It was extremely quiet in Fulu Courtyard.
As soon as Forsythia opened the curtains in the house, warmth rushed towards me.
Mrs. Liu was not there, and the old lady was surrounded by Nanny Fu. When she saw Song Jinyin coming in, she asked everyone else to retreat.
"But something happened to Yan Zhou?"
The old lady didn't look at her, just drank tea and spoke calmly.
I don't mean to be embarrassed, but when I think of my eldest grandson's empty backyard, I can't put on a good face.
"Back to the old lady, the eldest lady went to Zhuya Courtyard today. The prince wanted to cancel the matter of the eldest lady learning the rules, and specially asked the servant to come and ask the old lady for instructions."
"Eliminate Wen Shuxue's rules? Why?"
After hearing this, the person above looked at her and frowned.
She knew her granddaughter's virtues very well, but she couldn't justify the fact that she had to ask her to teach her how to behave after just a short time.
"But Wen Shu went to Zhuya Courtyard to cause trouble again?"
Listening to the old lady's angry voice, Song Jinyin suddenly thought of Pei Musheng again.
The third girl can actually make the old lady happy, but there is a layer of separation between them. After all, the old lady's eyebrows lack some sincerity.
However, if only the third wife can rely on her in the future, this concubine may indeed not be too important.
...
After Song Jinyin left, Pei Yanzhou took people to the study.
The eldest princess deliberately asked him to lead people, presumably because she had the intention of guarding against the emperor.
Pei Yanzhou did not want to get involved in this matter, but after all, Lin Jingxiu had been his friend for many years and knew his temper well. He naturally wanted him to secure his position as the lieutenant general.
"Can you find out who tampered with your horse last time?"
"Everyone with clues is dead. But although there is no evidence, I think no one wants me dead except the prince."
"Not necessarily, and the prince may not really want you to die. At least it's still early."
After saying this, Pei Yanzhou picked up the ink pad, but as soon as he raised his hand, he remembered Song Jinyin quietly studying ink beside him.
She has not been seen in this room for a long time.
Come to think of it, she is the only person in the world who has hands that are not afraid of menial work, but can also play the piano, study ink, and twist needles for embroidery.
"Except for the prince, I can't think of anyone else."
Lin Jingxiu's words interrupted Pei Yanzhou's thoughts. He came back to his senses, moved his wrist casually, and pushed Mo Ding nonchalantly.
"My eldest sister has now established a firm foothold in Beirong, and she is a threat to him. Unless I die, as long as my mother's lineage still relies on her, he will not be able to win her over completely."
"You also know that the eldest princess and your eldest sister will need to rely on you in the future."
Pei Yanzhou put down what he was holding, took a pen to add ink, and put it on the paper.
"Be more prudent in the future. The court is not as peaceful as it seems."
"I know, so this isn't a practice with you?"
Lin Jingxiu's seriousness faded away, and he turned into a carefree look, but his eyes were clear, not really that dandy.
"Are the affairs of the Ye family related to you? I heard that last time something happened to Xu Youyi in your house, and then the Ye family made a big fuss. Until this time the Chen family came to ask for marriage, could it be that during this time What’s the connection?”
"The man she married, please don't blame me."
"Who told her that she is only thinking about you, Prince Pei? She can't do it without thinking too much."
Lin Jingxiu sat down next to him, raised his hand to pick up the tea cup and took a sip, then frowned and said, "This tea is not as good as Song Jinyin's craftsmanship."
"How many times have you drank from her craft?"
"Not much, less than ten."
Seeing Pei Yanzhou glance over at him coldly, Lin Jingxiu approached him without fear of death.
He has been a friend for many years. Although he doesn't know much about the affairs in the Duke's Mansion, he also knows that Pei Yanzhou's life is not going smoothly. Only when he brought the little girl with them when he was a child, he could occasionally feel a little relaxed on his face. .
It's just that those days were too short, so short that they just started and ended abruptly due to the death of the Duke's wife.
Later, he never asked about the affairs in his courtyard. He only knew that Song Jinyin was serving in his courtyard and was not valued by him.
Lin Jingxiu also thought that the relationship between the two of them was just a maid and a master, and at most they could add a maid in the same room to serve as the prince's concubine.
But now it looks like it's more than that.
"I told you last time that if you have a royal concubine in your backyard, why not give Song Jinyin to me..."
Before the joke could be finished, Lin Jingxiu's breath suddenly went cold, and he had to change the subject, "Then I thought about it, and I still can't say such wild words casually in the future."
Seeing that man retracting his gaze, Lin Jingxiu's guess became clearer, but he still couldn't help but think twice before speaking again.
"Yesterday you gave your maid to Xu Youyi, and to make him happy, you bought all the chestnuts in the west of the city. Is this true?"
"It can be true or false."
"The maid who gave the gift is Song Jinyin?"
Pei Yanzhou finally stopped writing and met his cold eyes, "What do you want to say?"
"It's really Song Jinyin... I want to say that if you really care about her, you'd better be more considerate. She is not an object after all. Being pointed around like this will inevitably alienate you."
"care?"
Not knowing if someone had glimpsed his thoughts that he didn't want to admit, Pei Yanzhou's face darkened slightly and his jaw tightened for a moment, "When did I say I cared about her?"
"Seriously? If the concubine comes into the house and embarrasses her in the future, you won't care?"
"I will not marry a woman who likes to stir up trouble, and Song Jinyin has been by my side for many years. Her merits and demerits are equal to each other. I will not let her die easily."
"Just that?"
Lin Jingxiu was rarely serious.
He didn't want to care about these affairs of the back house, but if a maid got the role of taking care of her in the future, it would be her good fortune.
But if this master has a different affection, it is not a matter of a simple maid.
Especially Pei Yanzhou's temperament. If he identifies someone, he will definitely try his best to get everything from that person.
But if things go on like this, how can Song Jinyin still put her sincerity on him? She is probably already completely heartbroken and wishes she could be separated from him clearly.
"My eldest sister originally talked about a marriage before they got married, but that person abandoned my eldest sister's thoughts like worn-out shoes. Therefore, when His Majesty named her Princess Heyang, she was already devastated."
"She is not your eldest sister, and I will not care about her life or death. I will give her a status."
Pei Yanzhou interrupted Lin Jingxiu.
He knew what he was going to say, but it was just a trivial matter about the love between children. It should not and was not worthy of being said so carefully.
"That's all."
Lin Jingxiu saw his impatience and had no choice but to take back his words, "I just want to say something. Since you don't care about Song Jinyin, don't regret it if you get ignored in the future. Anyway, if I were Song Jinyin, I would definitely not dare to fall in love with you. I’m afraid of death, and I’m even more afraid of becoming someone’s stepping stone one day.”
Although he meant to remind him, if Pei Yanzhou didn't admit it, there was no point in speaking.
If the two of them really reach the point where they can no longer continue, it will not be him who regrets it. Then it would be okay to let his scheming friend suffer some pain.
"I'm not as good as you in other things, but when it comes to love, I have had some confidantes. If one day you can't figure it out and send someone to call me, a jar of wine in exchange for a harsh piece of advice, you won't lose."
Pei Yanzhou did not respond to Lin Jingxiu's joking remarks as usual, he only felt a little irritated.
He could see Song Jinyin's indifference.
She couldn't fault anything she said or did, but she just didn't look at him and didn't like to talk to him. Even if they slept together last night, her heart seemed to be somewhere else.
And his touch just now.
The resistance in Song Jinyin's eyes was stronger than before, and occasionally she could not hide her shyness because of his closeness. Since last night, there has been no trace of it.
Pei Yanzhou no longer wanted to write.
However, he was absent-minded for only a moment before he was interrupted by a knock on the door from outside. It was Butler Wang's voice.
"Your Majesty, there are people from Fuluyuan. They say that the old lady has invited Your Majesty to come over. Is Your Majesty free?"
Pei Yanzhou frowned, waiting for rejection, but suddenly thought that Song Jinyin was still there, and suddenly changed his words: "Well, I've brought back the person, I'll be there later."
Knowing that something was going on, Lin Jingxiu also stood up.
Just when he thought of the purpose of coming here today, the teasing in his eyes faded away, and his tone was rare and solemn.
"It's just fun on weekdays. I, Lin Jingxiu, will never forget the day you risked your life to save me. No matter what happens in the future, as long as you open your mouth, I will definitely be with you."
"Okay, the eldest princess has already come here, so there is no need for you to be so heavy today."
Pei Yanzhou glanced at him, picked up his cloak and prepared to leave the room.
"My mother was here first for the Lin family and then for me. But today I am here just for Lin Jingxiu."
Stopping, Pei Yanzhou finally regained his deep expression, and when his black eyes looked over, his aura suddenly burst out.
Seeing that Lin Jingxiu's eyes were firm and unflinching, Pei Yanzhou averted his gaze and calmly straightened the cloak in his hand.
"In that case, I accept your thank you gift."
After hearing this, Lin Jingxiu smiled again.
The turbulent river water that day was cold and bone-chilling. Without Pei Yanzhou, there would be no Lin Jingxiu.
He had to remember this favor.
"But Mrs. Pei, who only went there because of Song Jinyin?"
When leaving, Lin Jingxiu looked cynical again, but all he got in return for his teasing was Pei Yanzhou's cold face and his uncaring back.
