"It's good that you know." Rong Duo's attitude was slightly cold, and he said with a hint of reproach in his tone, "Such rumors are really damaging to the reputation of the royal family."
Rong Zhen's attitude became increasingly docile, and he hurriedly replied, "It is your unfilial grandson who has troubled His Majesty with such a trivial matter. Your grandson will certainly resolve this matter as soon as possible!"
Looking at Rong Zhen, whose gentle nature bordered on weakness, Rong Duo's eyes flickered slightly. He sighed almost imperceptibly and said calmly, "Tell me the truth, what do you think of the Crown Prince Consort I chose for you?"
"The Crown Prince's wife is virtuous, gentle, and chaste. It is my good fortune to marry Ming Shi." Unable to fathom Rong Duo's thoughts, Rong Zhen could only give a proper and conventional answer.
Rong Duo remained silent.
For a moment, Rong Zhen felt uneasy, wondering which of his words had been inappropriate.
Rong Duo's gaze fell upon a pair of plum blossom vases in the corner of Qingliang Hall. The carefully stored vases were elegant and pristine, untouched by dust. He seemed to see again that delicate figure in pale yellow, a woman of unparalleled beauty, her silvery laughter still echoing in his ears, her phoenix eyes filled with longing and adoration for him—
But in an instant, her tearful eyes returned, and her soft lips uttered words of resolute determination, one word at a time—
“Grandfather—” Rong Zhen quietly looked up at Rong Duo, only to find that Rong Duo was unusually absent-minded.
After a short while, Rong Duo regained his dignified and solemn expression. He seemed somewhat tired and did not say anything more.
"Step down."
Rong Zhen had no choice but to get up, bow again, and quietly leave Qingliang Palace.
Just now, he saw Rong Duo's lips slightly parted as he was lost in thought, as if he were murmuring a name.
Did he see it wrong?
Chapter 111
Sure enough, as evening approached, An Ran saw two blankets of different thicknesses on the bed and secretly curled the corners of her lips.
She wouldn't embarrass herself again tonight, lest she do something inappropriate like falling asleep with her arm around someone's. Although it was a bit chilly in autumn, it wasn't that cold. Tonight, she just needed to lie quietly on her own side.
After the couple finished their dinner, a servant came to deliver a message that Qin Feng and Colin were requesting an audience.
Everyone in the court knew that Marquis Pingyuan had just gotten married yesterday, and even though the Emperor valued him highly, he still granted him a few days' leave. Qin Feng and Ke Lin, as his most capable subordinates, naturally knew this as well. After attending the wedding banquet yesterday, fearing their master's "majesty," they didn't dare to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber. They helped see the guests off before returning home.
Unless there is an urgent matter at hand, the two of them will not come to bother you.
"Ninth Sister, I'm going to the study. If I come back late, don't wait for me, you go to sleep first." Lu Mingxiu frowned slightly, told An Ran, and then turned to leave.
An Ran nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and hurriedly took out a thick outer robe and chased after him to the corridor.
Lu Mingxiu left in a hurry, wearing only a thin outer garment. It was fine inside the house, but it must have been very cold outside.
"My lord, the night is deep and the dew is heavy. Please be careful not to catch a cold." An Ran held the royal blue brocade robe with floral patterns in her arms and stood on tiptoe to try to put it on him. However, even though An Ran was considered tall for a woman, she was still quite different from Lu Mingxiu.
Therefore, An Ran tried twice but failed to tidy up Lu Mingxiu's clothes.
"Let me do it." Lu Mingxiu looked at his wife, whose nose was sweating profusely with anxiety, took the outer robe, and carefully put it on to put her mind at ease. "You should go back now, there's a draft here."
An Ran smiled and, to her credit, sneezed.
She rushed out and forgot that she was only wearing a thin apricot-yellow jacket with floral patterns. Now, with the cool breeze blowing, she couldn't help but feel a little chilly.
Seeing this, Lu Mingxiu quickly told her to go back to her room and rest. Only after watching An Ran lift the curtain and enter the inner room did he leave with peace of mind.
It was still early, so Anran was too embarrassed to lie down on the bed. Instead, she leaned against the large kang bed by the window in the end room, flipping through the booklets that Cuiping had taken out of the camphor wood box for her.
We'll be bringing Nian-ge'er back in a couple of days, so we need to tidy up the yard for him.
Anran originally intended to keep him by her side, but after hearing Lu Mingxiu say that Madam Zhou Yang had someone else to entrust her orphan to, she thought that Nian-ge must have a very deep relationship with this Qingping. She was afraid that he would not be used to being with her, so she prepared to set aside a courtyard for Zhou Nian alone.
Not far from the main courtyard is the Yilan Courtyard. Although the courtyard is not large, it is exquisite and complete with everything, and it has been recently renovated. The flowers and trees inside were planted at the same time, and there is also a small lotus pond with a few koi carp.
It will be habitable once some more furniture is added. We need to have someone clean it thoroughly in the next couple of days.
An Ran held the warehouse booklet, silently calculating in her mind.
Nian Ge'er is only three years old, so we need to be extra careful when choosing furniture for him. It's best to choose furniture with fewer sharp edges or other sharp points to avoid hurting him. We also need to take out more fabric to make clothes for him. An Ran remembered that when she saw him in the suburbs of Beijing last time, the fabric of his clothes was nice, but it was a bit old, and the material of his undergarments was not comfortable enough. She decided to take out some Songjiang cloth to make him a few comfortable undergarments.
This was considered a formal meeting with Nian Ge'er. Perhaps in Nian Ge'er's mind, she was now his stepmother, and she needed to present a gift to him.
"Cuiping," Anran called her over and said, "Bring me the booklet of my dowry jewelry."
Cuiping agreed and went, and soon returned with a rather thick booklet. It contained all the dowry that people had given her, the dowry from the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion, and the subsidies that Princess Yunyang and Third Sister had given her privately, all of which were registered here.
Anran chose a longevity lock inlaid with jade and pure gold for Niange'er, and two hairpins inlaid with South Sea pearls and pure gold for Qingping as a gift. Niange'er is a boy after all, and he would probably prefer interesting toys.
When Lu Mingxiu has time, we can ask him to help us buy some...
"Ninth Sister, why aren't you asleep yet?" When Lu Mingxiu came in, he saw the beautiful woman under the lamp staring intently at the book in front of her. She didn't even notice his presence when he came in and made some noise.
Her long hair was casually half-tied up, exuding a languid and alluring charm. The soft light made her flawless skin appear as smooth and lustrous as fine white jade, and her long eyelashes fluttered gently like small fans from time to time. Her delicate features looked almost unreal.
The gloom in Lu Mingxiu's heart was immediately dispelled, and his mood, which had been depressed because of what Colin had reported, improved a lot.
"My lord, you're back." An Ran quickly put the booklet in her hand aside and got off the kang (heated brick bed) by the window.
Lu Mingxiu nodded slightly, recalling her focused expression just now, and couldn't help but ask, "What were you looking at so intently?"
An Ran smiled and placed the two booklets in front of him, jokingly saying, "We're about to go pick up Nian-ge'er, so we should prepare a gift, shouldn't we? I've already prepared mine, what about yours, Your Excellency?"
Are you going to give Nian-ge'er a gift to greet him? Lu Mingxiu was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected this.
He then revealed a gentle smile, his voice as steady as ever, and said, "All my belongings are in Madam's hands. I must get Madam's approval before I can move even a little bit of them, and the same goes for the gift I give you."
That's so cunning!