Xiao Langyan authorized Shen Dingzhu's sister-in-law, Zhao, to live in a side courtyard of the palace for a few days and talk with Shen Dingzhu.
With Zhao's company, Shen Dingzhu was visibly happier, and his whole body became radiant again.
On this day, Shen Dingzhu invited Mrs. Zhao to go to the streets with her to buy some suitable fabrics to make clothes for her nephew Shen Qingshan.
In the carriage, Mrs. Zhao took Shen Dingzhu's hand and smiled softly: "I couldn't say these things to you in the palace before. The prince treats you better and better. Originally, I was worried about your situation. Now that I think about it, it’s really superfluous.”
Xiao Langyan did this for Shen Dingzhu, and Shen Dingzhu knew that he was particularly gracious.
After all, the relationship between the two is an exchange of interests. She hasn't done anything for him yet, but he is willing to understand her difficulties.
Shen Dingzhu smiled softly, her pink cheeks were soft and delicate, and she was extremely beautiful.
"Your Majesty, I will repay you for your kindness. Sister-in-law, I am tired after shopping for so long. Let's go to the teahouse to rest for a while and then return to the palace."
She said, and with Zhao's agreement, they got off the carriage and walked into the tea shop.
Shen Dingzhu asked the waiter to open a private room, ordered a pot of Longjing and two plates of pastries, and sat and chatted with Mrs. Zhao.
The two were talking, and in a blink of an eye, Shen Dingzhu seemed to see a familiar figure entering the teahouse.
She looked intently, but couldn't find the person just now.
When Mrs. Zhao saw her in a daze, she asked, "Little sister, what's wrong?"
Shen Dingzhu looked away with a smile and shook his head: "I thought I saw an acquaintance, maybe I was dazzled."
She just thought she saw a drunk Zhou Luli.
The figure of that man looked too similar to him, but with Zhou Luli's personality, there was no way he could walk around in the street drunk.
After resting with Mr. Zhao in the tea shop, they went downstairs together. The door of the private room next to them was pushed open violently, almost hitting Shen Dingzhu.
Shen Dingzhu hurriedly avoided, and Mrs. Zhao was shocked, frowning and said: "I am so impulsive young master, this is a tea shop, not your own house, why are you so reckless."
She quickly pulled Shen Dingzhu and looked up and down: "Little sister, are you okay?"
Shen Dingzhu was stunned, seeing that the person who pushed the door rashly just now turned out to be Zhou Luli.
Still smelling of alcohol!
"General Zhou, why are you here?" So it turns out she wasn't wrong just now?
Zhou Luli squinted his eyes, and after seeing clearly that it was Shen Dingzhu, he grasped her slender wrist with his broad palm.
"Come in." He directly dragged her into the private room.
Ms. Zhao was startled: "What do you want to do?"
Shen Dingzhu waved his hand towards her, indicating that Mrs. Zhao did not need to be afraid: "Sister-in-law, please go back to the private room just now and wait for me. This is my friend. Just say a few words and come."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Luli had already closed the door of the private room with a bang.
Then, he casually threw a piece of rough rope to Shen Dingzhu: "Tie me up."
Shen Dingzhu held the straw rope: "Ah?"
Zhou Luli had already taken off both of his outer robes, his handsome black brows were frowning, and his face was flushed abnormally.
"I said, tie me up!" He tried to stay awake and sat aside, his fingers gradually turning white due to suppressing something. "Miss Shen, I have helped you so many times, so please help me this time." help me."
Shen Dingzhu reacted, quickly stepped forward, and tied him up randomly.
Then, she placed the herbal tea near Zhou Luli and retreated to the wall as if avoiding a scourge.
"General Zhou, have you taken Chinese medicine?" She was not stupid. She could see that something was wrong with Zhou Luli's appearance.
"Yes," Zhou Luli did not hide anything, and said in a hoarse voice, "My family forced me to marry a wife, but Fu Yunzhi is not the person I want at all."
Shen Dingzhu was surprised because Zhou Luli would say such secretive words to her?
However, the next second, she calmly comforted: "The princes and nobles can't help themselves, so the general doesn't need to worry about it."
"If you can get a wife, maybe it's not as bad as the general thinks..."
Before Shen Dingzhu finished speaking, Zhou Luli interrupted with a quick breath: "Do you also think Fu Yunzhi is suitable for me?"
Shen Dingzhu paused: "That's not what I meant."
Then, she thought that in her current capacity, if she didn't want to drag Zhou Luli down, it would be better for the two of them not to be alone together for too long.
Otherwise, my sister-in-law will also be worried.
"General Zhou, this is your tea money. I stay here to repay your kindness for your hard work."
Shen Dingzhu put a piece of silver on the table, and then said, "My family is still waiting for me, so I'll take my leave first."
She had just turned around and walked to the door. Before she could open the door, a hot breath suddenly approached from behind and hugged her tightly from behind.
Shen Dingzhu exclaimed and hurriedly broke away, but Zhou Luli hugged her tighter.
"Come here!" She shouted for help, but Zhou Luli covered her lips.
"I will only hold you for a moment, just a moment." Zhou Luli suppressed the waves of fire in his body, his voice pleading.
However, Shen Dingzhu still struggled hard.
Until Zhou Luli said in her ear: "Don't you really want to know why that horse appeared at the emperor's birthday banquet?"
Shen Dingzhu pushed his hand away and froze in mid-air. Zhou Luli slowly let go of her. Shen Dingzhu turned around, his eyes trembling with luster: "What do you mean?"
Zhou Luli held the door open, his face flushed, as if he was extremely uncomfortable, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Despite this, he still exercised restraint and said, "Do you think it's possible for a horse to pass through the layers of forbidden troops and reach the Palace of Fortune and Longevity?"
"And the only person who has the ability to hide this from others is Prince Ning. Don't you know that Concubine Xian wants to marry Prince Ning to Ma Shangshu's daughter?"
"Prince Ning agreed to this matter, but Ma Shangshu seems to belong to Prince Ming, so do you understand now why he attacked Ma Shangshu?"
Shen Dingzhu's eyes flickered, suspicious.
These things sounded unbelievable to her, but when she thought of Chen Heng who appeared nearby in time that day, Shen Dingzhu felt suspicious again.
Zhou Luli looked at her with a look that seemed caressing and filled with deep gentleness.
"I know that Prince Ning doesn't love you, and I also know why you stay with him, but do you really think that Xiao Langyan will help you bring back all your family members because of his ruthlessness?"
"He only has his own interests in mind. Otherwise, he will not destroy your hard work. When you have no conflict of interest with him, he may choose you. But once the two of you choose different paths, Shen Dingzhu , you will only become the sand in his eyes."
Mrs. Zhao waited outside for a long time, but Shen Dingzhu didn't come out.
Just when he was about to knock on the door, the door opened and Shen Dingzhu walked out with a white face.
Her expression was gloomy, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Mrs. Zhao glanced behind her and saw that the man who had just forced her into the private room was slumping down on the chair in despair, with his head lowered and silent.
"Little sister, he..."
"Sister-in-law, please don't mention anything about today to others after you return home." Shen Dingzhu came to her senses and reminded her proactively.
Ms. Zhao was stunned and nodded: "I won't talk nonsense, don't worry."
On the carriage back, Shen Dingzhu leaned against the wall of the carriage and remained silent. His eyes fell on a certain point outside the window, distracted along the way.
Suddenly, she asked Mrs. Zhao: "Sister-in-law, did you see your eldest brother when you went home this time?"
Mrs. Zhao shook her head: "The eldest brother has gone out to work as a woodcutter and make firewood. My parents said it will take several years for him to come back. Little sister, why do you ask this suddenly?"
Shen Dingzhu's smile was very sad: "It's nothing, it's just that I miss my own eldest brother."
Mrs. Zhao believed it, her eyes were soft, and she hugged her and gently comforted her.
But Shen Dingzhu was recalling another secret that Zhou Luli just told.
Xiao Langyan forced his sister-in-law's family to redeem her body so that Zhao could return to Beijing.
