In Yi'an Palace, Chen Jie put her white and tender palms together and kept pacing in the palace, looking outside the palace from time to time, obviously waiting for someone to arrive.
Until the last ray of sunset fell, a gleam of light appeared under the corridor outside Yi'an Palace.
If you look closer, you can vaguely see a person walking at night holding a lantern.
When Chen Jie saw this light, her pretty face showed a relaxed look, and she hurriedly held up her palace skirt and walked towards the light.
"My son Chen Jie, the Li family, comes to see my mother. May my mother be blessed."
The moment Chen Jie saluted, the person holding the lantern stopped. With the light of the lantern, he could clearly see that the person coming was none other than the Empress Dowager Nangong Meng.
No one expected that the visitor would be Nangong Meng, carrying a lantern alone, and came to Chen Jie's Xiyuan without even bringing his personal eunuch.
Nangong Meng, who is in his early forties, shows no signs of time. Although his appearance is not as delicate and charming as Chen Jie's, every move he makes carries a graceful and luxurious temperament.
The term "mature elegance" is vividly reflected in Nangong Meng.
Feng Mu looked around slightly, and Nangong Mengdan's lips parted slightly.
"Without courtesy, let's talk in the palace."
Chen Jie gently stepped back half a step, walked to Nangong Meng's side, and took the lantern from Nangong Meng's hand.
"Mother, please come first."
Nangong Meng did not give in and walked gently towards Yi'an Palace.
Chen Jie's personal eunuch Gao Jin lit the candles in the hall, which instantly lit up the hall. Seeing that Nangong Meng's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were interested in talking, Gao Jin wisely retreated outside the hall, leaving the space in the hall to Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Chen Jie inserted the lantern rod into the buckle on one side, poured a cup of still warm tea and handed it to Nangong Meng: "Mother, please sit down!"
Nangong Meng nodded slightly, picked up the tea cup and tasted it briefly. The corner of his eyes kept examining Chen Jie's exquisite body, as if he wanted to see something.
Although the peripheral vision of Nangong Meng's eyes was very vague, Chen Jie still felt it. For a moment, she felt a little uncomfortable all over her body. She stood on one side with her green-white fingers intertwined, looking a little uneasy.
Nangong Meng gently did not put down the tea cup in her hand, her eyes stayed on Chen Jie.
"This kid Mingzhi didn't touch such a delicate beauty like you?"
Chen Jie's delicate body trembled, and her pretty face quickly turned red. The blush reached down to her neck and penetrated deep into her delicate body wrapped in clothes.
Reflecting the red light of the lantern, Chen Jie's shy posture has a unique flavor.
Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, Chen Jie mustered up the courage to look at Nangong Meng, and nodded slightly, her voice as imperceptible as a mosquito or fly.
"Yeah! Not even a finger touched!"
Although Chen Jie's voice was low, Nangong Meng could hear her clearly because of the distance.
Looking at Chen Jie's confused look, Nangong Meng's eyes became complicated.
There was some relief, but there seemed to be a hint of disappointment hidden at the same time.
Sighing silently, Nangong Meng stood up gently, grabbed Chen Jie's beautiful hand and patted it gently.
"Jie'er, the Ai family didn't think of such a strategy, but you also saw what happened on the school grounds outside Qinzheng Hall that day."
"Tens of thousands of soldiers did not listen to the holy will of the boy Ye'er. Instead, they were ordered to retreat by the boy Mingzhi, and they left the palace gates like a tide."
"This is an army with strict military orders."
"Both Ruizong and Yu'er have great trust in Mingzhi."
"The Ai family is also willing to believe in their vision of selecting people, and is also willing to believe in the loyalty of Mingzhi."
"But the Ai family trusts his character, but they are worried that the soldiers under his command are disloyal."
"When people exceed a hundred, they come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention that there are as many as 300,000 brave soldiers under Zhi'er's command."
"The Ai family is afraid. This kid Ye'er can't even control a hundred people in the civil and military areas of the Manchu Dynasty. How can he control hundreds of thousands of soldiers?"
"As a last resort, for the sake of the Li family's country and the emperor's stability, the Ai family can only let you seduce Mingzhi with your beauty and want him to become your subordinate."
"Since ancient times, there have been many stories about beauties and heroes' tombs where heroes were saddened by beauties."
"Based on what the Ai family knows about Mingzhi, once he touches a woman, he will definitely be responsible for her."
"This is a wrong move at the expense of innocence, but it is also a wrong move that cannot be helped."
"The Ai family also knows that they are sorry for Yu'er by doing this, but for Ye'er and for the sake of the Li family, the Ai family hopes that Ye'er has spirit in the sky and knowledge under the spring, and he will definitely understand the difficulties of the Ai family."
"It's just that it's hard on you."
"I hope you don't resent Aijia in your heart."
Chen Jie hurriedly shook her head: "I won't. I know in my heart that my mother is doing this for the emperor. As Ye'er's mother, I am willing to do anything for him."
"He is the flesh that has fallen off my body. When I think about how he will be restrained by important ministers in the court in the future, without the majesty of an emperor, my heart will feel as painful as a knife."
"But it is his destiny to be born in the royal family!"
"If you want to blame it, it's God's will to trick people. My husband's saintly demeanor has not yet unfolded, but he is halfway..."
"Alas, I didn't expect that my brother-in-law would be such an upright man, and he would not have any feelings of right or wrong towards me."
Nangong Meng's eyes became a little deeper: "Tell the Ai family everything in detail. Don't be shy. At this age, it's time to understand what it means to have no control over one's own actions."
Nangong Meng told Chen Jie not to be shy, but standing naked in front of a man, how could Chen Jie not feel ashamed? She is the mother of a country, and she is not a shameless woman.
Chen Jie took a few deep breaths to calm down her shameful mood.
"My son asked Gao Jin..."
The lights were dim, and Chen Jie was talking softly about what happened in Yi'an Palace. When she got to a certain point in the story, she was a little stuck due to shyness.
Finally, with the crackle of candlelight, Chen Jie told Nangong Mengting everything that had happened.
Nangong Meng was speechless for a long time, and fell silent with her phoenix eyes slightly narrowed.
For a moment, Nangong Meng looked at Chen Jie: "Did the kid Mingzhi really say that?"
"That's right, I definitely didn't hide a word."
Nangong Meng showed a look of relief: "Okay, Ruizong and Yu'er didn't misjudge the person."
"A king and his ministers will never betray each other. This child Mingzhi has become completely loyal to the Li family because of what happened to that little girl from the Kingdom of Jin."
"The rest is up to the child Ye'er. After the dynasty is over, we will take turns teaching the child Ye'er and never let him do anything that is estranged from the emperor and his ministers."
"If the government wants to be stable, it cannot do without Mingzhi's full help."
"My son, I understand!"
Nangong Meng thought for a moment: "Ruizong left a way out for future generations early on. Is this child Jingyao twelve years old?"
"I am only twelve years old after the Spring Festival."
"It will take another three years before you can marry a boy from the Liu family. I hope nothing happens."
"Let's do this. You and Ye'er will discuss the matter of choosing a concubine tomorrow. He is already fourteen and it's time for him to have a concubine."
"My son understands."
"You should go to bed early and the Ai family will leave first. Since nothing happened today, don't take it to heart. Just treat it as a dream."
"The Ai family will not doubt your disloyalty to Yu'er because of this matter. Just be open-minded and don't let it go."
"Thank you for your understanding, mother. I understand."
Nangong Mengfangrong looked melancholy, silently thinking about the blessings of the ancestors of the Li family, and disappeared into the Xiyuan holding a lantern.
.........
"Husband, Sister Yun said, do you plan to go back to Jiangnan tomorrow?"
In the corridor of Liu Mansion, the couple who had returned hand in hand walked towards the inner courtyard for a walk. The third princess waved her arms and asked the questions in her heart.
Liu Mingzhi smiled and nodded: "Yes, my husband does plan to go back to Jiangnan tomorrow."
The third princess nodded with reluctance in her eyes: "I have to keep vigil for my eldest brother and third brother, so I can't go with you. But why are you going back to Jiangnan at this time?"
Liu Mingzhi stiffened and narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at the silent Liu Mansion under the night.
"Sweep Uncle Third's grave."
"Sweeping the grave of Third Uncle? But the anniversary of Third Uncle's death has passed. It's too late to go back at this time!"
Liu Mingzhi gently twirled the ring on his thumb and shook his head.
"It's not too late. As long as you clean it up, it's never too late. It's your heart that goes back, not time!"
"Okay! Then this journey will take more than ten days!"
Liu Mingzhi nodded silently.
"Maybe, maybe longer, who knows for sure!"
In the dim night, the third princess did not see the complicated expression on her husband's face. She bit her lips lightly, glanced at Mr. Liu with her pretty eyes and leaned against him gently.
"How about having porridge with me tonight? It's been more than ten days!"
"Okay, let's have some porridge at your place today."
"Five bowls...no no no...seven bowls, okay?"
Young Master Liu trembled and looked at the shy third princess in horror.
"What, what do you think of as a husband? An animal."
"Even animals have to rest, right?"
Shukeju reading website:
