Mei Niang and Lin Runan stood very close to each other. They looked at the King of Qi but discussed quietly. Mei Niang said, "If we don't accept his things, what do you think will happen to him?"
Lin Runan said, "He will come up with some more bizarre ways to play a trick on us! Forget it, just accept it. It's just a few silk scarves, not worth much. Take it back and give it to the girls to wear!"
Mei Niang chuckled: "Okay, then take it. It's rare to see such good things. There are so many. Give some to the girls. We can also use them... It would be stupid to take it and not use it!"
When the song ended, Mei Niang smiled and said to the King of Qi: "Congratulations, Your Highness! You have learned it now!"
The King of Qi snorted, lowered his head to play the drum, and said nothing. Mei Niang looked back at Lin Runan, then turned to him and said:
"I have never seen these scarves that His Highness gave me before. Where did you buy them from?"
The King of Qi said, "You don't want it, so why are you asking this?"
"It would be a shame to burn it, so I'd better put it away!"
The King of Qi raised his head to look at her, stretched out his hand to take the brocade box she was holding, and said lightly: "It would be a pity to burn it. I will take it back to give to someone else!"
Mei Niang felt a sudden heat rising on her face. She was so embarrassed. Damn Zhao Bao, he was so annoying!
She glared at him and tried to walk away, but the King of Qi blocked her way, with a wicked smile on his handsome face:
"Why, you want it? Then I'll leave it to you!"
Mei Niang wanted to slap him in the face. This guy deserved a beating. She took a step back and walked in another direction, saying coldly:
"I don't want it, take it back and reward your beauty!"
The smile on King Qi's face froze, and he turned to look at Lin Runan with a cold gaze that made Lin Runan shudder.
"Cen Meimei, I'll give you one more chance. If you don't come and accept this box obediently, don't regret it if something happens to Miss Lin tomorrow!"
Mei Niang was stunned for a moment, then stopped and looked at him: "Don't go too far!"
"Not at all! Miss Lin, tell me, did I inform you yesterday? You don't have a good memory, so you can't blame me!"
Lin Runan said: "What's the big deal? At most I will die, I have no regrets!"
The King of Qi regained his evil smile: "Who told you to die? It won't be fun if you die..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Mei Niang had already walked back to him and stretched out her hand: "Give me the scarf, I want it!"
The King of Qi met her eyes, which were wide open and filled with anger and hatred, and laughed: "Cen Meimei! Do you really have to be like this? If you don't accept my toast, you will be punished. Are you too smart or too stupid?"
Mei Niang snatched the brocade box and said angrily: "Your Highness, there is such a huge gap between us, there is no equality. You will always be the high and mighty king, and I am just an insignificant commoner. How dare I accept your toast!"
The King of Qi stopped laughing and looked at her with a dignified expression: "I said before, I want you to be my friend. Do you know what a friend is? It means treating each other as equals! Just like when we first met, you treated me with your true nature, comforting, enlightening, or scolding me. Have I ever blamed you as a king? It seems that we have known each other for many years and understand each other... But after so much difficulty meeting you again, you are unwilling to see me with your true face. In other words, you rejected me. You appear to be respectful on the surface, but in fact, you don't take me seriously at all! Cen Meimei, it's not that I'm overdoing it or that I like to tease people. It's that you are insincere and unwilling to treat me as an equal."
Mei Niang was stunned by his words, and was even more confused by his last sentence - what a joke, to be equal to the King of Qi, it would be almost the same as giving her the title of princess!
When the King of Qi saw Mei Niang standing there in a daze without saying anything, he became even more disappointed and lost interest. He beckoned to his attendant:
"Let's go back! The new drum stand is also made today. Take it back. I will only practice in the palace from now on."
Then he said to Mei Niang, "I will not come here anymore and disturb you. Li Qiuge, if he wants, he can bring these people to the Prince Qi's Mansion... I will take care of them!"
In other words, he wants to poach people? Mei Niang lowered her head and thought, well, water flows upwards, Li Qiuge must have an easier time following the King of Qi than in the small Xiankeliai, let them do what they want!
Watching the handsome figure of the Qi Wang leave, Mei Niang couldn't tell what she felt in her heart. In fact, she didn't hate the Qi Wang, she really didn't hate him. He was overbearing, but she didn't think he was bullying others. What's wrong with being comrades? He didn't harm others, so what's wrong with making friends? He was willing to say such words in public, which showed his sincerity and pursuit of friendship, but she didn't respond at all. Wasn't it too much? Like he said, he was not sincere at all
If it was Cen Meimei, it would be easy. She could call him back in a minute and say to him generously: We are friends now, don’t regret it. If you have any difficulties in the future, please take care of me! But her current identity is Qin Meiniang, the daughter of the Qin family, the wife of Xu Junying, and the mother of Henger. She has to abide by the rules. She promised Xu Junying, so she has to be careful not to cause anything embarrassing for him in the last three months. The King of Qi insisted on coming to her, and she had to deal with it. He left on his own. She shouldn’t be glad that the trouble was gone. Should she cry and shout to keep him: Don’t leave, let’s be friends! If that’s not crazy, what is it
The King of Qi walked to the door and paused. Mei Niang withdrew her gaze, and the King of Qi finally left with his head held high.
Lin Runan breathed a sigh of relief, and walked back to the Cen residence with Mei Niang, laughing and talking. The two stood there and watched the old woman lock the mahogany door. Mei Niang seemed to see a figure flash out of the corner of her eye, and when she turned around to look carefully, she saw only a tree of fresh green leaves, swaying gently in the breeze.
She sighed secretly, she would not let the King of Qi ruin her mood and even make her eyes blurry.
After entering the room and changing her clothes, she talked with Lin Runan for a while, then went into the inner hall to pay her respects to her grandfather and parents. It was getting late, and Cui Xi had just been to Xiankelai, so there was no need for her to go again. Mei Niang said goodbye to Lin Runan, promising to visit her again in a few days, and walked out of Cen's house with Cui Xi and Cui Lian. Bai Zhan was waiting at the gate. After watching them climb into the carriage, he picked up the whip and waved it, then hurried back to Hou Mansion.
Back at Tsinghua Courtyard, Cui Si had already prepared hot water. Mei Niang took a bath, changed her clothes, and came out to comb her hair again. Xu Junying happened to come over from the East Courtyard and said to Mei Niang:
"The old lady knows about Qiuhuayuan. She said that the cousin of the Zheng family has caught a cold. She is afraid that if she stays in the mansion, it will infect others. She has sent someone to tell the first wife to send Zheng Meiyu home early tomorrow morning. We don't have to go this trip!"
Mei Niang was stunned for a moment: "Who said that? Ruizhu Ruibao? I heard with my own ears that the eldest wife told them not to tell anyone. Aren't these two girls afraid that the eldest wife will settle accounts with them?"
Xu Junying smiled slightly: "Even if Ruizhu and Ruibao don't say anything, the old lady will know what happened in Qiuhuayuan. Besides, this matter is the most difficult to cover up. Everyone in the courtyard knows it... Even you have a Xia Lian, how could the eldest wife not have someone hiding inside?"
Mei Niang gave a bitter smile: "Your family is really something, you guard against me, I investigate you, aren't you tired!"
Xu Junying looked at her in silence. Mei Niang sat and thought for a while, then suddenly clapped her hands, "Quick! Let's go and bring Heng'er back now - we have a ready-made excuse. Miss cousin has contracted a disease and will die. Heng'er is so young, wouldn't he be most susceptible to infection if he lives in Qiuhua Courtyard? Let's say we bring him back to live with him for a few days, and then we won't let the first wife take him away!"
Xu Junying said: "This won't work!"
"Why not?"
Xu Junying was forced to look away: "It's not polite to bring Heng'er back with this reason. You only think about your son and not your mother-in-law's safety? You must persuade the eldest wife to evacuate Qiuhua Courtyard with Heng'er first. In this way, Heng'er is still in her hands. No matter which courtyard she lives in, she will not let go of you... Don't worry, I will think of a good way to let Heng'er return to you and never let the wife take him away again."
Mei Niang was a little worried: "Then Zheng Meiyu, is she sick?"
Xu Junying comforted her: "Don't worry, it's not a disease..."
Mei Niang frowned slightly and said nothing more, thinking to herself: Is three months too long? The Xu family is full of troubles, and it is hard to guard against them. Ruyi's fetus was killed by a bowl of medicine, Zheng Meiyu's aphrodisiac powder harmed people, and Xu Junying took Zheng Meiyu's life without saying a word. What if I accidentally offend him one day? It's terrible! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)