Opposite the entrance hall

Lin'an City looks huge, but in fact it is covered with eyeliner everywhere, it doesn't take much effort for something to spread to everyone's ears, Ji Si just left Lin'an before someone spread the news back.

The person came in a hurry, walked through the winding alley, and stopped outside the door of an old small courtyard. He carefully raised his head and looked around, and then knocked on the door after repeated confirmation. The knocking rhythm was very regular. .

With a "creak", the door was opened from the inside, and Qian Duona appeared from behind the door, slightly sideways and ordered: "Come in quickly."

When someone stepped over the threshold and entered the courtyard, Qian Duo leaned out again and looked at the alley before closing the door.

This courtyard is not a triad courtyard, but it is more elegant. Grape vines are erected in the courtyard, and the green vines are lush and green in midsummer. They cover the top of the white stone tables and chairs, and dispel the hotness, and only let in a little. Warm light, is an excellent place to enjoy the cool.

The two of them took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the white stone table and chairs, only to see a person lying on a rocking chair with his back to them to enjoy the shade, holding a cattail fan in his hand, looking very comfortable.

The person who entered the courtyard earlier saluted and said respectfully, "Second Lord."

The action of shaking the fan did not stop, but nodded slightly: "What's the matter?"

The voice was extremely familiar, and when the person raised his eyes and turned sideways, it was the face of the celebrity Yan Yi who was in front of Emperor Chengde.

"Both Ji Si and Pei Zhan have left the capital," the person who answered said, and then asked, "Do we need to send someone to get rid of Ji Si this time?"

"Get rid of Ji Si?" Mr. Zhong stopped his movements and raised his eyes to look at the person and asked, "How do you plan to get rid of him? Let's not say that some people don't want him to die, and he must be spared if he fights against me everywhere, just say Ji Si's body Now surrounded by Pei Zhan, is that person easy to deal with? If you want to kill people from under Pei Zhan's nose, you don't even know what you can do. If you can't steal the chicken and lose money, who will pay for it if it affects the great cause?"

"This......"

Seeing that people couldn't answer, Mr. Zhong snorted coldly, "Idiot, I don't know what you are doing every time someone escapes, you are all a bunch of trash."

Hearing this, the two of them bowed their heads and hurriedly admitted their mistake with one voice, "This subordinate is incompetent, please punish me."

"Remember, when the great cause is accomplished, we will pursue the responsibilities one by one," Mr. Zhong said, "What's more, compared with Ji Si, there is another more important matter waiting to be resolved, but the difference between early death and late death, let's put it first." Let Ji Si live a little longer."

He curled his lips and sneered and asked about something else, "What are you doing over there now?"

"I've been in the mansion these days, or I've gone to various yamen. I haven't seen him staying there for a long time. It's rumored outside that he's content with the status quo and is timid and fearful." Qian Duo replied.

Mr. Zhong listened expressionlessly and did not make a sound.

Qian Duo hesitated for a while, but still couldn't help talking, "Second Master, do we need to think about that matter again? This is undoubtedly seeking skin from a tiger, we have to..."

"Wealth and wealth are sought in the face of danger, how can you achieve great things by looking forward and backward? If this trick is successful, then this scene should also end," Mr. Zhong played with the cattail fan in his hand, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt a little more happy. When he touched the corner of his mouth, he paused, his face was terrified, and he shouted hysterically, "Mirror, mirror! Bring me the mirror!"

The two panicked, but it was Qian Duo who had quick eyes and quick hands, rushed into the room and took out the bronze mirror, and said in a panic, "Second Lord, here is the mirror!"

Mr. Zhong couldn't wait to snatch the mirror, and looked at his face closer. Seeing that the corner of his mouth was sticking to the corner of the beard, his eyes immediately turned red, and he pressed the corner down in a panic, chanting frantically: "Beard, my beard, I can't lose my beard."

While talking crazily, he pressed the corners of the fake beard tightly, but this fake beard was originally stuck by the fish maw after filtering, so it couldn't last long at all, and now it's straight up when he sweats When I got up, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stick it on, but instead they fell down one after another.

Mr. Zhong looked at the beards in his hands, touched his smooth chin with trembling hands, his body trembled uncontrollably, and let out a sharp roar, and shouted sharply: "Yan Yu, Yan Yu, you owe me what you owe me!" I will ask for it back one by one, and I will repay you with double the pain I have tasted, and I will let you die badly, badly!"

The voice was sharp, like crying and laughing, like a ghost crawling out from the depths of the ground, falling in people's ears, making people feel deep fear in the bottom of their hearts, and there was a burst of chill behind the two people in the courtyard. It was as biting as the wind blowing in the twelfth lunar month.

The wind caused goosebumps all over his face, Ji Si couldn't help wrapping his outer robe tightly, leaned towards the campfire, rubbed his nose and sneezed, and glanced at Pei who was not far away from the corner of his eye. As expected, he saw that this person was staring at him again, and when he saw himself looking over and the two of them looked at each other across the crowd, he hurriedly moved away and pretended to search around. Xinji Sixia felt even more weird with this appearance of trying to hide it. Can't help squinting his eyes.

Ji Si thought about it, Qi Ran said a few words to Pei Zhan outside Lin'an City, since then, Pei Zhan has stared at him with this extremely complicated eyes that hesitated to speak, wishing to see him on his face. There are three large characters of vixen written on it, and those who didn't know it saw it and thought they owed a romantic debt.

In fact, after thinking about it, Ji Si can roughly guess what Qi Ran and his colleagues said. Pei Qixiu is a bit stubborn, and his likes and dislikes are clearly displayed on his face. Qi Ran said that if the Pei family wanted to talk about being smart, it was because of Pei Yao's imposing manner.

With such a temper, knowing that his junior brother who grew up with him and the courtier he despises the most have got together, and everyone is in a dilemma. Maybe he can't think of a way to satisfy both sides for a long time, so Feeling that Pei Qixiu's tangled expression suddenly became interesting, he couldn't help curling his lips.

On the first day of the new year, he came out of the carriage with an empty bowl in one hand and a blanket in the other, and what he saw was Ji Si's smiling face with a smile on his lips. He moved closer and put the blanket in his hand on the person and asked, "Didn't your lord call me earlier?" If you are cold, how can you not be cold after a while?"

"No, I thought of something happy." Ji Si covered his lips with his hands to hold back his smile, looked down at the empty bowl, raised his head and pouted at the people in the carriage, "What's the matter?"

"I look much better today, and some of the wounds have scabbed over." The first day of the junior high school also looked back at the carriage, then turned around and sighed, "I still can't get off the ground, the injury on my foot is too serious, and I will heal it in a while. No, it’s uncertain whether I can go to the ground in the future.”

Ji Si nodded, "Take care of him. If you need anything, tell Guo Sheng and let him arrange it."

"Yes," the first day of the junior high school answered, and asked again, "My lord, how long will it take for us to arrive at Wanping? It's been a long time since we've been gone, and I don't know what's going on in Lin'an. Do you miss Lord Qi..."

The latter sentence was said in a low voice. Hearing this, Ji Si turned his head and looked at the person a little funny. The latter smiled and quickly added, "I'm thinking about it."

"Talk less and do more," Ji Si pinched his cheeks, amused, "I'm so courageous, even your adults dare to make jokes and have fun, they're itchy and deserve to be beaten, right?"

After saying that, he gave the person a slap on the head, hugged his head and jumped a short distance away, made a face at the person, and said with a smile: "If you think about it, don't be embarrassed, I pretend I don't know. I won't laugh at you!"

Xu Shi's tone was very unbearable, but he ran away in a hurry before the words fell, causing Ji Si to wrap up tightly in the blanket and laugh, and unconsciously shifted his gaze to the tree where Pei Zhan was, and there was no one there, After looking around for a while, he saw someone jumping onto a big rock not far away holding Pei's cloud piercing gun. He pondered for a while, grabbed the wine bag on the ground, wrapped himself in a blanket, and followed.

Facing the bright moonlight, Pei Zhan lay one leg casually, the other bent, and put his elbow on his head. He stood upright with the cloud piercing gun in front of him, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and put it on the shiny gun blade. After taking two breaths, a thin layer of mist appeared on the icy sharp point, and it gradually dissipated in an instant.

He just started wiping, but his ears trembled slightly. He heard footsteps behind him, and his hands paused. Looking back, he saw the culprit who made him feel depressed sitting next to him, and the expression on his face became complicated again. , asked coldly: "Master Ji is busy."

Ji Si pretended not to see the resistance of this man, sat down cross-legged and said, "General Pei has something on his mind? If you don't mind, would I listen to you?"

How could it be so easy to pry Pei Qixiu's mouth open? Sure enough, Pei Zhan just gave him a complicated look, and continued to wipe his spear with lowered eyes, showing an indifference that refused to talk to others.

This situation was expected by Ji Si, he tore off the stopper of the wine bag, raised his head and took a big gulp of strong wine, the liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach, bringing a strong burning sensation where it passed , the scorching warmth spread towards the limbs and bones. Although the wine was strong, the effect of warming up the body was excellent. Ji Si sighed comfortably and passed the wine, but Pei Zhan didn't take it. He withdrew his hand and raised his head to take another big sip.

"I don't know how long we will go on this trip. The mountains are high and the road is far away, so it's better to take care of each other." Ji Si turned his head and looked at the person, "General Pei, let's talk."

Pei Zhanyan didn't have such thoughts at all. This Ji Si is not a good match no matter if you look at it horizontally or vertically. The male and female looks are too ostentatious, the cruelty is too vicious, and the romantic nature is too insidious. Although Qi Ran has all kinds of stinking problems, he is still his junior , looking at this person, he had the idea that his good junior brother had been harmed, and he had to endure it so that he would not be able to eliminate the harm with a single shot.

Ji Si didn't know the twists and turns in Pei Zhan's heart. After a while, he drank most of the wine, changed into a comfortable posture, and said in a light tone, "It is said that General Pei has a bright temper and doesn't care about trifles. How can he get along with me?" But not so, this taciturn person looks like Qi Shaoqing from Dali Temple."

After the words were finished, Pei Zhan paused, thinking in his heart: Come here, I know that the person who comes is not good, with a stomach full of bad thoughts, and a head full of dark thoughts, this person must have come to show off with me.

But it never occurred to Ji Si to change the subject, and changed into a curious and gossip tone, "Or let's talk about the matter of Young Master Yan?"

Suddenly, Pei Zhan opened his eyes wide, turned his head in disbelief, saw people smiling, and couldn't help shouting, "How do you know!"

The two were not far away from the camp, and their voices were enough to attract everyone's attention, and they all became cautious and nervous. Although the two teams performed their duties, they were indeed grasshoppers on the same rope. Come to think of it, internal strife broke out before it even reached Fanping, which is really big or small.

Pei Zhan also realized that he had lost his composure, retracted his neck and asked in a low voice, "How do you know?"

"General Pei, didn't you ask this knowingly?" Ji Si blinked, how could he tell Pei Qixiu that he saw it secretly, and it wasn't lighting a lantern in a latrine - looking for death, so he said ambiguously, and left it to Pei Zhan to guess.

So, after hearing this, Pei Zhan immediately had an answer in his heart. He gritted his teeth and cursed viciously: "He even told you about this. I wouldn't tell him if I knew about it. I'll make a decision when I go back." Beat him up so that you can calm down."

He was very angry, but he heard Ji Si beside him say, "That can't be done, I will feel bad."

Pei Zhan: "..."

Although the two of them didn't open up the matter, but it was clearly revealed between the lines. Pei Zhan looked up at the sky, quite understanding of the mood of the rich son's family who was bewitched by the vixen in the script. Ji Si, who was on the first floor of the full moon and silver light, saw that although his eyebrows and eyes were crooked with a smile, he felt more and more like a vixen. He secretly thought about whether to find a Taoist priest to show Qi Ziheng after returning to Beijing, and maybe he would be able to find his way back. It's the right time to turn back.

However, Ji Si became interested and continued to ask, "So what's the matter with you and the young man? Are you really not interested in him? I'm curious, and there's nothing to amuse me in this long night. Come and listen to me." Well, maybe I can take a closer look for you."

"He and I..." Pei Zhan was about to speak subconsciously, and then he reacted and stared at the person vigilantly, rolling his eyes, "What should I tell you, what is my relationship with you? You and me Human beings are not on the same path, you treacherous villains stay away from me, I see bad luck."

After being told a lot, Ji Si was not annoyed, he just raised his eyebrows and grinned at Ren Le, "Zi Heng is my sweetheart, and he is your younger brother, so I am your son-in-law. I have to call you senior brother, you said right senior brother."

"..."

Pei Zhan's eyes darkened, and he was rarely seen in his life with a thicker skin. He pointed at people and didn't know where to start, so he opened his mouth and said, "Shameless."

"Zi Heng said that about me too, senior brother, you two are worthy of being senior brothers." Ji Si was still happy.

"You are not a good man, and you are really not worthy of Ah Heng. He was just fooled by you for a while, and he will regret it when he sees your evil nature." Pei Zhan said with a straight face, "At that time I saw Can you still laugh?"

Hearing this, Ji Si raised his head and took a sip of wine, looking at the dense forest covered by trees, the moonlight sprinkled between the sky and the earth, letting a glimmer of light into the dark place that should have been dark, he looked at the sky, the earth, This mountain forest smiled faintly, "General Pei is right, I also told Ziheng that way, let him keep a low profile and don't show off, but who knows that he dotes on me, and he doesn't want to wrong me, saying he wants to Give me a name, if I hadn't stopped you, maybe they would have led me to the gate of Xiangfu, I am also very embarrassed, why don't you go and talk to him?"

Pei Zhan was speechless after so many words, he stared fiercely in his eyes, snorted a few times, jumped off the stone with the cloud piercing gun in his arms and walked back without looking back, Ji Si finally couldn't bear it. He couldn't stop laughing, and raised his chin at others, "Senior brother, I'll come and find you for a drink tomorrow."

Sure enough, Pei Zhan's pace quickened a bit, and when he heard Ji Si's laughter coming from behind, he was even more angry. If Qi Ran hadn't told him to protect Ji Si before he left, he would definitely Go over in one shot and take the life of this man, let's see how he can still laugh!

It is rare for Ji Si to be in such a good mood. After the depression dissipated, he also knew the reason to leave it when he saw it. He sat cross-legged on the stone surface while humming a little tune. He hooked his lips and raised his wine bag to respect each other from a distance.

Looking at it from a distance, the wine bag seems to touch the moon, making a crisp sound.

The white porcelain cups collided, and the filled wine rippled in circles. Qi Ran didn't show any superfluous expression on his face. He just drank the wine from the glass in his hand. As soon as the wine entered his stomach, a voice came from behind, " Haven't stopped yet?"

Qi Ran hurriedly got up and bowed to the visitor, "Why did father come to our courtyard?"

"I just came out of your elder brother's courtyard, so I stopped by to have a look at you," Qi Kuangshan explained, waving his hand to signal for people to sit down, poured a glass of wine, put it on the tip of his nose, sniffed it, and smiled, "This wine is really good. That's right, it may be a long time since my father had a drink with anyone, so today we father and son will have three drinks."

"It's rare that my father has a good mood, so I will accompany him." Qi Ran also smiled, picked up the cup, touched it, and then drank it with his head up.

After drinking a glass of wine, Qi Kuangshan asked something homely, "Have you seen your sister recently?"

"No, even Yang Qin has never seen it. It's strange to say that he ran the most diligently in the house in the past. After careful calculation, it will be quite a while."

"Oh," Qi Kuangshan sighed, "Your mother left early, and there is no woman in charge of the house. Your elder sister is very stubborn, and she doesn't want to show weakness or admit defeat at all, so Yang Qin followed suit. She, everyone said outside that he was a piece of mud that couldn't support the wall. There are so many smart people in this world, as long as they are not stupid and blind. In this life, just find someone who is knowledgeable and interesting. It's not about being a champion. , but your elder sister just doesn't stop, and sooner or later she makes a mistake, and she is also blaming me. I am used to her temper, but we owe the Yang family a lot."

Although Qi Ran felt that his elder sister was so good, he had to admit that what Qi Kuangshan said was reasonable. It wasn't that he looked down on Yang Qin, but he just felt that a man who could match his elder sister should be a dragon and a phoenix among men. The son lowered his head, and said after a while: "Sister, I know it well, father, don't worry."

"Is there a number? What is the number?" Qi Kuangshan not only was not persuaded, but became more and more angry, and said after drinking the wine, "You and your elder brother are also careless people. Every time you talk about marrying a wife, you will be dismissed." He talked about his prevarication, and after all he said that he was not fit enough to fear harming other girls, but his skills were more flexible than mine, and he couldn't see it at all."

Qi Ran couldn't hold back and raised his lips, just as the arc rose, Qi Kuangshan blamed him, "And you, you are not too young, but you don't care about your own affairs at all, I don't have to. Being this villain forced you, I just don't want to see you alone, if I go in the future, I won't be able to explain to your mother below."

"What did father say?" Qi Ran frowned and disagreed, "You are in a strong body now, why are you saying these unlucky words?"

"Unfortunately, human life is the most insignificant thing. Who can say for sure what will happen in the next moment. I just hope that someone will take care of you guys to be safe and happy," Qi Ran said with a look on his face. Even more unhappy, Qi Kuangshan had no choice but to pick up his glass and skip this topic, "By the way, it's been a while since Qi Xiu went to Wanping, did you send a letter back?"

"Not yet, it will take more than half a month for Wanping to travel on the border of Dajin, and it's only halfway through now, and there is still some time left."

Qi Kuangshan twirled his beard and nodded, "Mr. Pei is your master, who taught you all the skills. After Pei Zhan left the capital, only Yao'er and Le Jin and Le Yu were left. Yao'er was weak since she was a child, and she had to take care of her. Food and clothing for so many people in the Pei family is really troublesome, you have to take care of them more when you have time, and help out if you can, don't make things worse."

"I've made a note," Qi Ran responded, and then remembered what Ji Sitong had mentioned to him, pondered for a while and said, "Father, have you ever heard that the crown prince is willing to accept a concubine?"

"A concubine?" Qi Kuangshan repeated, frowning and shaking his head, "The matter of the crown prince accepting a concubine is of great importance, if there is a real incident, there will be no news about it, but I haven't heard any mention of it in court. Why did you suddenly ask this?"

Qi Ran didn't hide it either, he mentioned the suspicion that the crown prince wanted to marry Pei Yao and marry the Pei family, but he didn't say that Ji Si had informed him, but only brought out the difference between Pei Yao at the crown prince's birthday banquet last year, which was different from the queen the day before yesterday. Many adults in the city gave some fat cloths to the female relatives of the families, but when it was the Pei family's turn, it was the prince who came to the door in person, and there were all kinds of signs to make this guess.

After hearing this, Qi Kuangshan's face became gloomy, and he pondered for a long time before he said: "Since the fall of King Liang, the crown prince has become the most popular successor. He already has the household department and the official department in his hand. The youngest son married the daughter of Mr. Dong's family. It must have been ordered by the prince, but no matter how much he wins over, he may not be the opponent of King Rui. There is no other reason. Standing behind King Rui is Ping. The Northern General's Mansion, that is the [-] generals of the Pingbei Camp, you and I can think of this, so naturally the prince can."

He took a sip of his wine and put down his glass, his brows didn't relax, but instead he frowned more tightly, "The most urgent thing is that the crown prince should take over the military power, and there are three remaining troops stationed in the four directions. , but I heard that he has a weird temper, is born with infinite strength and is not very old, and he is more like a man than the soldiers in that camp. No daughter, so the Pei family is the most suitable."

"Exactly, what does father think?" Qi Ran asked.

The wine in the cup reflected the moon in the night sky, and the water in the cup sparkled, and even the moon caused waves, as if it could not be calm for a long time.

"If the prince really has this intention, it's not up to you or me to decide." Qi Kuangshan replied.

Qi Ran's complexion changed, he understood the meaning of these words, and said in a panic: "Once you enter the palace gate, it's as deep as the sea, then it's not a place for you to stay alone, if the crown prince is really married to the Pei family, wait for him to succeed Yao'er." If she will be made a concubine, then she will have to be trapped in that cage for the rest of her life; if the crown prince fails to succeed and becomes king and loser since ancient times, can the new emperor tolerate her? Will the Pei family be tolerated?"

"This matter is far more complicated than we thought. It needs a long-term plan. Don't act recklessly. If you take a wrong step, you will make mistakes." Qi Kuangshan looked at the crescent moon covered by dark clouds, and sighed, "If you can't Let the crown prince get rid of this idea, then we can only start with Yao'er, brother Pei, if you know, I hope you can protect Yao'er through this difficult time."

Qi Ran didn't intend to hide this news from Pei Yao, he didn't find the right time to tell Pei Zhan that he was very regretful, and he definitely couldn't hide it from Pei Yao anymore, but men and women are different, it is not convenient for him to go to Pei's residence, So I went to the Yang Mansion to tell Qi Xi about this matter, and wanted her to come forward, and my daughter's family didn't shy away so much.

I didn't see Yang Qin after staying in Yang's mansion for a while, but today it was Xiu Mu, Qi Ran was puzzled and asked, "Is Yang Qin not in the mansion?"

Qi Xi's smile froze, but he returned to normal in an instant, and said with a light smile: "He is busy with business these days, I heard from Badou that he went to A Weng to ask for official business, and he should be busy in the study at the moment. You also know your temper, it’s rare to have the heart to do something useful, and it’s inconvenient for me to bother him, if you have something to do with him, I’ll ask Ban Xia to pass on a message for you.”

After saying that, he wanted to tell Ban Xia, but Qi Ran just mentioned it casually, and hurriedly stopped him, "It's no big deal, it's also great to let him exercise, so as not to keep making friends with those dubious people and lose money." own face."

"Sister," Qi Ran called out, "Have you got something on your mind recently? Why do I see that you've lost weight?"

"Where's the worry?" Qi Xi covered her lips and smiled, "But I can't sleep well at night in such a dry day. I've gotten better these few days. Don't worry, there's still something else to do. Go quickly."

"Then you pay more attention, and if there is something to do, let Banxia go back to the house and say something."

"Understood, how did you learn from your elder brother's nagging, go quickly."

Qi Xi smiled and Yanyan stood under the eaves, watching Qi Ran's figure drift away, the smile on his face gradually dissipated, and heaved a long sigh.

"Miss," Ban Xia pouted, her tone full of accusations against Yang Qin and dissatisfaction with her own miss, "Why did you lie to the second young master, my uncle is obviously not in the study, these days he is either staying in the yamen, or Staying in those romantic places, even returning home is a haste, just not stepping into our courtyard, he is obviously..."

"Okay," Qi Xi glanced at him lightly with sideways eyes, "Stop talking, let someone prepare the carriage, and let's go to Pei's residence."

No matter how dissatisfied Ban Xia was, she just bit her lip and left in a hurry.

Qi Xi sighed softly when he was far away.

It was past noon when we arrived at Pei's mansion, the sun was hanging in the air, and it was very hot. Pei Yao was doing accounts in the study, and the sound of dialing the abacus in one hand made a sound. Hearing the news of Qi Xi's visit, he immediately put down his business and trotted away. Stepping into the hall, she smiled, greeted her happily and said, "Sister Xi, how come you have time to come to Pei's mansion today?"

"Qi Xiu is not in the capital, and you don't have anyone to talk to, so I don't worry about it." Qi Xi took Pei Yao's hands and patted them lightly, and motioned sideways, "I asked the cook to stew some chicken with ginseng and fish maw. , I heard from the girl in your house that you are busy checking the accounts and haven't eaten yet, so it's good to have some chicken soup to keep you warm."

"Sister Xi still loves me." Pei Yao said while pulling someone to sit down.

Ban Xia placed the food box on the table, carefully brought out the soup cup, filled two bowls of soup neatly, put it on the table, then took a step back and said with a smile: "The second young lady has a close relationship with my young lady. No matter who you ask to see, they are like a pair of sisters, I still remember when the second young master was too kind to the second young master, she cried and made a lot of jokes."

Recalling the funny things when they were young, the two looked at each other and covered their lips and laughed.

"Try it quickly, it will still suit your appetite."

Pei Yao scooped up half a spoonful of soup and put it into her mouth, it was indeed fragrant on her lips and teeth, after a while the bottom of the bowl was gone, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, and her body felt warmer.

Qi Xi looked at the person with gentle eyes, and pushed the untouched bowl of chicken soup over, "Here is more."

"Farewell, it really won't work if you drink it any longer," Pei Yao looked puzzled, "It's better to save it for Le Jin Le Yu to taste it later."

Hearing this, Qi Xi didn't force her, but chatted with someone about some interesting things in the family, and halfway through the conversation, she put the purpose of this trip on the table and said, "If I remember correctly, Yao'er has already passed her [-]th. .”

"Why do you ask this?" Pei Yao was a little puzzled, "Sister Xi was also present at my birthday party, so I forgot how long it has passed."

"I can't forget this," Qi Xi took a sip of tea from the maid and said, "It's just that in a blink of an eye Yao'er is also a big girl, so I can't help feeling a little bit embarrassed, and I don't know which young man will be able to marry her in the future. We, Yao'er, are our wives."

Hearing these words, Pei Yao somehow thought of the person sitting on the tree and bathing in the afterglow of the setting sun, her heart quickened by three minutes, her eyes moved slightly, she had a shy gesture like a daughter's, and she smiled He said: "Sister Xi, don't make fun of me."

"Is it true that Yao'er has no one she likes?" Qi Xi hesitated and asked again, "If you have one, tell me and see what kind of talent he is, as long as his family background is clean and his character is good, he loves you and cherishes you, your brother Presumably there will be no objection, since you are old enough, you should find a good family, don't imitate me and teach others to read jokes."

An innocent family?Good character?

Mr. Ji didn't seem to agree at all, and his elder brother even disdained him between the lines, let alone agreeing, if he knew what he was thinking, he might have to make a big fuss.

Pei Yao couldn't help but feel a little worried, she kept this matter secret because she didn't want to make an ugly scene, and besides, she was the one who thought about it from the beginning to the end, Master Ren Ji never teased her, so how could she blame others.

Thinking up to this point, Pei Yao did not answer but asked back, "I was taught by Sister Xi when I was young, and Sister Xi's personality is different from other girls in Lin'an City. My father once said when he was alive, "If that girl from the Qi family is a man Zizhan and Aran can't match that kind of ruthlessness." Sister Xi replied to her father at that time, "Although Qi Xi is a girl, she is a hundred times better than thousands of men in the world." Tell me, women are never subordinates to others, and getting married and having children is not the only way for women to pass. We can also stand on the top of a high mountain and overlook the mediocre people in this world, and walk against the wind to embark on a road that no one has ever walked before. What should be done on the rough road is not for others to decide, but for oneself."

The smile on Qi Xi's face dissipated. Listening to each sentence, every word, she felt a dreamlike illusion in her heart. She understood Pei Yao's implication, but she was not annoyed, on the contrary, she was a little relieved. Then she put down the teacup Raising her eyes, she said vaguely, "It's not that I want to force you, but that it's up to you whether to marry or not."

After the words fell, the situation suddenly became complicated. Pei Yao naturally understood the words and knew that this matter was far from what she thought, but she was still puzzled and asked with a frown, "How do you say that?"

"Ban Xia," Qi Xi waved his hand, "Let all the servants in the house go down, you stand guard outside the door, don't let anyone in unless I call you."

"Yes."

After Ban Xia led everyone out, and closed the door tactfully, the light in the room dimmed a bit, and then Qi Xi looked at Pei Yao and said word by word, "His Royal Highness intends to accept you as a concubine."

Suddenly, Pei Yao's pupils dilated, her face full of disbelief, she opened her mouth but said: "This is impossible, and there is no such news in the court."

"I wouldn't believe it if other people told me." Qi Xi also looked worried, and sighed faintly, "But this news was told to me by A-Heng, and you know A-Heng's temperament, so you are not fully sure. He definitely won't talk nonsense, not to mention that this matter is of great importance and concerns the Eastern Palace, who can easily use it to fool people."

Pei Yao's back was chilled, her hands and feet were as cold as if she had just been picked up from an ice cave, her calm and self-sufficient reason disappeared, she suddenly panicked and bit her lips: "But I only met the prince once or twice, he You don't even know what kind of temperament I am, why you suddenly have the idea of ​​accepting me as a concubine."

"It doesn't matter what kind of temperament you are. What matters is that your surname is Pei, and you are the second lady of General Dingwei's mansion. Pei Zhan who guards the border is your elder brother. These three points alone are enough to become the wish of a prince and concubine."

These words were clear, Pei Yao was not stupid, she immediately understood the meaning of the words, her face became even more ugly, she unconsciously clenched her sleeves, and said that she had ulterior motives, "The crown prince wants the support of the Pei family."

"Yes," Qi Xi said in a flat tone, "You must have heard about the affairs of the officialdom. Our emperor's health is getting worse day by day. To say the least disrespectful, if he dies, the person who succeeds him should be It's the prince, it's justifiable, but standing behind King Rui is the Guo family, which is on par with the Pei family. In a real fight, King Rui may not lose. The most urgent task for the prince is to find another good strategy, and you are the one he uses to break the situation. people."

"Yao'er," Qi Xi stopped, crossed the table and squeezed Pei Yao's hand tightly, staring at her extremely worried eyes, and said word by word: "I never wanted to force you, if I could, I would compare you to anyone else." Everyone hopes that you can meet someone who truly loves you and cherishes you, and promises you a good home as a couple for the rest of your life, but when things happen suddenly, if the prince really goes to the palace to ask for the imperial decree of marriage, then there is no room for maneuver. Now, can you still resist the order and fail to obey it?"

Pei Yao raised her eyes and looked at the person in front of her with a solemn expression. Qi Xi's eyes reflected her somewhat flustered and pale face. She opened her mouth and asked in a hoarse voice: "Then what should I do, I don't want to marry The crown prince is a concubine, I don't want to, sister Xi, what should I do?"

"Don't panic, I have a way to do it, it depends on whether you are willing..."

Qi Xi got closer, and spoke out all the ideas that he had thought up in the future in a soft voice, but Pei Yao's expression became more and more complicated when he heard the words, which was enough to make people not look famous at all.

The noon sun was a bit scorching hot, and the bright sunlight penetrated into the room through the window lattice, and the shadows reflected on the ground were stretched and slender by the sunlight, crushed and disturbed by footsteps.

Sun Hai took the sweet soup brought up by the inner servant, waved his hand to signal people to go out more gently, then bowed his body and placed it gently in the hand of Emperor Chengde, and asked puzzledly: "Previously the crown prince came to ask for a marriage, what did your majesty give?" The prevarication was over, the old slave looked unhappy, this Highness is also twenty and five years old, except for a side concubine and a few concubines, the room is also deserted, and it is time to accept the crown princess. "

"A concubine?" Emperor Chengde sneered, "Does he have a heart to accept a concubine? He is obviously forming a party for personal gain and wants to cultivate his own power. If that person is not surnamed Pei but just an ordinary official's daughter, he will still have this idea ?”

Emperor Chengde obviously knew what kind of medicine Li Hongyang was selling in the gourd, and he became more and more angry, and complained to Sun Hai with a cold face, "Do you really think I don't know about his shady plans? Things that are not on the table are not promising at all. I just thought about ways to rely on women, how can he achieve great things in the future with such an impatient appearance? How did I give birth to such a thing. "

After that, he coughed again and again.

"Your Majesty calm down, don't get angry and hurt your body." Sun Hai hurriedly comforted others, served sweet soup to comfort him, "Perhaps the crown prince is only in love with Miss Pei, not as much as he thinks."

"These sons are either too thoughtful to plan and plot everywhere, with more eyes than gophers punch holes, or they don't have the slightest desire to make contributions.