Fingers of crossing

Lu He originally thought that Jiang Ningzui would be delighted and happy when she heard the news of the prince's return to the palace.

Unfortunately, she was wrong this time.

Jiang Ningzui paused while wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief, her brows and eyes remained calm, and she said in a flat voice, "Well, I see."

that's it?

Lu He was dumbfounded, she blinked a few times before continuing to ask: "Madam, since the crown prince is coming back, should we make preparations?"

Jiang Ningzui calmly said: "What should I prepare, you and Qingfu can help me with it."

"Niang Niang..." Lu He has never been able to hide his temper, so he stood there and scratched his head, and finally couldn't help asking: "Isn't Niang Niang happy?"

Silently handing the wiped silk handkerchief in her hand to Qingfu behind her, Jiang Ningzui stood up and looked at Luhe, and smiled back: "Of course I'm happy."

Although Lu He has not been with the princess for a long time, she has a solid heart and is loyal to her, so it is natural to see how perfunctory Jiang Ningzui's smile is now.She stomped her feet on the spot, and wanted to catch up and say something, but Qingfu grabbed her first, and said in a low voice: "What are you doing still in a daze, call the servants to come in and pack up the dinner."

After hearing Qing Fu's words, Lu He looked at Jiang Ningzui who had already walked behind the screen unwillingly, she could only curl her lips, and retreated reluctantly.

Early in the morning of the second day, Jiang Ningzui was awakened by a lively noise outside the hall before it was fully lit.

The sound of footsteps coming and going outside the hall made Jiang Ningzui completely sleepless, she got up, walked to the window and sat down.

The snow outside the window was getting heavier and heavier. Jiang Ningzui was holding the Zijin stove in her arms and a fox fur coat on her shoulders. Even so, she still felt that Yan Guo's cold winter made her unable to adapt.

Looking in the direction of the window lattice, Jiang Ningzui only saw the eunuchs and maids running back and forth in twos and threes, but she didn't know what they were busy with.Ignoring the noise outside, Jiang Ningzui randomly picked a book displayed on the bookcase, looked down and looked.

"Niang Niang." Jiang Ningzui raised her head when she heard the sound, and saw Qingfu approaching her, bowed respectfully, "The side concubine empress is here, she is waiting outside the hall, she said she has something to see."

The Zhaoling Hall was always deserted, except for the maids and eunuchs who often walked around, few people came here.And among the few pitiful people, this side concubine is one of them.

Putting the heavy shawl on her shoulders together, Jiang Ningzui sat up straight and said, "Please come in."

Qing Fu responded, and not long after she walked out, a figure slowly walked in from outside the hall.

Liu Huanxue walked gracefully in front of Jiang Ningzui. She was wearing a pink dress with light makeup, which perfectly set off her soft face.There was a gentle smile on her bright face, and she looked at Jiang Ningzui with eyes full of clear springs, and said: "Sister."

"Get up."

After all, as the prince's wives and concubines, they lived together in the East Palace. A few days ago, Liu Huanxue heard that Jiang Ningzui had woken up, and she had already visited Zhaoling Palace to visit her, so Jiang Ningzui still had some impressions of the prince's side concubine.

Different from the prince's concubines in normal times, Liu Huanxue behaved generously, neither humble nor overbearing, she was polite and knew etiquette when facing Jiang Ningzui, so she left a particularly deep impression on Jiang Ningzui.She got up, sat down next to Jiang Ningzui, and said: "I know my sister always likes to be quiet, but now there is noise outside the hall, did you disturb my sister?"

The noise outside the palace could still be heard clearly through the palace wall. Seeing Liu Huanxue specially came to ask for instructions, Jiang Ningzui couldn't help asking: "Why is it so noisy outside the palace?"

"The prince will be returning to the palace in the evening, so I ordered the maids and eunuchs to clean up the East Palace thoroughly so that His Highness can be welcomed at any time."

Earlier, Jiang Ningzui had heard from Qing Fu that before the concubine married into the palace, all the affairs of the prince in the East Palace had been handled by Liu Huanxue, so Liu Huanxue naturally did not need to ask Jiang Ning for instructions on how to manage the East Palace. Drunk opinion.It's just that although Liu Huanxue can make decisions on her own, she will definitely come to ask Jiang Ningzui for instructions every time before making any decisions, and has never done anything beyond the rules.

With such cautiousness, I don't know if it's because she sincerely treats Jiang Ningzui as her sister, or if it's just a play of falsehood.

However, Jiang Ningzui didn't care about these things, since someone took care of her as a princess, she was happy to be at ease.

Jiang Ningzui nodded her head and said flatly, "Thank you for your hard work."

Liu Huanxue smiled, and continued: "Sister, why be polite." As she spoke, she saw Jiang Ningzui's look of interest in her eyes, she got up and said, "Then I won't disturb my sister's rest."

The reason why Jiang Ningzui had a clearer impression of Liu Huanxue in the prince's concubine's room was probably because of Liu Huanxue's intelligence and decency.Compared with those concubines who chatter non-stop when they come to Jiang Ningzui's bedroom, Liu Huanxue never intentionally draws closer or gets close to her. Frowns and smiles make people feel comfortable, not just blindly flattering and flattering.

Jiang Ningzui nodded slightly to show her approval.

Liu Huanxue had just taken a few steps, and finally stopped in front of the bronzing tassels. She hesitated for a moment, turned back to look at Jiang Ningzui, and said, "There is something, I wonder if my sister knows?"

Jiang Ning's drunk eyes fell from the book to Liu Huanxue again, and she raised her eyes and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Yesterday morning, the eldest princess sent someone to pick up the little prince."

Little prince?

Jiang Ningzui thought for a while, and vaguely remembered that when Yang Simai came to her bedroom a few days ago, she did mention the name of Xiao Shizi to excuse herself.Thinking about it, she looked at Liu Huanxue silently, and said, "I don't know."

"Yesterday, Mrs. Mei offended my elder sister and the eldest princess. I have heard about it. The eldest princess must have wanted to punish Mrs. Mei by picking up the little son." Liu Huanxue said, with a hint of worry on her soft face, " But Xiao Shizi is still young, he has no fault at all, and if the crown prince returns to the palace in the evening and finds out about this, he may not be able to avoid a conflict with the eldest princess."

Jiang Ningzui vaguely understood the intention of Liu Huanxue's words, she just looked at her expressionlessly, her voice was flat, without any emotion. "so?"

Jiang Ningzui's attitude was so calm that it was a little unreasonable. Liu Huanxue was slightly taken aback, as if she was a little unsure if this was the princess she had known before, the one caught between the prince and the eldest princess, who was trying to get the best of both worlds. Weak woman.

"The eldest princess has always been close to her elder sister. I don't know if my elder sister can come forward and say something nice for Mrs. Mei, so that the eldest princess can let the little prince go."

The word "closeness" is really delicate to Jiang Ningzui's ears now.She looked at Liu Huanxue's hopeful gaze, and asked back: "Could it be that the side concubine has forgotten that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics? How can I change it, forgive me for being powerless."

Liu Huanxue's face turned anxious, and she wanted to say something more, but in the end she just gave up, and said with a smile: "I know that making such a request is really difficult, but Xiaoshizi is the only child of the prince, please forgive me for my recklessness."

Jiang Ningzui waved her hand, and said in an unquestionable tone: "You don't need to mention this matter again, everything will be decided after the prince returns to the palace." As she spoke, it seemed that it would be useless to say more, Jiang Ningzui's brows and eyes faded a bit. , said: "There must be a lot of things to be busy in the palace, so I won't let you sit any longer."

Looking at Liu Huanxue's leaving back, Jiang Ningzui couldn't calm down anymore. She picked up the book that was placed beside the soft couch just now, turned a few pages but couldn't concentrate on reading any more.

The sound of rushing outside the palace did not subside until the afternoon. Jiang Ning drunk her lunch and was about to take a lunch break when she suddenly received a decree from Queen Ning, saying that after the prince returned to the palace in the evening, he would hold a banquet for the prince in the imperial garden Wash the dust.

It seemed that everyone was excited about the prince's return to the palace. Compared with it, Jiang Ningzui was a little too casual and perfunctory.Thinking about it, Jiang Ningzui concealed the tiredness between her brows, and ordered Qingfu to come and change her clothes.

Jiang Ningzui sat in front of the dressing table, turned her head to look at the jewelry box in front of her, her eyes fell on the hairpin on the top of the box, she reached out to pick it up and looked carefully, and said: "The pattern carvings on this hairpin are really beautiful. Chic."

"Mistress, don't you remember?" Qingfu looked at the hairpin in her hand following Jiang Ningzui's words, and said with a smile: "This is your favorite jewelry. In the past, you used to take care of it yourself, Mistress, never I am willing to let the servants do the work for you, lest the servants may make a mistake with their clumsy hands and feet."

"Really?" Jiang Ningzui responded lightly, and handed the hairpin to Qing Fu's hand. "Then put it on for me."

Qingfu hurriedly took the hairpin with both hands, gave Jiang Ningzui a hesitant look, hesitated for a moment, and then replied: "Yes."

Skillfully inserting the golden phoenix pearl step into Jiang Ningzui's bun, Qingfu carefully examined the beautiful face in the mirror, the indigo black eyebrows were drawn, the rouge was smudged, it was originally an elegant and delicate makeup, and her eyes were piercing Alienation and indifference is a kind of coolness to the extreme.

Unconsciously fascinated, Qingfu couldn't help exclaiming: "Your Majesty, it's really suitable to wear heavy makeup and light makeup."

Jiang Ningzui didn't take it seriously, and joked: "If this layer of makeup is washed away, it will be called real."

"This servant has been serving the empress since she was a child, so she has already seen her appearance without makeup, and the servant feels that the empress at that time was even more refined."

Jiang Ningzui laughed and said: "Sometimes what you see with your own eyes may not be true."

Qingfu only thought that Jiang Ningzui was joking, but she didn't take it seriously, she smiled, and took off the crimson veil wide-sleeve shirt from the screen to put on for Jiang Ningzui.

The banquet was held in the Taiye Pond in the Imperial Garden, surrounded by water, with willows leaning against the bank, and the palace in the middle was the Hanliang Hall for the banquet.

Jiang Ningzui walked down from the phoenix chariot. As soon as she got off the chariot, she saw bright lights in the hall, and faintly heard palace music.

The internal officer reported that Jiang Ningzui climbed up the steps and saw a man with black hair reaching his waist and wearing a white fox fur cloak beside the Taiye Pool. Behind him were two rows of court ladies and officials, although there was still a long distance between them. The distance is not close, but who else can have that attire besides Yan Yilan?

The voice of the internal officer's announcement rose and fell, and Jiang Ningzui stood still, silently watching Yan Yilan approaching, she nodded, "Princess."

"En." Unexpectedly by Jiang Ningzui, Yan Yilan only responded, and didn't make too much trouble to tease her, but said casually: "There are no outsiders in this banquet, so you don't have to go too far." Stick to etiquette."

Saying that, Yan Yilan walked up to Jiang Ningzui's side, and her gaze inadvertently fell on the golden phoenix holding a bead on Jiang Ningzui's head. In the end, he hid it in a joking expression, and could no longer see clearly.

Yan Yilan smiled and said, "The hairpin is really unique."

Jiang Ningzui was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "Thank you."

Walking up the steps into the Hanliang Hall, Jiang Ningzui vaguely heard someone calling her name with the sound of palace music, followed the sound and looked up, and saw a person standing in the hall.

In the brightly lit hall, the man's long black hair was bound by a jade crown, and he was wearing a dark blue gown. He had a kind of grace that made it difficult to look directly at. Zhu's face was smiling at her, like a handsome young man.

"Drunk." His voice was as gentle as his own, with a pampering tenderness. "I haven't seen you in half a month. You have lost a lot of weight."