Blessed

Chapter 103

Tao Shi was immediately dumbfounded. Seeing that the woman who came to the door with a jade pendant and a letter didn't look like a matchmaker, she murmured, "Who are you? Are you here to propose marriage for the He family?" She really didn't expect, Yulan She dared to have an affair with a man in secret, and was still approached by someone. She thought that she was very kind to this concubine girl. Even if she had chilled her heart, she was very hardworking in finding a marriage for her now.

The woman standing in front of the gate said with a smile, "I came to marry the Lu family, not an official matchmaker. I am just an old slave next to the wife of the Lu family. Since the Lu family is a business owner and cannot invite the official matchmaker to propose marriage, the wife asked the old slave to come. The three girls in the house and the eldest son of our family are in love with each other, and they have communicated a lot these days .”

As the woman spoke, she raised the jade pendant and the letter in her hand.

Dao Shi was so angry that his chest hurt, he pulled the letter in the woman's hand with trembling hands, opened it, and it was really Yulan's handwriting on it.Just what Lu's?Unheard of.

The woman went on to say, "My eldest son really likes the third girl in the family. Both of them are already close by skin. When the third girl marries, our wife will treat her well. Madam, don't worry."

Dow suppressed the deep anger and disgust in his heart, "No matter what, let me go back and ask Yulan, it's not too late to talk about it in a few days."

The Lu family held Yulan's keepsake and autographed letters, so naturally they were not afraid of anything.

The woman left, and Tao returned to Luomei Courtyard with the letter in his hands, and asked the servant girl to find Yulan with a sullen face.

When Yulan came, her complexion was not very good, she thought it was Tao Shi who wanted to talk about marriage with her, but when she got to the main room, she saw Tao Shi's expression was very bad, it didn't look like she was going to mention marriage.She just asked softly, "Mother, why are you looking for me here?"

Dao slapped the letter in his hand on Yulan, and said in a deep voice, "See for yourself what this is, someone came to your door just now, accusing you, accusing you of having an affair with the eldest son of the Lu family! Even The tokens were all given to him privately..."

"What?" Yulan also became confused, and subconsciously took the letter thrown by Dow, "What Lu family? I don't understand what mother is going to say." She looked down at the thing in her hand, and her eyes widened suddenly when she saw the writing on it , murmured, "This, how is this possible..."

It was only then that Yulan remembered who the young master of the Lu family was.

Half a month ago, she invited Yuzhu to look for Shen Xian in Shangjie Hutong, but Yuzhu didn't go, she went alone.Arrived at Shangxie Hutong, followed the alley to enter, there was a house with a wide front, two pots of Podocarpus bonsai were placed in front of the house, and two gold lacquered characters "Yu House" were placed on the mansion, and Yu House was also named after the owner. As a result, dignitaries often come here to listen to music and discuss matters.

However, female guests often come here to listen to music, and the place where female guests rest after entering the house is separate from that of male guests.

After she went in, the maid took her to the courtyard where the female guests were resting, she secretly asked the maid if she knew Master Shen was there, the maid shook her head and said she didn't know, she was disappointed in her heart, she didn't want to lose the opportunity in vain.After the maid left, I wanted to go to the male customer's place to find it, but I never thought that I would run into a drunken man, followed by a servant, and there was no one else except the three of them.

The man was about twenty years old, his feet were weak, and his eyes lit up when he saw Yulan.The girls of the Jiang family all had good looks. Although Yulan was not as bright as Yuzhu, she also had a delicate and charming demeanor.

The man immediately pushed away the servant and stepped forward to tease Yulan. Yulan hated such a frivolous person, frowning and berating him to back away.At that moment, the man didn't retreat but frivolously put his arms in his arms and gnawed on her face. Yulan became furious and wanted to kill this man. She pushed him away and didn't care about others. She fled in a hurry. The man started cursing behind him, "Isn't she just one of the girls in the house? She's so noble, and she only sells her skills but not her body. It's your luck that I, I see you... I, I can tell you, I am the eldest son of the Lu family, With me, you don't have to worry about eating and drinking for the rest of your life."

But Yulan didn't know that when she left, the drunk man and the servant were invited to the best room in Yu's residence.

Recalling these things, Yulan's face turned pale, "Mother, this, this is really not a letter written by me..."

Tao sneered, "Didn't you write it? Why don't you take out the copybook you practiced in your study and see if it's your handwriting."

"Mother, I really didn't write it." Yulan was also in a hurry, and hurriedly told what happened in Yu's house. She didn't understand why the handwriting was the same as hers.

Tao Shi only recognizes things by handwriting, which is obviously Yulan's own handwriting, and even the jade pendant is in the hands of that person. How can she believe that there is no adultery?
Dow was already disheartened, closed his eyes and said, "Since you like it, you can marry. Don't worry, the dowry will not be less. It's the same as your second sister. The person you choose yourself, I just hope you are sincere." I like it, you can go, I will agree when the Lu family comes to propose marriage."

"Mother, I, I really didn't have an affair with anyone." Yulan burst into tears, she didn't know how things became like this.

"I'm tired, you should step back."

Yulan went back crying, and told her aunt about the matter, crying and crying. There was nothing they could do but wait for Jiang Yan to come back at night and tell him what had happened. Shangjing is also considered a well-known merchant. His family is very wealthy, but the eldest son of the family is not good enough. He only knows how to eat, drink and have fun. The Hou Fu slandered the girl." He gave the two of them a cold look, "Have you offended anyone recently? It's impossible if there is no one behind the Lu family, that person is obviously not afraid of the Hou Fu."

Yulan's face was pale, thinking of the letter that the servant had handed to Shen Xian earlier, Aunt Hong also faltered and couldn't speak.

Jiang Yu shouted, "Hurry up and say it!"

Yulan cried and said the matter of sending the letter, Jiang Yan's face changed on the spot, "Idiot! You know who Shen Xian is, how dare you pass the letter in like this." He was almost sure that the matter was the same as Shen Xian's. Envy is related.

In fact, Yulan also expected it a little bit, her face turned pale.

Jiang Yu said coldly, "Many years ago, Mr. Shen was only about ten years old at that time, and there was a servant girl who planned to serve him, but in the end, although it was not as good as the rumors, the maid was cut into pieces, but the maid was also shaved. The appearance is dead, and the death is tragic. If it is not because of the friendship with the Jiang family, I am afraid that you will not end up much better than that maid. Now you are just married to a merchant. I think you have made enough trouble in the mansion these years. Why don't you just marry and suffer."

Aunt Hong cried loudly, begging Jiang Yan to let him think of a way.

What can Jiang Yan do? The Jiang family and the Duke's mansion have a good relationship only because of Yuzhu's relationship.

Yulan murmured, "Yes, and Yuzhu, the fourth sister must have something to do..."

The second room is very noisy here, and the people in the third room also have their own concerns.At the time of You, Jiang Ansu and Xie Che returned home from the government office, Jiang Ansu called Xie Che into the study, and said to him, "Ache, although you and I are master and apprentice, in reality I treat you like my own son, but your surname is Xie Che after all. , I am just your master. And Jiaojiao is getting older, your teacher and I will find a marriage for her, you have no blood relationship with Jiaojiao, I would like to ask what is your feeling for Jiaojiao?"

Xie Che Ruyu's face was stunned, he clenched his fist and then let go, "Since the master asked, the disciple answered truthfully, I have never treated Jiao Jiao as a younger sister, I want to marry Jiao Jiao, I am not sure the excuse I made at the beginning It's all because of this, if the wife is not Jiaojiao, the disciple will never marry again in this life."

"Ah Che, you—" Jiang Ansu's heart was shaken, he never expected that he would have such affection for Jiao Jiao.

Xie Che looked at Jiang Ansu with a solemn expression, "Master, I want to marry Jiaojiao, and I will treat her forever."

Jiang Ansu sighed, "I'll ask your teacher's wife to ask Jiao Jiao. If Jiao Jiao has no objections, you can make a marriage arrangement first."

"Thank you Master."

After returning to the room, Jiang Ansu told Mrs. Mu about the matter, and asked Mrs. Mu to ask Jiaojiao what she was thinking. Mrs. Mu hesitated for a while before putting on her clothes and going to Jiaojiao's yard.

Yuzhu just finished washing and washing, sitting in front of the dowry, and the maid wiped her hair for her.A head of black hair hangs loosely behind her, and there is no rouge and gouache on her delicate and small face, which is clean, white and tender as jade, and unparalleled in beauty.She was wearing a crescent-colored tunic, her chest was slightly protruding, and she had the delicate appearance of a young girl.

Seeing this, Mrs. Mu couldn't help being breathless when she entered the room, and went into the room to take the sweat towel from the maids' hands, waved the maids to leave, and wiped her daughter's wet hair by herself.

Yuzhu said coquettishly, "Mother, why are you here at this hour?"

Mrs. Mu said with a smile, "Come here to see Jiaojiao, and I want to tell you something along the way."

"Mother, what's the matter?" Yuzhu asked.

Mrs. Mu helped Yuzhu dry her wet hair, tied the soft blue silk behind her back with a silk ribbon, and then pulled her to sit down on the imperial concubine's couch, "Didn't Mother talk to you about marriage a few days ago? There has always been someone to choose, and that person also loves you, so Niang came here tonight just to ask Jiaojiao's opinion."

Hearing this all of a sudden, Yuzhu was even more curious about who her parents were talking about, so she couldn't help asking.

Seeing that Jiaojiao was still ignorant, Mrs. Mu felt a little sad. Then she thought about it, Ah Che liked Jiaojiao so much, and would stay in the capital in the future. Even if she got married, she could often go back to her mother's house, and her reluctance quietly dissipated.

Mrs. Mu said softly, "Your father and I asked Ah Che's opinion. He has always liked you all these years. He was not sure about the kiss at the beginning. He said that the girl he liked was because of you. What does Yuzhu think?"

A thunderbolt exploded in Yuzhu's mind, and she murmured, "Mother, who are you talking about? Brother Xie? How could it be Brother Xie, but I have always regarded him as my brother." After more than ten years of getting along day and night, from the very beginning Thinking that he is the elder brother, and they are the same as the fourth brother, Mu's words shocked her too much.

Mrs. Mu sighed, "So Jiaojiao has always regarded him as an elder brother? What should we do? Parents just think that he was grown up by us, has excellent conduct, and is sincere to you. Besides, the concubine said With those words, right now I feel that he is the most suitable candidate.”

"Mother, let me think about it for a few days."

"That's fine, Jiao Jiao just has to follow her heart, we won't force you." Mrs. Mu sighed.

This matter made Yu Zhu sleepless all night, and her dreams were full of scenes of her pestering Xie Che and calling him brother since she was a child.

Early the next morning, Yulan went to Fuyunyuan to look for Yuzhu.

Yuzhu was still depressed because of what happened last night, she heard the servant girl say that Yulan was coming, she shook her head and said no, after a while Bai Shao came back and said, "Girl, the third girl seems to be in a hurry, she hasn't even dressed up yet, her eyes are red and swollen, The servants let her leave and she would not die."

You can only invite people in.

Yulan saw the man bend his knees and knelt directly on the ground.Yuzhu was startled by her, and called Baiji Baishao to help her up, and pulled Yulan to sit down, "Third sister, what are you doing?"

Yulan cried and told about the Lu family's door-to-door marriage proposal and the delivery of letters to Shen Xian, and she eagerly held Yuzhu's arm, "Fourth sister, please help me, now my mother won't believe me, you must I will marry into Lu's family. If my mother knows that she has delivered a letter to Shen Xian, she will not help me. Fourth sister, I beg you, help me this time, I will never dare again, and will not go to Xiaoxiang I don't deserve it. When the matter is over, I will listen to my mother and marry with peace of mind. "

Yuzhu was a little stunned, "Third Sister, you..." She actually handed Shen Xian a letter, she was really daring.

"Fourth sister, only you can help me. I don't dare again. I really know that I was wrong." Yulan cried with tears and snot all over her face. She came here early in the morning without dressing up, so she was also frightened.

Yulan was terrified, she was afraid of marrying into Lu's family and living that kind of gloomy life. She saw with her own eyes how little aunt was spoiled by Chen's family when she married into Chen's family.

"You," Yuzhu said, "I'm afraid I can't help you with this matter, and there is no evidence that Brother Shen did it." She wanted Yulan to remember this lesson firmly, let alone her own It is not clear how to help her.

Yulan cried, "Fourth Sister, help me. He really did it. Otherwise, how dare the Lu family come here? The jade pendant was lost in the temple at the beginning. Now that I think about it, it's strange. It's also strange to bump into my maid. I'm afraid he was the one who let someone take my jade pendant away."

Yulan's eyes were red and swollen, and her eyes were dark blue. She didn't rest well yesterday, her expression shrank, and the hand holding Yuzhu's arm was still shaking.

Seeing that Yuzhu was silent, Yulan wanted to kneel down and beg her again. No one can help her in this matter, only Fourth Sister can help her.

"Third sister, let me ask you, if I help you solve the matter this time, do you really know how to repent?" No matter what, she is a girl in the mansion. Yuzhu felt uncomfortable when she married that kind of person.

Yulan nodded hastily, "Fourth sister, I really know I was wrong. When the matter of Lu's family is settled, I will listen to my mother's words and get married. I know that the families my mother picked for me are the best. , I just blame my heart higher than the sky, I really know I was wrong."

Yuzhu lowered her eyes, "Well, I will help you one last time. When you get married in the future, I hope you, third sister, can understand that family harmony is the most important thing, and don't rely on the identity of the Jiang family to become a husband's family." .Anyone will be hurt. If you hurt him too many times, he will feel cold one day. Only when husband and wife understand each other, love and respect each other, can they sing in harmony and live in harmony for the rest of their lives."

"Fourth sister..." Yulan was stunned on the spot, her eyes gradually turned red, she didn't understand the truth that the fourth sister knew, and she looked down on many people because of the identity of the Jiang family these years.

"Okay, you go back and wait for the news."

Yulan burst into tears, "Thank you, fourth sister."

Yuzhu said that she was going to Shen's residence to ask questions, but she was really not in the mood, and planned to wait for two days. Lu's family is a merchant, so she must not dare to go too far. Waiting for a few days will just make Yulan's memory long.Besides, she and Xie Che hadn't figured it out yet.

Two days passed, and Yuzhu didn't think about eating and drinking these two days, and she still avoided Xie Che.It's no wonder that she felt awkward, if she really wanted to get engaged, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to change her feelings.

Before she could continue to struggle, she was walking around the yard to digest after dinner, when the maid informed Xie Che to come, Yuzhu hurriedly said, "See you, tell me I'm a little tired and ready to rest." Xie Che, who was dressed in blue folded leaves, entered the hanging flower door and was walking towards her.

Xie Che was tall and tall, with long legs, he walked quickly. He stepped in front of Yuzhu with a few steps. He frowned slightly, and waved his hands to make all the maids around him retreat.Yuzhu became nervous and shouted, "Brother Xie."

Xie Che pulled her to sit on the stone bench beside her, frowned and asked Yuzhu, "Are you avoiding me? Master told you about our engagement?" Seeing that Yuzhu lowered her eyes and said nothing, he continued, "Jiao Jiao , we are not related by blood, I know you are uncomfortable, you have always regarded me as your elder brother, if you can, you can change your mind now, we can settle the marriage first, and it will not be too late to get married after you figure it out. "

Seeing that she was still hesitant, Xie Che stretched out his hand to hold Yuzhu's hand, and said softly, "Jiaojiao, I will take good care of you and marry me. I will set up my own family in the capital. If you miss your family, you can come back to live at any time. No one restricts you, life, habits, environment, nothing will change, you don’t need to adapt to the identity of the bride, everything will still be the way it is now.”

Yuzhu looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, "Brother Xie, let me think about it for a few days before I reply to you, okay?"

"Ok, I will wait for you."

After Xie Che left, a few maidservants brought water into the room to help Yuzhu freshen up. Yuzhu took off her clothes and went into the bathtub. Her two white and tender arms were lying on the edge of the bathtub, her chin was resting on Ruyu's elbows, and she turned her head slightly to ask questions. Wipe the licorice for her, "Licorice, what do you think of my engagement to Brother Xie?"

Licorice laughed and said, "Of course it's excellent. Young master Xie was raised by the old lady and the servants all think he's excellent, and they dote on the girl. It's best to let him be a aunt."

Yuzhu asked again, "But don't you feel awkward? I keep calling him brother."

Licorice couldn't help laughing, "Girl is really joking, you still call Mrs. Shen a big brother. Could it be that you are really a sister and have no blood relationship? Everyone knows this. Even if the two are engaged, outsiders will only talk about childhood sweethearts. it is good."

"Is that so?" Yuzhu whispered softly, feeling a little more at ease.

Xie Che promised to give her a few days to think about it, Yuzhu was not in a hurry to identify her heart, and the matter of Yulan dragged on for two or three days, she planned to go to Shen's residence to ask Shen Xian first.Yuzhu went to Shen's residence early the next morning, Shen Xian was in the government office, she was not in a hurry, went to talk to Shen Mei for a while, had lunch with Ah Mei at noon, and rested in the room for more than an hour, at night Shen Xian returned home after eating in Shen's residence.

Yuzhu had told Shen Mei that she was looking for Shen Xian today, and seeing him come back now, Shen Mei called the servant girl to take her there.

When we arrived at Shen Xian's courtyard, the guard said Master Shen was in the study, and after going in to report, he invited him in.

He was the only one in Shen Xian's study room, and the first thing she saw when she entered was the ivory-carved Sanyang Kaitai picture on the screen, she went around and saw the man sitting behind the desk, the candlelight on the desk was burning, he was sitting tall and straight, his figure was tall, He looked up at her when he heard the noise, and said softly, "Why are you here to look for me now?"

Yu Zhu was not ashamed to ask for help, she walked to the front of the case and said, "I really want to ask Brother Shen about something when I come here today."

This is the study room. Shen Xian has to deal with official business. The candlesticks at the four corners are all burning with wax, and the lights are bright. Yuzhu can carefully see the expression on his face. Seeing his natural expression, he heard this and stood up, a tall and firm figure. Immediately covering her, there was some sense of oppression, Yuzhu didn't know why she felt this way in her heart, she took a step back slightly, and turned her head towards him.

Shen Xian refused to meet her gaze, turned around and walked towards the round chair, "Come and sit here and talk." After a pause, he continued, "You just had dinner with Ah Mei. ? You want some sweet soup, I'll have someone bring some in."

"I'm full." Yuzhu touched her lower abdomen subconsciously. She ate a lot at night.

"Come and sit down." Shen Xian said again.

Yuzhu walked over and sat down on the round chair next to him, still thinking about how to speak, Shen Xian had already asked, "Are you here because of Jiang Yulan's matter?"

Yuzhu was stunned, "Brother Shen did what happened to Yulan?"

"I asked someone to do it." Shen Xian never hides something from Yuzhu, nor does he want to lie to her, he said flatly, "She asked Jiang's servants to hand me a letter in the name of your third brother , it is full of her affection, if it is not because she is your third sister, I will kill her alive."

His reputation to the outside world has never been very good, saying that he is domineering, fierce, violent, and does not leave anyone alive, but he is always gentle and amiable in front of Yuzhu.After all these years, it was the first time he said such words to the front, even though the person he wanted to cut was not her, she still shuddered deeply.

Shen Xian seemed to be suppressing something, his left palm was tightly pinching the armrest of the round chair, his expression was not as gentle as before, he continued to say in a cold voice, "On the day of the funeral for Master Guangji, I had someone take her The jade pendant, her handwriting was imitated by someone else, and the Lu family is also the courage I gave them, if they dare to bother me, they should know what the consequences will be."

"Brother Shen." Yuzhu said, "Yulan is wrong about this matter, I..." Before she finished speaking, Shen Xian interrupted her, "Since you came to me, the matter of the Lu family will be exposed. "

Yuzhu was surprised. She looked at Shen Xian and felt that he was a little abnormal today. Under the candlelight, she saw that his face was abnormally red. Yuzhu got up and came to his side, and stretched out the back of her hand to touch his forehead. Normal, she said, "Brother Shen, you are sick." Her forehead was so hot, she might have a fever.

Shen Xian has been busy since the past few days. There is a case that needs to be dealt with. He just rushed back from other places. He has been dealing with official duties in the Beijing government office for the past few days. He is often busy until the middle of the night without resting. Today, he got another news from elsewhere , a little angry, and began to feel uncomfortable at noon.

(End of this chapter)