I'm not a fortune teller.

Chapter 64 The Queen’s Invitation!
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Luo, who hadn't even tidied up and arranged everything in the Zhang family's new mansion, received an invitation she had never expected!

"An invitation from the palace?"

The Zhang family was all stunned. The old woman didn't even have time to make things difficult for her daughter-in-law and asked nervously, "When?"

"The day after tomorrow." Luo swallowed her saliva and said, "On the prince's birthday, a banquet will be held in the palace. The women of our Zhang family and your husband are specially invited to attend."

"Oh my God!" The old lady was so excited that she stood up and paced back and forth in the room, rubbing her hands constantly.

She never thought that a peasant woman like her would have the opportunity to enter the palace one day. Wouldn't she be able to meet the legendary Queen?
Oh, this is true.
My younger sister Zhang Meng is also dizzy. Should she go into the palace?
Then could she meet the princes and grandchildren of the emperor? She didn't dare to dream about it, but even if she could only meet them once, it would be something she could brag about in the future.

Luo himself was also nervous and fidgety.

After deciding to stay, she has been worried about the so-called socializing in the capital. As the daughter of a merchant, she knows very well that even if her husband does not despise her, she is bound to be gossiped about in socializing. She has made preparations for all this, but she did not expect that the opportunity to socialize with noble ladies in the Beijing circle for the first time would be so great.

She had also heard about palace banquets. Didn't it say that only the wives of officials of the fourth rank and above with imperial edicts could participate?

Although her husband was promoted quickly, he was only a sixth-rank official. Logically, he should have made friends with people of the same rank at the beginning of the capital. She had planned to visit Madam Sun on Zhuque South Street at the beginning of the month. That was also a family that had just moved to the capital. Her husband was a deacon in Jingzhao Prefecture and was also a sixth-rank official. His wife was said to be from a peasant family. The difference in their identities was not big. She should first get familiar with such women and slowly build her own circle.

But she didn't expect that her husband was so capable that he even received invitations from the palace.

"Mother," Luo looked at the anxious old lady, took a deep breath, stood up and soothed her, "Don't worry, it's just a banquet after all, as long as we don't make any mistakes, we still have one day to prepare, after lunch I will take you to choose two suitable clothes, and then ask which family has a nanny who can teach the rules, it doesn't matter if my mother-in-law and I make some jokes, my younger sister is not married yet, I don't know what to do, but we must not make any big jokes."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The old lady was obviously panicked at this time. She didn't argue as usual. Instead, she said as if she was at a loss: "How about, little sister, don't go?"

"Mom!" The fourth sister suddenly became anxious.

"No." Luo shook her head. "If I hide, people will gossip about me. The invitation clearly invites the women of the Zhang family. If I deliberately don't attend, it would be disrespectful to the Queen. Moreover, this is also an opportunity for me. At the Crown Prince's banquet, all the officials and families above the fourth rank in the capital, including the military families, will attend. I don't say which family will take a liking to me, but showing up is always a good thing."

"That's right!" Zhang Meng rarely stood on the same front with her sister-in-law.

"Well, well, what if something goes wrong and we become a laughing stock?" The old lady still looked worried.

"Let's eat something before we go." Luo analyzed, "When we get there, let's try not to eat or drink. Listen more, watch more, and try not to talk. If we are careful, we won't make any mistakes. Tomorrow I will ask some maids who have retired from the palace for advice. As long as we don't break any big taboos, there shouldn't be any problems. You don't have to worry too much, mother."

"Is that so?" The old lady managed to calm herself down, "Then let's get ready now? Go and ask where we can hire a nanny."

"Mom hasn't had lunch yet."

"Oh, what kind of meal is this at this time? Who can eat it?"

Luo: “.”
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"Ke'er, do you really want to stay?"

Just now in the front hall, Luo's father was also stunned when he heard the news. He couldn't get a word in at that time. It was not until Luo Ke'er was about to pack up and go out that he had the opportunity to speak to his daughter alone.

"Dad." Luo put down the things in her hands, looked at her father, bit her lip and said, "Daughter, I want to try again."

"Dad thinks he's not normal." Father Luo shook his head: "His attitude towards you was definitely not like this before, otherwise you wouldn't have been so wronged. Now that his attitude has suddenly changed, it may not be a good thing. It's better to withdraw now."

"My daughter knows this too," Luo said with her head down, "but what can I do after I go back with you? Even if I get the divorce certificate and find another one, can Dad find a good woman for me?"

"At least we can find someone who is easy to control!" Father Luo frowned and said, "It's better to have the initiative in our own hands."

"If you want to find a live-in son-in-law, you must give a share of the family property to your daughter. Dad gave such a generous price back then, and the stepmother was already dissatisfied. Now the two younger brothers have grown up. If Dad insists on having his own way, the family will be in turmoil."

Luo had originally planned to go back with her father. She was indeed exhausted, but after calming down for a few days in the capital, she realized that something was wrong.

If I am bullied by my mother-in-law here, won’t I also be bullied by my stepmother when I go back?

It's already like this, why should I make things difficult for my father?
I have not been able to take good care of my father in this life. Now that my father is so old, I want to go back and be a burden to him. It is really too selfish.

As for whether the Zhang family can stay.

She remembered the way her husband looked at her two days ago.

I don't know if that man's acting skills are too good. He was obviously impatient when he looked at me before, but now, when he looks at me, he is...how to put it, a little guilty, a little sincere, and a little...sleazy? Her intuition tells her that her husband these days is probably not the same person as before -
"Sorry for the long wait, both of you"

When Shen Yuan returned to the back hall of the Dali Temple again, he was still alone with two guards. There were no other officials from the Dali Temple. This made Zhang Rui a little curious, because when he entered the Dali Temple just now, he found that there didn't seem to be many people inside the huge yamen.

Is it because he is too busy and has to go out to work?

"You are so polite, sir." Zhang Rui was the first to return the greeting: "I don't know why you brought us here in such a hurry, but is there any important clue that needs our help?"

Although Zhang Rui was polite, his tone was questioning. Although the other party said that he was assisting in the investigation, he directly skipped the Ministry of Personnel and brought him here. It made people feel that he was not being promoted, but rather a prisoner being brought here.

"Lord Zhang is indeed different from before." Shen Yuan said, looking at Zhang Rui.

Zhang Rui frowned. Could it be that this guy knew him back then?

"Sir Zhang may not have any impression of me, but I have a deep impression of him." Shen Yuan knocked on the table, recalling the scene three years ago: "At that time in Qingfeng Tower, Sir Zhang must have been schemed by the Lu family. He was crazy about Nightingale. In fact, there are many similar situations every year. The Lu family has relied on Miss Nightingale to scheme against others more than once or twice."

"So the adults knew about this?" Zhang Rui asked curiously, "Is there no one to take care of this?"

Shen Yuan looked at Zhang Rui in confusion: "It is normal for big families to use Yin Shen to calculate some seedlings for their own use. Who can control it? Most people don't know this truth, but doesn't Lord Zhang know it?"

Zhang Rui smiled awkwardly: "I really don't understand the details of this."

The Lu family's centipede was so ostentatious, but no one cared? But did the people above know the effect of the centipede?

"But what does this have to do with the case?" Zhang Rui asked puzzledly.

"Originally, it was not related." Shen Yuan stared at Zhang Rui. "Because at that time, no one knew what Master Zhang was capable of, and no one doubted Master Zhang, so many things were overlooked when investigating the case. For example, Master Zhang and Master Cui got drunk on the overpass one day, but nothing happened. Did you see anything?"

Zhang Rui was silent. How could he remember what happened at that time?
Cui Yan, on the other hand, looked at Zhang Rui in confusion. He didn't understand what the Shaoqing meant by Zhang Rui's abilities.

I could only answer carefully: "At that time, Da Gou and I, oh no, Lord Zhang, were in a bad mood, so we drank together at Zhuque Bridge. But there were many people drinking with us at that time. We returned to Confucius Temple at dawn after being drunk. Many people can testify to this."

He remembered that both of them were very frustrated at the time. He had been ranked high and even if he could not get into the first class, he would have a high probability of entering the Hanlin Academy. As a result, he was exiled to southern Xinjiang. The place where Zhang Rui was exiled was not good at the time, in Youzhou area. However, what he seemed to care about at the time was Miss Nightingale of Qingfeng Tower. He tried to persuade her for a long time. After all, his childhood friend was already married. It was not a good thing for him to be so crazy about a brothel girl.

"I know." Shen Yuan nodded: "I didn't suspect you at first, but something actually happened nearby at that time."

"What happened?" Zhang Rui asked with a frown.

"Lord Zhang, do you really have no impression of me?" Shen Yuan looked at Zhang Rui with scrutiny.

"Please give me some advice first, and I will think about it carefully to see if I have any impression."

"The day you were drunk, County Lady Jialin died tragically, right under the bridge where you were drinking!"

When Cui Yan heard the words "Princess Jialin County", he clenched his fists visibly.

Zhang Rui asked doubtfully, "Is it related to this case?"

"The way they died was the same!" The other party nodded: "Bleeding came out of all seven orifices, the bones and blood melted, the body turned into mud, and there was no corpse left!"

"I thought that only a man died in that case." Zhang Rui frowned: "Why is this clue not recorded in the case?"

"Since it concerns the royal bloodline, the files must be sealed." Shen Yuan whispered, "When Princess Jialin died, Lord Zhang was on the bridge. Didn't he notice anything?"

"No." Zhang Rui could only deny it: "Maybe Zhang is too inexperienced."

"What a phrase, you are too shallow." Shen Yuan smiled, "I heard that the Queen invited the women of your Zhang family to attend the birthday of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince the day after tomorrow, and the mother of County Lord Jialin, Princess Yunyang, is also on the list of invited guests. Lord Zhang, guess if the Princess will accept your statement?"

"Whether you accept it or not, this is the only answer I can give." Zhang Rui said calmly, "I really don't know!"

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(End of this chapter)