Jiang Xun's thoughts moved slightly, he hesitated, and said, "I can't bear to leave my grandmother so soon."
Mrs. Yan smiled sadly, "Grandma can't bear to let you go, but you will always get married, and grandma can't keep you forever. Besides, grandma is already old. She just wants to see you get married and have children, so that you can live a good life." Well, grandma also has selfish motives and doesn't want you to marry far away. The Xiao family is a prominent family in the capital. If you marry there, you can be close and take care of her."
Jiang Xun secretly sighed, this old lady Yan was indeed very kind to her granddaughter, but it was a pity that the original owner was not real.
She suddenly seemed to understand something and rolled her eyes. What the original owner longed for most was probably this kind of family affection.
She whispered: "Grandma, can I think about it again?"
There was a trace of uneasiness in her eyes, which made people feel distressed. Mrs. Yan softened her heart when she looked at her and said, "Okay, okay... Grandma is relying on you, so this matter is not urgent."
Jiang Xun said movedly: "Grandma is so kind."
"The Xiao family will hold a spring banquet in two days. You can go too." Mrs. Yan said with a smile.
Jiang Xun nodded.
…
The Xiao family's spring banquet was the day after tomorrow. Jiang Xun thought that he would most likely see the soul-pierced Su Xun when he arrived at Xiao Mansion, so he decided to go out to find out some information. The original owner had heard someone say before that there was a tea shop in the capital. , you can inquire about the news.
I don’t know who the master behind the scenes is. I only know that they have a complicated information network. They have people placed in various mansions and restaurants and brothels, or they have bribed maids and slaves. Some irrelevant information can be bought from here.
As long as you can afford the price, you can get the information you want to know, but the secrets of the DPRK and the Central Government or family secrets are not something ordinary people can buy.
Most of the people who go there to buy information are those whose families are discussing marriage. They come here to buy information about the other party's family and inquire about the other party's character and whether there is any dirty business.
Jiang Xun found an excuse and said he wanted to buy some books and tea, so Mrs. Yan asked someone to accompany her out of the house.
She put on a curtain to hide her face, and took a carriage to the busiest street in the capital.
Today she only asked Yingqiao to accompany her, leaving Cen Bi to look after the house. She also gave her a few easy and showy things to do, and dismissed her without making her suspicious.
Jiang Xun first visited some gold and jade jewelry shops, then looked at rouge powder, and then walked around to this tea shop.
The tea shop is very large. Generally, large shops like this have inner rooms for distinguished guests to rest or choose products. But in this shop, if you want to find out information, you have to speak code words.
Jiang Xun asked Yingqiao to wait outside, pretended to go in to pick tea leaves, and followed the shopkeeper into a soundproofed inner room.
Jiang Xun originally thought that he had told his request and would have to wait at least a day or two to get the news he wanted. Unexpectedly, the man said: "What a coincidence, the person you are talking about happened to be here yesterday. I have something ready to go." news about her."
Jiang Xun raised his eyebrows slightly. Tomorrow is the Xiao family's spring banquet. It would be best if he could get the news today.
She whispered: "Make a price."
The man smiled and said, "Young girl is a cheerful person. This person is not important. Fifty taels of silver is enough."
Jiang Xun took out one hundred taels of silver from his sleeve. The shining silver ingot dazzled the man's eyes. Jiang Xun said calmly: "I'll give you one hundred taels. Let's talk."
The man was so happy that he picked up the silver and put it in his arms. He smiled and said: "The person the girl is asking about is the maid of the Xiao family. The second young master of the Xiao family rescued her from the bandits a few days ago. She said she has lost her memory and has nowhere to go. , so he took him in the Xiao family, and somehow managed to win the favor of the third wife of the Xiao family, so she stayed with her. Unexpectedly, she secretly climbed into Xiao Er's bed a few days ago and was discovered. She was injured and almost killed. The eldest lady rushed out of the house, but the third wife of the Xiao family pleaded for mercy, saying it was a misunderstanding, and in the end, for some reason, she was asked to stay for a few more days and leave as soon as her injuries were better."
The man talked eloquently and described the details very clearly.
Jiang Xun couldn't help but feel funny when he heard how vividly he spoke.
After he finished speaking, Jiang Xun asked, "You said she came here yesterday. What was she here for?"
"What else she can do is to buy news, of course. However, she couldn't afford the price for the news, so she brought a jade pendant. It was of high quality and I didn't dare accept it." The man smiled sarcastically, " If it weren't for the fact that she brought a piece of jade, I wouldn't have checked her out, and if you came today, you wouldn't be able to get the information you want so quickly."
Jiang Xun chuckled softly. Yes, she is just a maid now. How much money can she have? If the jade pendant was not rewarded by the master, it would be stolen. In a family like the Xiao Mansion, everything is recorded in books. They will not accept this thing. Here, if you want to buy news, you need real money and nothing else.
"What news did she come to buy?"
"She is inquiring about the affairs of Duke Chengguo's house. As for the specifics, that's another matter."
Jiang Xun blinked and took out another hundred taels.
"enough?"
The man's eyes lit up and he nodded quickly: "Enough, of course it is enough. She came to ask about the granddaughter Su Xun of Duke Cheng's mansion, Mrs. Yan, who just returned to the mansion."
…
On the second day, Jiang Xun followed several noble ladies from Yan Mansion and went to Xiao Mansion in a carriage.
Standing at the door to greet them were Xiao Jingyan, the eldest son of the Xiao family, and his wife, the eldest mistress of the Xiao family.
The flower banquet was held in the back garden of Xiao Mansion. Everyone followed the maid through the long corridor paved with blue stones and saw a jasper-like lake.
After passing the bluestone corridor, we arrived at the back garden. When Jiang Xun was still some distance away, he saw many familiar people.
There are several temporary pavilions set up in the garden. The small pavilions built among the flowers are unique and elegant.
The ladies who arrived early were already sitting in the pavilion admiring the flowers.
The Xiao Mansion has made great efforts for this flower viewing banquet. The eldest son of the Xiao family, Xiao Jingyan, just got married last fall. His wife, Li, comes from a prominent family in the south of the Yangtze River and is not familiar with the powerful circles in the capital. The wedding banquet allowed her to meet new people and break into the circle of ladies in the capital.
Just as spring is here, it's time for the noble ladies in the capital who have reached marriageable age to talk about marriage. This flower banquet is also a blind date banquet in disguise. The Xiao Mansion has almost brought together all the unmarried men and women of the famous noble family Li in the capital. Everyone was invited, and some parents followed.
Jiang Xun's arrival attracted many appreciative glances.
The news that she won the jackpot at the drinking party a few days ago has spread. Everyone knows that the granddaughter of Mrs. Yan of Chengguo Duke's mansion is a talented woman who is not to be compared with other men. She has attracted the attention of several first-class men in the capital. Full of praise.
Now that I saw her, she was indeed a stunning beauty. Her appearance, figure and temperament were alluring.
Jiang Xun was also a social expert. She chatted with the ladies and praised them all. Everyone had a good impression of her.
However, she still didn't like to be among women, and it was boring to talk. Just as people from the Jiang Mansion arrived, she took advantage of everyone coming up to greet them and walked to the other side of the garden.
I have to say that the garden of Xiao Mansion is indeed beautiful. It has been decorated again today. All kinds of flowers and plants are blooming very beautifully. The smell of the flowers makes people feel relaxed and happy.
However, she hadn't admired it for long when she suddenly saw Wei Mingyu.
Wei Mingyu is dressed in particularly eye-catching clothes, and the makeup on her face is also very pretty. There is a delicate jade bell hanging around her waist, which makes a crisp sound when she walks.
She looked around and walked quickly, but did not find Jiang Xun.
Jiang Xun blinked in confusion and followed.
Unexpectedly, she walked around and came to a bamboo forest. When Jiang Xun saw her stop, he hid and watched her quietly.
"who is it?"
There was caution in the cold voice, it was Shen Xitang.
Jiang Xun was startled, but soon Wei Mingyu said, "General Shen, it's me."
"You... why are you here?" Shen Xitang's voice was so cold that it could freeze. Even if Jiang Xun didn't see his face, he could guess that he looked unhappy.
Wei Mingyu was very nervous and her speech became slurred. She was completely unlike the proud and flamboyant person she usually was.
"I... I have something to say to you."
"Say it." Shen Xitang's eyes suddenly drifted away.
"General Shen, I... I am pleased with you."
Her voice was so low that Jiang Xun barely heard it clearly. He was startled and thought to himself: This Wei Mingyu is really brave, even confessing his love to Shen Xitang in private.
She pursed her lips and suddenly felt bored and wanted to leave.
Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she bumped into a broad chest and was supported by a pair of big hands on her shoulders.
Jiang Xun suddenly stopped and looked up to see the cold-faced prince Yan Shen.
Yan Shen's cold eyes fell on her face, showing an expression of disgust, and then he pushed her away like a snake.
Jiang Xun was pushed back a few steps and his feet made a sound on the dry branches.
She felt bad, and when she turned around, she met Wei Mingyu's angry and shocked eyes.
Shen Xitang also looked at her with amusement in his eyes. The corners of his mouth seemed to be raised, but they didn't seem to have any. There was no emotion on his face, and he looked like a completely unpredictable person.
What he was holding in his hand was not the piece of warm jade that he had carried with him before, but a string of Buddhist beads. His slender white fingers were fiddling with the beads, and his eyes were fixed on her.
Jiang Xun felt strange when he saw him.
Yan Shen asked in a cold voice without understanding: "What are you doing hiding here?"
Jiang Xun scolded him a few times in his mind, but remained calm and calm, not panicking, and whispered: "I didn't hide."
Yan Shen frowned, "Then why are you here?"
Jiang Xun raised his eyes and looked directly at Yan Shen. His eyes were as soft as spring water. Yan Shen was not used to the focused look in his eyes. His brows furrowed even more tightly and he said in a deep voice, "I ask you a question, why don't you answer it quickly?"
Jiang Xun smiled calmly, "Prince Kang, today we are enjoying flowers in Xiao Mansion. The scenery here is very beautiful, why can't I be here?"
Her eyes were soft and clear. Yan Shen paused and stared into her eyes, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"Is there nothing else, Your Majesty? Then I will leave first. Your Majesty, please give way." After Jiang Xun said that, he turned around and left quickly.
After she left, Shen Xitang walked behind Yan Shen and fiddled with the beads carelessly, "Why are you here?"
The author has something to say: Yan Shen: This woman must have bumped into my arms on purpose, trying to seduce me.
Shen Xitang: Follow me. Do you want to confess to me
Jiang Xun: Excuse me, farewell.
Big pig trotters, stop being so sentimental and hurry up.