The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

In the Queen's bedroom in Kunning Palace, a faint medicinal fragrance permeated the air.

The windows were tightly closed, and sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the wooden carvings, pouring in like golden threads, but it still seemed unable to dispel the cold, damp and foul air in the room.

Empress Cao sat in front of the dressing mirror, turned her head slightly, stretched out her pale and somewhat skinny fingers, and gently fiddled with her hair twice.

A few snow-white silver threads stand out among the black hair.

Fang Ruo gently applied the ointment evenly on her master's head, then picked up the comb and carefully combed through the queen's hair, trying to cover up the few white hairs.

However, Queen Cao raised her hand to stop her, then turned her head again and leaned closer to the dressing mirror.

She frowned slightly, looked up, carefully found the white hairs, and then pulled them out one by one with a blank expression on her face.

"Oh, master, why are you doing it yourself? Does it hurt?" Fang Ruo held her hands aside, and took the silver threads that fell from the Queen's fingertips with heartache.

Empress Cao looked at her temples on both sides in the mirror, and spoke in a gentle voice with a hint of vicissitudes:

"I am old, there is nothing I cannot give up. I can endure the most heart-wrenching pain, so what are these pains compared to?"

Fang Ruo took out a small box from the drawer of her dressing table, and there were more white hairs inside.

Ever since the eldest prince passed away, the Queen started to have white hair.

Not only that, the master's face also began to show signs of aging. Despite the daily tonic, he still aged like a cliff.

The chief eunuch, Wang Quan, walked in quietly from outside, walked a few steps in front of his master, bowed and said, "Madam."

Empress Cao hummed, stood up from the dressing mirror, walked slowly and gracefully to the Luohan bed covered with sunlight, and sat down.

Fang Ruo and Wang Quan followed her, and after she sat down, they stood beside her, one in front and one on each side.

"Your Majesty, last night, a frozen female corpse was found on the official road in front of the Huguo Temple." Wang Quan said in a low voice while standing in front of her.

Empress Cao closed her eyes and leaned against the large pillow, feeling the warmth of the sun. The phoenix hairpin on her head shone brightly under the refraction of the light.

Without opening her eyes, she said, "You've brought such an unlucky thing to me. I guess we all know each other. When did you learn to keep people in suspense, Wang Quan?"

Wang Quan took two steps forward and lowered his voice: "...It was a female official who left the palace. Master, do you still remember Song Xiang who was beside the Sixth Prince?"

The Queen then opened her eyes and stared into Wang Quan's eyes with a sharp gaze: "Go on."

"...After leaving the palace, Yuan Xia became a nursemaid and roamed around the major families in Shengjing City. She was very popular. I checked and found that Yuan Xia and Song Xiang were old acquaintances. They both worked in Zhongcui Palace."

Hearing this, the Empress stood up from her pillow and said with great interest, "Let's check whose house this Madam Yuan has been to teach?"

Wang Quan bowed and agreed, then he thought of something and took his leg back, "Your Majesty, Princess Changning sent a message to me, saying that she wants to come to the palace to see you. What do you think, should we meet or not?"

Although Empress Cao had not left Kunning Palace due to illness in recent days, she was not completely ignorant of what was happening outside.

Princess Changning's maiden name was Cao Zhen, and she was the empress's cousin. After the Duke of Pei died, the late emperor specially named his only legitimate daughter Princess Changning.

Later, another imperial decree was issued to grant marriage, and Princess Changning married Xie Shanglin, now Marquis Xuanping.

One of the daughters of the Cao family became the current queen, and the other is the wife of Marquis Xuanping. Outsiders say that the daughters of the Cao family are lucky.

They were also very successful and gave birth to legitimate sons. Unfortunately, their sons were weak and sickly.

Xie Yongan, the eldest son of the Marquis of Xuanping, is now over thirty years old. He has many wives and concubines at home, but he has not left any children for the Xie family.

Empress Cao could almost foresee what her cousin would say to her, so she waved her hand and said, "She is tired today, let her come over tomorrow."

He also reminded Wang Quan, "Do what I just said immediately."

"Yes, ma'am."

Wang Quan agreed, bowed and walked out.

After giving the order, Queen Cao turned her head and looked out the window. Unafraid of the glaring sunlight, her eyes fell in the direction of Zhongcui Palace.

……

After coming out of the Dali Temple, Jiang Nansheng told the driver, "Go to Qianweilou."

The driver was a sturdy middle-aged man wearing a cowhide coat. His head and face were covered tightly, so that only his eyes could be seen.

After receiving the order, he whipped the horse whip vigorously, and the green-curtained carriage moved forward steadily. The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a rhythmic sound.

Jiang Fei thought that his master wanted to buy some snacks from Xixiangzhai on the way, and this had happened before. Then he thought again that his master bought snacks from Xixiangzhai to please his wife.

Now that his wife is running the Jinsu Dim Sum Shop, Master Wu hasn't asked them to queue up at Xixiangzhai for a long time.

Jiang Nansheng leaned there and looked at his guard seriously for the first time.

Jiang Fei and Jiang An had been with him since childhood. He was the one who gave them their names.

Jiang An is younger than him, but Jiang Fei is older than him.

Jiang Fei saw his master looking at him, and hurriedly lowered his head to check the waist-cut robe on his body. It was neat and clean, and there was nothing wrong with it.

He felt a little uneasy, wondering if he had displeased his wife again.

He swallowed and spoke nervously, "Fifth Master, is it Madam..."

Jiang Nansheng said "hmm" and continued, "The two older maids around Jinchu are now of marriageable age. Go talk to Sun Haiyang later and ask him to compile a list of the unmarried girls in the shop and the farm who are well-looking and send it to He You later."

Jiang Fei finally let go of the worry in his heart, it turned out that it had nothing to do with him. He lowered his head and finally realized the meaning of his master's words.

"Fifth Master, are you talking about Baizhi and Baishao?" he asked cautiously.

Jiang Nansheng put down the teacup and whispered, "Your conditions are not on the list. If you are interested in them, go and fight for them yourself."

What Jinchu meant that day was that she was reluctant to let her two maids become second wives. However, she overlooked that the widower in Jinchu's manor was old enough to be their father.

Jiang Fei opened his mouth. Why did he feel that his master disliked him, but was trying his best to avoid suspicion?

The green-curtained carriage stopped in the alley next to Qianwei Tower. Jiang Fei jumped out impatiently before the carriage stopped.

Soon the curtain of the carriage was opened, and Qin Lang, wearing a scarlet flying fish suit, jumped up.