu Qingyang interjected, "Father, my daughter has wanted to listen to this troupe for a long time, can I let my daughter order it first?"

Xu Taihe was in a very good mood, so this little matter was naturally happy to be dealt with.Xu Qingyang smiled, "Then click on "Chen Hou You Yuan"."

Xie said in surprise: "Today is the master's birthday, why don't you order some interesting plays?"

Xu Qingyang acted coquettishly at Xu Taihe, "But my daughter just wants to listen to "Chen Hou You Yuan", so I begged my father to agree with my daughter."

"Okay," Xu Taihe said with a hint of indulgence in his tone, "Just order "Chen Hou You Yuan."

This troupe is indeed well-known in Beijing. The Huadan is very beautiful in appearance and has excellent singing skills. Every word is pleasant to the ear, with twists and turns, as if it can sing to people's hearts.Everyone listened with gusto, except Xu Xilu and Yu Rongbei.

Yu Rong's north hand kept reaching for the snacks on the table, happily eating one bite at a time.Xu Changying was sitting among the female relatives, seeing his gluttony, he was both amused and angry.She said to Lin Ruyun at the side: "It's better for my younger brother and sister to marry a gentleman."

Lin Ruyun smiled gently, "I envy my sister, but my brother-in-law is famous in Beijing for loving people."

"That's right," Xu Anning said with a smile, "I heard that my brother-in-law swore not to take a concubine on the day he married his sister. This is something that no woman can ask for."

"Just like him, girls don't want to be his concubine." Xu Changying said so, but the smile in his eyes couldn't be concealed.

Xu Qingyang secretly rolled her eyes, and muttered: "What are you showing off?" When she finished that matter for her wife, she would definitely find a husband's family that was even more impressive than General Zhenyuan's residence.

Yu Rongbei was not interested in listening to the opera, while Xu Xilu couldn't understand it at all.The theater troupe was babbling on stage, while Xu Xilu was bewildered offstage, clapping along with everyone.Finally, he couldn't bear it any longer, and asked Xie Qingsu beside him: "Qingsu, who is this Empress Chen?"

Seeing Xu Xilu's face full of thirst for knowledge, Xie Qingsu's eyes flashed a very faint smile, "Empress Chen is a queen mother from the previous dynasty. She was originally the concubine Chen of Emperor Taizong of the previous dynasty, but when Taizong was seriously ill, she was the same as at that time. The crown prince had an affair with Emperor Gaozong. Taizong was furious when he found out about this, and immediately ordered Concubine Chen to be executed. In order to save her, Emperor Gaozong launched a palace coup and killed the king to seize the throne. The next son was also established as the crown prince. Three years later, Emperor Gaozong died of illness, and the young emperor came to power. Chen Hou listened to the government behind the curtain, and controlled the government for decades, and finally let the young emperor become the subjugated king of the previous dynasty."

After listening to Chen Hou's story, Xu Xilu said leisurely, "I think I probably know why my second sister ordered this play."

When the play was over, the crowd applauded again.Mrs. Zhang took a sip of her tea and said, "Sister Xie's words are right. This "Chen Hou You Yuan" is indeed a bit inappropriate."

"This Empress Chen is too shameless," Xu Changying said. "At that time, she knew that Emperor Gaozong would pass by the garden, so she waited there on purpose, and pretended to be a chance encounter. In my opinion, she saw that Emperor Taizong was about to die. Well, it’s all about finding a way out for yourself early.”

Xu Qingyang said: "Empress Chen is obviously Taizong's concubine, so to speak, Gaozong's concubine, and the two actually hooked up and killed their father and husband. I don't know how many women learned about her deeds and imitated her to do something. The scandal that heaven and earth cannot tolerate—”

"Enough." Xu Taihe's face turned cold at some point.Chen Hou has relied on three men to take the position in her whole life, and played with them in the applause. Her life can be regarded as a slap in the face to all men in the world.Xu Taihe couldn't help regretting that he agreed to Xu Qingyang's request just because he was happy. "Click to play."

Mrs. Xie exchanged meaningful glances with Zhaohua, and said: "I feel a little unwell, I think I just ate too much wine, I want to step back and get some air."

Xu Taihe said dispensable: "Let's go."

The next play was "The Picture of Eight Meanings" ordered by Xu Xuanying. When singing this play on stage, the men in the audience were obviously much more serious than before. Even Yu Rongbei put down his focus and concentrated on watching the play. , Xu Taihe's complexion also looked much better.

At this moment, an unfamiliar boy bent down and walked to Xu Xilu, and handed him a folded piece of paper, "Second Young Master, Miss Zhaohua from Fuqu Pavilion asked me to give it to you."

"En." Xu Xilu took the note, opened it, and saw that it said: I have something important to say at the banquet, come to the garden quickly.

Xie Qingsu saw Xu Xilu suddenly smiled inexplicably, and couldn't help asking: "What's the matter?"

Xu Xilu leaned into Xie Qingsu's ear, whispered something, then got up quietly, and smiled at him, "I'll come as soon as I go."

On the surface, Xie Qingsu just nodded calmly, but there was a touch of red glow on the base of her ears, as if Xu Xilu's aura still remained on her.