loving husband

two days later

Early in the morning, Sheng Yonglan went into the palace.

Dongxiu has always been used to getting up early, but in the past it was used to practice swords, or boil water and chop firewood. There are many things to be busy, but now she is too idle to panic.

Just after breakfast, a maid came in to report.

"Ma'am, Master Jing has come to pay his respects."

"Hello?" She was taken aback.Only then did I remember that Xianggong did mention yesterday that from today on, the child should come to say hello every morning, and everything will be as usual.

"This is what I ordered yesterday..." another maid explained. "In the past, Young Master Jing would come to pay his respects. It's just that Madam had an accident a while ago, so he was asked not to come here for the time being."

"Let him in." Dongxiu didn't care about these red tapes, but Xianggong had his consideration, so he sat down on the seat and said.

The maid was blessed and went out.

After a while, I saw a small figure stepping over the threshold, but his head was lowered, not daring to lift it up, and a little maid followed behind him.

Dongxiu deliberately put on a straight face, looking at him expressionlessly.

"Jing'er, hello to auntie." The little figure came to her, then knelt down and kowtowed.

The little maid behind her also followed Fushen to salute.

Hearing the fear in his immature voice, one can imagine how that Mrs. Rong Guo treated him in the past, Dongxiu coughed lightly. "Get up."

"Yes." Jing'er said with a trembling voice.

Seeing this, she deliberately asked in a cold tone. "Why keep your head down, did you drop something? Or did you do something wrong again?"

Jing'er inhaled forcefully. "I..." The smiling aunt I saw that day really made a mistake, she is still as scary as before.

"Returning to Madam, Master Jing is very good, he really did nothing wrong..." The little maid hurriedly answered for the little master. "Madam, please don't punish him, if you want to beat him, beat your servant..."

He pursed his mouth, although he was scared, he still didn't want to drag others down, so he yelled in a sobbing voice. "It's none of her business, if you want to punish me, you can fine me..."

The corners of Dongxiu's pursed mouth trembled, unable to pretend any longer, she burst out laughing. "I didn't say I'm going to punish you. You sound like I'm bad..."

These two words made Jing'er raise her small face in surprise, and looked at the narrow smile on her face.

"But judging from your performance just now, it can be said that you are brave, and I appreciate it very much." Dongxiu nodded approvingly, seeing that he was still staring at her in disbelief, the corners of her lips curved even further. "Come here!"

Seeing the aunt beckoning to him to go over by herself, Jing'er was still a little unsure.

"Master Jing, madam wants you to go over..." the maid said as she gently pushed him.

Jing'er timidly came to the aunt, carefully staring at her expression, for fear of turning her face again suddenly.

"A boy doesn't shed tears lightly, be brave..." Dongxiu took out a handkerchief to help him wipe away his tears. "No matter how painful or sad you encounter in the future, you have to be patient, you know?"

The startled little face looked at her helplessly.

In fact, she and this child are considered to be in the same sympathy, Dongxiu couldn't help expressing her feelings. "There are still many unfortunate people in this world. They are oppressed and persecuted by bad people, and they end up with nothing. But as long as they are alive, there is hope, so they must be stronger than others..."

Although Jing'er seemed to understand, but she could see that the old lady in front of her was very different from the old lady in the past, at least the old lady had never talked to herself in such an amiable manner.

"Are you really... aunt?" Jing'er asked anxiously.

Dongxiu burst out laughing. "I'm an old lady now."

Hearing this, he tilted his head and looked at the aunt, only to hear that the aunt had an accident and fell ill, but after recovering from the illness, she changed, there was nothing wrong with it.

"It's okay if you don't want to come to pay your respects in the future, I will mention it to your father." Seeing that he was so scared, Dongxiu couldn't bear it.

"No..." Jing'er shook her head vigorously. "My mother said this is the right thing to do, and it's also a rule. If you don't come to say hello, she will be angry."

She smiled slightly. "You came here yourself, I didn't force you."

Jing'er hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"I don't want to see people trembling when they see me again, as if I am a tiger that can eat people." Dongxiu couldn't help jokingly said, and she really made him laugh.

"If... it's the old lady now, I won't be afraid..." He replied in a low voice.

Dongxiu still heard it, and the smile on his face deepened. "Just don't be afraid."

"That day...you shouldn't have thrown the pebbles at Madam, please forgive me." Jing'er obediently admitted her mistake.

She pretended to be thinking about it. "Huh? Is that the case? Why can't I remember? Recently, my memory is really not very good. I keep forgetting things..."

Seeing this, Jing'er lowered her head and snickered.

Patting his head lightly, Dongxiu said again: "Okay, go back and be with your mother."

"Yes, ma'am." He glanced secretly, seeing Dongxiu still had a smiling face before leaving in peace.

In less than an hour, the maid came in again to report that Aunt Zhou had come to pay her respects.

"Ask her to come in." Dongxiu sat down on the chair again.

I saw Mrs. Zhou, all dressed in clean clothes, come to the front and kneel down. "My maidservant greets Madam."

"Uh..." Not quite used to having her peers give her such a big gift, Dongxiu instinctively jumped up from the seat, but was immediately pushed back by the maid beside her.

Dongxiu waved his hand. "No, don't be too polite, get up quickly."

"Thank you ma'am." Mrs. Zhou stood up slowly.

She gave a dry laugh. "There is no need to perform such a big ceremony in the future."

"Ma'am, etiquette cannot be broken." Looking at Madam with a smile on her lips, it was indeed different from what Jinger said. "The servant did not come to visit Madam until today, please forgive me."

And Dongxiu was also looking at Mrs. Zhou, and saw that she was wearing a cloth skirt with hairpins and no makeup on. Thinking of the other party's experience, she felt more sympathetic. "It doesn't matter, it's enough to have this heart."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Zhou Shifu turned around and said.

She remembered that her husband had said that Jing'er's mother ate vegetarian food and recited Buddha's name every day, and she would never be used to that kind of life. "If you feel bored and want someone to talk to, come to me anytime."

Zhou was taken aback. "lady?"

"It's okay if you don't want to, I won't force you." Dongxiu said hastily.

"No, thank you, Ma'am." As the master said, Madam's temperament is indeed different from before, she has become kind and friendly, which is a good thing. "Then the servant will leave."

After Mrs. Zhou left, Dongxiu put on a worried expression again, remembering the things that had been on her mind all along.

Didn't the elder brother and the others see the secret sign she left in the Digong Temple?Or is it no longer in the capital?What the hell is going on?

Chongde Palace

"...Retire!"

Amid the eunuch's yelling, all the dignitaries of the royal family and all the civil and military officials in the hall knelt down to send them off, and they didn't get up until the emperor stepped out of the hall.

"...Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the successor, how can it be changed at will?"

"That's right."

The ministers began to gather together in twos and threes, talking about each other with their own thoughts.

"But the emperor didn't mean that he had a dream for several days in a row, dreaming that the late emperor glared at each other and scolded him for causing fratricide, which is not a good omen."

"This is a big matter, I'm afraid the Empress will not agree to switch to the method of "secret reserve". "

"If the prince hears about this, he won't sit idly by..."

Looking at the discussion among the crowd, Sheng Yonglan expected this, and did not join their ranks, but quietly stepped out of the hall.

Although the emperor intends to change the way of setting up the heir, it is nothing more than hoping to put benevolence as the most important thing, rather than the eldest son to succeed to the throne, but it is conceivable that there will be many difficulties. The old school of princes and ministers naturally advocates following the patriarchal system. The power of this group of people is extremely Great, I will definitely persuade you to the end.

"...Mr. Rong is going back so soon?" The visitor's voice was full of bad intentions, and there were several eunuchs behind him. As soon as he heard the news, he rushed over from the East Palace.

"I've seen the prince." Sheng Yonglan thought to himself that he came really fast.

"I don't know what Rong Guogong thinks about what the father said in the hall?" The prince asked with a sneer.

"Going back to the prince is naturally to respect the emperor's decision." Sheng Yonglan said with reservations.

The prince smiled sinisterly. "What a respect! The emperor suddenly announced the "secret establishment of the crown prince" this morning. The prince thought that someone was instigating it behind his back. Don't you think so? "

Hearing this, Sheng Yonglan waited with a calm face. "Why did the prince say such a thing?"

"Ming people don't speak dark words. A few days ago, what did you and the emperor talk about in the imperial garden?" In this palace, there are quite a few eyes on him.

He arched his hands. "Back to the prince, because Lord Shoufu is not in the capital recently, the emperor lacks a chess friend, so he ordered the minister to play chess with him."

It was on that day that the emperor summoned him in private. On the surface, he was looking for someone to play chess, but in fact he wanted to hear his real thoughts. Finally, the monarch and his ministers reached a consensus. Their purpose was not to "secretly establish a reserve", but to How can we "destroy the prince".

Thinking that the emperor was still very emotional at that time, as the king of a country, but due to the patriarchal system, he couldn't even decide on the appointment of the crown prince, and he couldn't just watch the country fall into the hands of the prince and his relatives who were good at authority and gathered party feathers, Sheng Yonglan The reason for making this suggestion is to see what the prince and others will do.

"It's really just playing chess?" The prince snorted. "Everyone in the court knows that you and Shoufu are the most important ministers around the father. They have always trusted and relied on you. It can't be just a game of chess. They must have talked about something."

"The prince is overthinking." Sheng Yonglan still said the same thing.

"You have to understand one thing. Although the title of Rong Guogong was bestowed by the late emperor, it is still the only hereditary power. .” The more he kept silent, the more suspicious the prince became.

"It's best not to let the crown prince get any clues, otherwise..." He didn't finish speaking, but the threat and intimidation were beyond words. "snort!"

When the crown prince walked towards the other princes and ministers, Sheng Yonglan raised his eyelids, his face was as calm as usual, but the last sentence reminded him of Jing'er, mother and son, and he couldn't help feeling vigilant.

Sheng Yonglan didn't return to the mansion until near noon, when he heard that Aunt Zhou wanted to see him urgently.

So, he immediately came to the outside of the small Buddhist hall in the courtyard, looked at Mrs. Zhou standing in front of the Buddha with folded hands, and walked in. "Did something happen to Jing'er?"

"Master..." Zhou quickly turned around, his face full of anxiety. "Jing'er is fine, it's..."

Sheng Yonglan raised his right hand. "Speak slowly."

"Yes, just this morning, I went to Guanyin Temple to fulfill my vows, and I also listened to the master's lecture inside. I thought it was still early, and there would not be too many lunch guests, but unexpectedly... I met someone I knew before ..." she said rather uncomfortably.

"What kind of person?" he asked, frowning.

Zhou clasped her hands tightly. "At that time, my father was seriously ill. Jing'er's father knew about it, so he specially invited a doctor to see him. Unfortunately, the medicine didn't work in the end, and my concubine fainted because of being too tired. It was him who It was diagnosed that she was actually pregnant, Jing'er's father heard it nearby, and said happily that he was going to be a father... I didn't expect this doctor to recognize the concubine, so the concubine had to say that he had admitted to the wrong person .”

"Doctor..." Sheng Yonglan murmured.

"Master, you should be all right?" She looked anxious.Because one more person knew that he was carrying the Zhao family's flesh and blood in his belly, it would be more dangerous. If it got to the prince's ears, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Don't panic." He comforted Zhou first. "Do you know where I can find him in a pharmacy?"

After thinking and thinking, Zhou couldn't help shaking his head. "I don't know much about my identity, I only know that the doctor's surname is Xu."

Sheng Yonglan pondered for a moment. "I will send more people around to inquire, so don't think too much about it."

"Yes, sir," she said, taking a deep breath.

He walked out of the small Buddhist hall with a solemn expression. The inquiry had to be done in secret, not too blatantly, and even if the doctor recognized Mrs. Zhou, it didn't mean he would have something to do with the crown prince.

"If there is an eventuality..." Sheng Yonglan murmured with deep eyes.

This is not unfounded worry, but prudence, so some things have to be arranged in advance.

Shenshi——

Dongxiu came to the outside of the study, hesitating whether to go in and disturb her, and finally tapped twice.

"Come in." A deep voice came from inside the room.

She pushed open the door and poked her head in. "Master!"

Hearing this call, Sheng Yonglan, who was sitting behind the desk, raised his head and chuckled. "You came just in time, come in quickly."

"I heard that you were locked in the study all afternoon, and you didn't even have lunch..." Dongxiu closed the door and walked over. "What happened?"

Sheng Yonglan walked around the desk and walked towards her. "Just thinking about something."

"What are you holding?" Dongxiu looked at the tube curiously.

"This is the Iron Scroll of the Danshu." He handed the thing to Dongxiu.

"It's so heavy..." She barely caught it with both hands. "This looks like a bamboo tube, but it's made of iron... Huh? There are characters filled with cinnabar on it..."

"That's why it's called Danshu Iron Scroll, and it has another name, which is the Death-Free Iron Scroll." Sheng Yonglan was afraid that she would not be able to carry it, so he took it again. "This was given to the ancestors of the Sheng family by the late emperor to enjoy the privilege of avoiding death."

Dongxiu looked surprised. "I didn't expect it to be so useful."

"Because of some incidents in the court recently, and the prince has a lot of dissatisfaction with me, he tried to catch me to avoid future troubles, just in case..."

"You're worried that the crown prince will find out about Jing'er and his mother, and they won't be able to save their lives. That's why you thought of using the iron scroll to teach people." Dongxiu immediately made an association.

Sheng Yonglan's originally heavy expression softened because of these words. "That's right...you really understand me very well, and you can speak to my heart right away."

"Can this thing really save them?" she asked.

He pointed to the words filled with cinnabar on the iron scroll of the Dan book, which was written clearly. "Fortunately, our ancestors had the foresight. When the late emperor bestowed this grace, he made another request. Even if he is not from the Sheng family, as long as he has the consent of the Sheng family, he can use it to avoid death."

"So that's the case." Dongxiu nodded.

"I swore to Jing'er's father that I would keep their mother and son. If I can't do it, how can I be worthy of him? When it comes to a critical moment, I must use this grace..." Sheng Yonglan held her hand. "Although intellectually, I did intend to do so, but emotionally, I was quite hesitant."

Dongxiu couldn't help asking: "Why?"

"Originally, I hoped to use it to keep you. Once it was revealed that I was hiding the descendants of the Zhao family, the crown prince would never let me go. At that time, even you would be convicted..." "She" was just in an accident I exchanged with the original Jiang family, so I shouldn't be dragged down by myself.

Looking at the sincere eyes of the man in front of her, Dongxiu's eyes turned red.

"I don't want to involve you." Sheng Yonglan said softly.

Her nose was sour, and the guilt and anxiety that had been pressing on her heart these days finally couldn't bear it anymore, so she withdrew her hands.

"I don't deserve your kindness to me..." Dongxiu lowered her head, feeling very ashamed. "Actually, there is one thing I have never told you. It may sound absurd, but you must believe it, because everything I said is true and I never lied to you..."

Sheng Yonglan did not interrupt, but listened quietly.

"I'm not the "Jiang Dongxiu" you thought, that is to say, I'm not your original wife. I just threatened her to take me in a carriage that day. I didn't expect that there would be an accident on the way, and I accidentally exchanged with her. Come here, although she is right on the outside, but not on the inside...

"Although she and I share the same name and surname, our origins are very different. We are just an orphan who has no father or mother. He was adopted by Master when he was one year old. Since then, he has wandered around the rivers and lakes and made a living as a murderer. Senior brother and the others killed those who did something outrageous and heinous, all for the sake of eliminating harm for innocent people, even if the other party cannot pay the money, they are willing to seek justice for them..." Now that we are talking about this, Dongxiu finished speaking in one breath.

"I want to tell the truth every day, but...the better you treat me, the less I can say it. I know it's wrong to do this, but I really can't say it..."

He couldn't help but sigh with a smile. "Finally, I heard what you said."

"What... do you mean?" Dongxiu raised her head abruptly and asked in astonishment.

Sheng Yonglan held Dongxiu's hand again. "I've seen it for a long time. You are not my wife Jiang Shi at all, but someone else."

Hearing this, Dongxiu was shocked. "You...then why didn't you ask me?"

"You don't have scruples if you don't say that you may have something difficult to say or have a hard time, so I don't want to force you to confess, so I have to wait until you are willing to trust me as a person and believe that I will not hurt you, and then speak out." He said.

She whimpered. "I thought... I thought... why didn't you say it earlier?"

"I have been hinting at you, saying that what I want is the "you" now, as long as this "you" is willing to stay by my side, I will be satisfied, thinking that you will understand. "Sheng Yonglan thought it was obvious.

"I don't understand at all..." Dongxiu let go of the burden in her heart and couldn't help crying. "A big man, if you have something to say, just say it, why are you beating around the bush? It made me feel uneasy all the time, so how should I speak..."

It turned out that what this man really wanted was himself.

What I want is the real her.

Sheng Yonglan pressed her head against his chest, letting Dongxiu's tears flow into his heart. "And I love this "you". "

"Even... even if I don't have a good background?" she asked sobbing.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is who you are," he said.

Dongxiu also hugged him with her arms, took a deep breath, her voice choked with sobs. "Your wife should have run to me when the accident happened, and let my senior brother take her away. Sooner or later, she will find her here. I can't just focus on myself. I still have to find a way to exchange it with her. I can't Don't pay back."

Hearing what she said, Sheng Yonglan couldn't help but increase the strength of his hug, almost crushing Dongxiu's shoulders.

"If it really turns out to be that kind of result, are you... still willing to stay by my side? I can't give you the title of wife, but you have my heart and my people."

"I would... Of course I would..." As long as I could stay by his side.

With Dongxiu's promise, Sheng Yonglan felt at ease, and immediately remembered what he just talked about, so he got back to business.

"However, before you exchange back, in the eyes of others, you are still Mrs. Rong Guo. Although according to the law of my court, husband and wife are punished differently for the same crime, it will still make you suffer..."

"What are you talking about? Am I the kind of person who is greedy for life and afraid of death?" Dongxiu scolded angrily. "If you are really caught and put in jail, I will follow you and beheaded. Of course I will follow you to the underworld."

"Dongxiu..." Sheng Yonglan was moved.

"Although this body is not mine, we have been together for the past few days. In my heart, we are already considered husband and wife. How can we fly apart when disaster strikes?" She raised her chin and spoke firmly. "I have nothing, just one life, at worst, I will be a good man again in 18 years."

Hearing what Dongxiu said so proudly, he was moved and wanted to laugh.

"It's just that I have to wrong that Mrs. Rong Guo, and I have to bear my identity for the rest of my life." Dongxiu thought that the other party might not be able to bear the hardship, so she could only feel sorry for her.

He was reluctant, but he was persuaded.

"I can meet you in this life, what more can I ask for?"

Dongxiu blinked away the tears from his eyes. "We should thank God, otherwise, how could such a bizarre thing happen, and no one would believe it when it was told."

"Yeah, no one would really believe that," he said with a grin.

Until this moment, they finally opened up their hearts completely, there was no longer any secret between them, and their hearts towards each other became firmer.

"But don't think in a bad direction. No matter how powerful the crown prince is, if there is an emperor around, can't he be the master?" She looked disapproving. "What's more, before the Zhao family was sentenced to beheaded, Jing'er's mother hadn't entered the gate of the Zhao family, and Jing'er hadn't even been born. What's the matter with mother and son? How could they even be killed?"

Sheng Yonglan couldn't help smiling wryly. "The so-called full family copying means that anyone related to the Zhao family will be implicated. Jing'er's father and I are friends of eight worshippers. If it weren't for this title, the crown prince would never let me go. That's why all these years. Pay special attention, and although the emperor is the king of a country, he also has his difficulties."

"I don't know anything about the imperial court. I only know that innocent people don't deserve to die." She said angrily.

He hugged her and sighed. "I don't want you to understand either."

"If my martial arts is still there, I might as well kill that prince, lest someone else be killed by him." Dongxiu said bitterly.

"No nonsense!" Sheng Yonglan scolded.

Dongxiu smirked and said, "I'm just talking casually, I won't really kill him." Even if I wanted to do that, I couldn't do it.

"Let's wait and see what happens for now. I hope I'm worrying too much," he really prayed.

In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.

The Rongguo Mansion, which is getting more and more autumnal, is shrouded in the sound of rain.

Dongxiu couldn't sit still, and walked around outside holding an umbrella, even if the bow shoes on her feet were splashed, she didn't think it was disobedient, she just hoped for good news.

"Why haven't you come back?" she murmured as she walked.

The maidservants could only hold umbrellas and walk back and forth behind the master.

"Ma'am, Master is back home..." the maid shouted from afar.

"Are you back?" Dongxiu was overjoyed and immediately went to greet her.

When Sheng Yonglan walked into the courtyard, he saw his wife approaching in a hurry. He was really worried that it would be rainy and the road would be slippery, and he would accidentally fall down.

"How's it going? Any news?" she asked impatiently.

Sheng Yonglan held her wrist. "Go slowly... go back to the room first and then talk."

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Hearing what he said, Dongxiu immediately pulled him away.

The two stepped into the bedroom and turned away the waiters before they could talk.

"What do the people in the government say?" Finally, I was able to openly ask my husband to inquire about the eldest brother and the others, so I was naturally anxious.

"I'll drink my saliva first." He pretended to be tricky.

Dongxiu immediately poured him a glass. "Okay, here comes the water... Hurry up!"

"I only found out from the government in a roundabout way..." Sheng Yonglan sat down first, took another sip of water, under her staring eyes, chuckled and said, "Don't worry, they haven't caught you yet Eldest Brother and the others, apart from the capital city, and the nearest Jianzhou Prefecture and Kongding Prefecture, there is no news of arresting any criminals, so for the time being, they should all be safe."

She covered her heart and took a big breath. "Really? That's great. I'm still thinking that I haven't heard from you for so long. I'm really afraid that I'll be arrested. Now I can feel at ease."

"If there is any further news, the government will also send someone to inform me."

"Thank you, Mr. Sister." She immediately smiled. "Sanggong has been busy outside for so long, he must be hungry too? Would you like something to eat?"

Sheng Yonglan laughed lowly, and was about to say that he was not hungry, when he suddenly thought of the letter that the steward just gave him, so he took it out of his sleeve.

"Who sent the letter?" Dongxiu asked casually.

He shook his head. "The concierge said that about half an hour ago, I don't know which family's servant sent it. He didn't say anything, just said that he would give the letter to me."

Just when Sheng Yonglan wanted to open the letter to read, she stopped vigilantly.

"Beware of fraud!" Dongxiu took out a handkerchief and took the letter through a layer of fabric. "Walking on the rivers and lakes, you have to be careful everywhere. If someone deliberately sprinkles poisonous powder on the letter, if you accidentally touch it, you will immediately go to see the King of Hades..."

Dongxiu carefully opened it, took out the letter paper inside, checked it carefully, and handed it to him after making sure that it had not been tampered with. "It should be fine, just read what you wrote."

Therefore, Sheng Yonglan opened the letter paper folded in half and recognized whose handwriting it was at a glance, but he was a little surprised that the other party would suddenly send someone to deliver a letter.

"Who wrote it?" She couldn't lean over to look, so she could only ask.

After a while, he read the contents of the letter twice, and his brows became more and more wrinkled. "It was written by Chief Assistant Qu Master..."

"Since Mr. Shoufu asked someone to send it, why is it so mysterious? Are you afraid that people will know?" Dongxiu asked wonderingly.

Sheng Yonglan smiled at her. "You're right, you really can't let people know..." Because the other party "predicted" something, he specially ordered someone to send a letter to remind himself, so that he could prepare in advance. "In that accident, it was the carriage in his house that caused the accident, so I wanted to use this to repay the favor."

"What do you mean?" She was confused.

"Dongxiu, what I'm going to say next is very important, you have to keep it in mind..."

Seeing that he was so cautious, Dongxiu immediately sat upright and nodded vigorously. "Okay, tell me."

Afterwards, all their conversations were muffled by the sound of rain outside, and only each other could hear them.