"Princess, my father-in-law has already left, shall we go back too?" King Ping looked at the empty ten-mile long pavilion not far away, and his eyes fell on Zhou Guanning who was still standing in a daze, looking in the direction Zhou Mao left, and reminded him softly.
He didn't understand what happened between his wife and her natal family, but he could also see that his father-in-law and mother-in-law still loved his wife very much, but there were some unpredictable contradictions in this love.
Zhou Guanning bit her lips lightly, the tears that had been rolling in her eyes finally fell down.
Parents are gone, second brother is gone, what else does she have
King Ping sighed, saying that women are made of flesh and blood, and this sentence has been fully reflected in the princess of the past few days.
***
On the day of Wei Chengzhao's wedding, the British government house was decorated with lights and festoons. Although he was only the third son of a concubine, both the eldest princess and Wei Junhang and his wife paid great attention to his marriage, and because he was a man of the younger generation Among them, the first one to get married, Princess Dachang and Shen Xinyan's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law hoped that he would have a good start, and worked hard to organize his wedding, which made Yang happy all day long.
With such a specification, it is not much worse than the prince's marriage.
Perhaps it was because he let his grandmother down again. Wei Chenglin spent the past few days with the eldest princess whenever he had time. After all, the eldest princess still loves him, or she was really persuaded by Wei Junhang, so she gradually looked away. Don't worry too much about his marriage.
The so-called children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, and she should have looked at it long ago when she lived to this age.
"Wei's third son's sons are all married, what about your family's Wei Shizi? When will you marry the Shizi's wife back?" Qiao Liu leaned back on the back of the chair, with a smile on his face that was obviously looking forward to the show.
"Whenever you remarry your wife, probably my Cheng Lin will be able to marry his wife back." Wei Junhang said with a smile.
Qiao Liu's smile froze, then he shook his head helplessly.
"The dimples came out again!" Wei Junhang said again suddenly.
Qiao Liu subconsciously stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, and when he saw his playful smile, he immediately knew that he had been cheated, but he still pretended to be nonchalant and slowly put down the hand covering his mouth.
Think of him as Qiao Liu, personable and handsome, which big girl and sister-in-law are not fascinated by him, God is really annoying, gave him such a pair of harmful dimples, and made him a flirt The suave, mature and prudent man was dragged down into a brat.
In order to hide this trouble, he practiced facial expressions in front of the mirror for half a year, knowing how to smile and how to speak so as not to let those nasty dimples jump out and damage his image.
Tsk, I still feel sad and tearful when I think about it now!
Wei Junhang couldn't help laughing out loud: "Don't worry, when you get older, until your face is covered with wrinkles, they won't be able to get out even if they want to."
Qiao Liu glared at him: "I am so old that I have wrinkles on my face, and you are not much better!"
Wei Junhang smiled and didn't care.
Qiao Liu took a sip from the wine glass, and from the corner of his eyes, he inadvertently caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure. When he wanted to take a closer look, the other person had disappeared.
"What are you looking at?" Wei Junhang asked curiously seeing that he suddenly fell silent and his eyes were fixed on the crowd not far away.
"Just now, did Xu Sumin pass by there just now?" He asked hesitantly.
"Mrs. Xu? She did come today, but I don't know if she passed by there." For some reason, Wei Junhang thought of Xu Sumin's son again, and smiled, "You used to say that he has a strong temper, but you don't know that he is now She is also a loving mother.”
Qiao Liu, who was originally overjoyed by his previous sentence, changed his face when he heard the last sentence: "Does she have a child?"
"I'm already married, isn't it normal to have a child?" Wei Junhang disagreed.
"She's married?!" Qiao Liu's eyes widened.
"If you're not married, where did you get the child? I've seen her child before, it looks quite similar to her, and it's definitely his own." Wei Juanhang said with a confident expression.
Qiao Liu's face was a bit ugly, and his whole face was distorted when viewed from behind.
Oh, that's great! Sure enough, he deserves to be the head of Xu who can cut off the lifeblood of a heartless man without hesitation. He lifted himself up first, then turned around and ran to get married. No wonder he disappeared without a trace in the past few years. Good wife and mother!
He sneered: "The country is easy to change, and the nature is hard to change. I don't know who hates fate, but dares to marry that hag! I'm not afraid of being cut off by her in the middle of the night!"
Wei Junhang accidentally choked on the drink, turned his back and coughed loudly.
"You don't have to say it so scary, do you? Since a woman with Mrs. Xu's temperament is willing to marry and have children for her, it seems that she really has sincere feelings for that person. Why is that so!"
Qiao Liu only felt that his words sounded very harsh, so he gave him a bitter look, and ignored him again.
After Wei Chengzhao got married, the Yang family went all out and arranged a marriage for Wei Chengyue. A few months later, even Wei Chengqi made an engagement under Fang's initiative.
The juniors from the eldest and third households have settled their marriages one by one, and now only Wei Chenglin, the second householder, remains.
Even though Shen Xinyan thought it was nothing important at first, she became more and more anxious as time went on.
Especially when the news came that Wei Chengzhao's wife was happy, she couldn't sit still any longer, and began to test Wei Chenglin's intentions around the corner.
At the beginning, Wei Chenglin looked left and right and talked about him, but after she talked too much, he began to keep silent, and Shen Xinyan was so anxious that she almost couldn't hold back her temper.
After Wei Junhang learned about it, he persuaded her. After several times of persuasion, she finally let out a long sigh and resigned to her fate: "In this life, there are two marriages that make me very worried. One is Brother Lin, and the other is Chunliu."
Chun Liu's last life was delayed because of herself. From the beginning of this life, she planned to find a marriage for her. She never thought that this person would take it seriously if he said he would not marry, and he would drag it to his current age. Not long ago, she took the initiative to invite Ying, and happily went to Brother Xiang's house to be the nanny in charge.
Not to mention the marriage of the eldest son, after several twists and turns, the person he was destined to have never appeared.
How could Wei Chenglin not know that his mother was anxious, even several times, looking at Shen Xinyan who was so anxious that he was about to get annoyed, but in the end he tried his best to hold back and didn't vent to him. Mother calls the shots' said it.
This day he left the Xishan camp and prepared to go back to the city. Seeing the spring scenery in the suburbs just in time, he simply got off his horse and walked slowly while holding the rein.
The breeze with the smell of green grass came slowly, and the alluring fragrance immediately relieved his mood, and he slowed down his pace unconsciously.
"Wei Shizi!" He suddenly heard someone calling himself, he stopped and looked back, and was surprised to see King Ping standing with his hands behind his back, nodding at him with a smile.
"Your Highness!" He let go of the rein in his hand, walked a few steps forward and saluted.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to be too polite." Prince Ping Xu gave him a hand.
"Why is Your Highness here?"
"Today's weather is just right, so I'm going out for a walk. It's a rare encounter. Can your son honor me and get together with me for a while?"
"It's really an honor for you to be invited by Your Highness." Naturally, Wei Chenglin would not believe his words of 'coming out for a walk'. This place is still under the control of the Xishan Camp, and no one is easily allowed to enter or leave. No one will run away. Come here for a walk.
"Thank you, my son, who rescued me that day, and rescued my concubine in time. My son's great kindness, I will remember in my heart." The two found a gazebo and sat down, and Prince Ping said calmly.
Wei Chenglin met his gaze calmly: "I dare not be your Highness, thank you for this."
If he really wanted to thank him, he would have thanked him back then, how could it have been delayed until now, how could Wei Chenglin fail to see that the other party was just being polite on the surface.
Probably because he was wronged back then and was imprisoned in the prison of the clan's mansion for a while. Today's King Ping is no longer the blunt and slightly reckless third prince he used to be. He has a peaceful smile on his face, but that smile But it was not as good as the eyes, and there was even a bit of coldness that could not be ignored.
Wei Chenglin didn't know why he came, and he didn't want to think about the other party's thoughts.
"The son is young and promising, he is actually the pillar of the imperial court, and he is the son of the Duke's mansion. It is said that the two sons of the mansion are already married. Why is the son still unmarried?" Prince Ping asked with a half-smile.
Before Wei Chenglin could answer, he said with some deep meaning: "Could it be that there is something in your heart that you can't get, so that you have regrets, and you no longer have the intention of getting married?"
Wei Chenglin's heart skipped a beat, and he finally understood why he came to find him. Presumably, he was aware of the matter between him and Princess Ping back then, but he didn't know how much he knew? Have you misunderstood something again
He gathered himself together, met the other party's probing eyes, and said calmly: "In the vast world, there is a definite number of gains and losses. Since you can't", it can be seen that God's will is like this. What's the use of self-persistence? Nothing can be forced."
"As for the matter of marriage, it is more determined by God. I think the timing of marriage will appear later than ordinary people. It is useless to rush, it is better to let nature take its course."
Prince Ping's eyes were dark, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
Wei Chenglin's attitude is neither humble nor overbearing, he feels that he has a clear conscience, and he is not afraid of the other party's temptations.
King Ping stared at him for a long time, and finally said with a sneer: "My son is right, there is a definite number of gains and losses. Since the son thinks that his "not" is really God's will, then I hope the son will keep this in mind. Against the sky."
"Marriage is determined by heaven, it is true, but since the father is the son of heaven, the marriage he bestows must also be a good one."
Wei Chenglin choked for breath, his thick eyebrows frowned.
What does this mean? Could it be...
He was about to ask for clarification, but King Ping didn't intend to talk to him any more, he got up and strode out of the gazebo, and rode away under the escort of his guards.
Wei Chenglin stared blankly at his figure gradually turning into a black spot, and finally completely disappeared from sight.
King Ping, what exactly do you want to do
Even though he had an unknown past with the concubine, regardless of whether it was his intention or not, he did cut off contact with her before she married into the royal family.
The only time he met her was when she was captured by Murong Tao, but after that, he never saw her again, let alone had any contact with her.
He is not a person who has no shame and no moral bottom line, and he really can't do anything to entangle with a married woman.
What does King Ping want to do? After a few days, Wei Chenglin found out.
As soon as he came back from the Eldest Princess to greet An, he heard that his father was looking for him, so he turned around again and went to the outer study, and as soon as he entered the door, he heard Wei Junhang ask: "Prince Ping, did you know what happened between you and Concubine Ping back then? "
He was stunned, a little hesitant: "The boy is not sure, but he came to look for the boy a few days ago..."
So, he told him exactly what King Riping said that day.
After hearing this, Wei Junhang sighed.
"Today, His Majesty asked about your marriage. I saw what he meant. He wanted to give you a marriage."
Wei Chenglin was startled: "For no reason, how could His Majesty ask about the child's marriage? Could it be Prince Ping?"
Wei Junhang nodded, then shook his head again: "To be precise, Concubine Li deliberately matched you and her niece from her natal family, and Prince Ping played a role in fueling the flames."
"Then what does His Majesty mean? Could it be that he really wants to marry the baby to Concubine Li's niece?" Wei Chenglin was anxious.
"Your Majesty's meaning is indeed for the sake of your lifelong affairs. However, Your Majesty is not the kind of person who will make things difficult for others in marriage. I think it was Concubine Li who mentioned to him that he thinks this marriage is suitable, so he asked. My opinion." Wei Junhang replied patiently.
Emperor Yuanyou had been friends with him for many years, so naturally he would occasionally care about his eldest son's marriage, but he would not interfere too much.
After hearing this, Wei Chenglin heaved a sigh of relief.
Just thinking about it, because his own marriage caused his father to worry so much, he felt guilty again.
Wei Junhang could see it naturally, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. You don't want to marry, and my father doesn't want to be forced to marry a daughter-in-law. Marriage is a matter of your love and my willingness, and my father is No matter how useless it is, it won’t even protect my son’s right to make decisions about his marriage.”
"How can father be useless..." Wei Chenglin said in a low voice.
Wei Junhang didn't hear clearly either, and after comforting him a few more words, he got down to business.
"Since Rongdi surrendered to the imperial court, the war in the north has been calmed down, but the wolf nature of the Rongdi people is hard to get rid of, and small-scale conflicts with the people in northern Xinjiang are still repeated. According to the reports received, in the past six months, there have been There have been at least 10 clashes, none of which resulted in casualties, but in the end it was still a problem."
"Last month, General Huang, the garrison of northern Xinjiang, had a relapse of his old illness. Without him in charge, the local government would have been unable to quell the conflict between the Rongdi people and the people of northern Xinjiang. Now the imperial court is preparing to send someone to replace General Huang."
"During the early court today, His Majesty asked the courtiers to recommend suitable candidates. In your opinion, who would be better to send to take over?" Wei Junhang asked.
Wei Chenglin thought for a while, and replied: "I'm afraid it's not easy to do the recommendation. After all, it's not a good job, and the recommended person may not be happy. If your majesty accepts the recommendation again, and the recommended person just happens to be reluctant..."
Wei Junhang sighed with a smile: "That's true, so no one in the courtroom made a sound."
Northern Xinjiang is not a good place to go, besides, all the soldiers hope to make military achievements in the battlefield, at least they can have the hope of enshrining their wives and sons, but at this time in Northern Xinjiang, there is no battle to fight, and naturally there is no military merit. Having said that, there are a lot of hard work and headaches, so it's better to have a good fight.
The father and son discussed for a long time but couldn't find a good candidate, so they had to let it go for the time being.
Shen Xinyan did not expect that Qiao Liu would find her.
"Who does Xu Sumin's son belong to?" He asked the most crucial question directly as soon as he came, which made Shen Xinyan confused.
"Sister Xu's son is naturally Sister Xu's. Is there any problem?" She pretended to be confused.
"I asked who the child's biological father is!" Qiao Liu squeezed out another sentence through his teeth.
Seeing that he already had such an exasperated appearance, Shen Xinyan's mind moved, and she had a vague guess, but she thought it was absurd.
"I also asked her this question, and she only said that the child's biological mother is her, and her biological father is also her."
"Fart! She gave birth to such a big child by herself?!" Qiao Liu was annoyed.
There seemed to be a fire burning in his heart, he pursed his lips, trying hard to suppress the fire.
"Huh, do you have dimples?!" Shen Xinyan noticed with sharp eyes that when he pursed his lips, a pair of cute dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth, and she cried out in surprise.
Qiao Liu covered his mouth reflexively, and after a while, he cleared his throat and lowered his face in displeasure: "This is not the point!"
Not the point? Shen Xinyan looked at him suspiciously, a small prickly face unconsciously appeared in her mind, the little guy pursed his mouth, and the small dimples on both sides of his mouth popped out triumphantly.
She was startled secretly, and narrowed her eyes slightly to look at Qiao Liu.
I don't know if it was her illusion, but after looking at it, she felt that Qiao Liu's handsome face was somewhat similar to that of Dundun.
Could it be that he is Dundun's biological father? As soon as this idea came up, she was startled, but after thinking about it, she felt that it was very possible.
"It's fine if you don't want to say it. One day, I will teach that hateful woman..." He didn't make it clear what he wanted, and then left in a hurry.
After a while, Shen Xinyan rubbed her temples, trying hard to digest the shocking guess, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that the possibility was extremely high
Qiao Liu and Xu Sumin... Both of them are not easy to save fuel, so these two people make do together...
She shuddered and didn't dare to think about it.
When King Ping found him again, Wei Chenglin wasn't surprised, perhaps subconsciously he knew that as long as he didn't confirm his marriage for a day, King Ping would always find him.
"Your Highness." No matter what, he still has the proper etiquette.
"Does the son feel that this king's cousin is not good enough for you? Or is there something dissatisfied with her?" Prince Ping got straight to the point this time.
"Your Highness is serious. I have never met Ling's cousin. How dare you talk about what you like or dissatisfy. This will damage the reputation of the women in the boudoir." Wei Chenglin sighed inwardly, but finally answered with vigor.
Prince Ping was dissatisfied, and finally said what had been pressing on his heart: "Wei Shizi, let me tell you the truth. If you are not married, it will be difficult for me to be safe for a day."
Wei Chenglin was silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"I know that the person in Guanning's heart is you. If you don't marry a wife for a day, she will never be able to let you go completely. You know, when I found out that the wife I have always cared about in my heart, my heart has long been With someone else, how angry I was at that moment!" King Ping took a few deep breaths.
"After several investigations, I found out that the person in her heart is you. For a moment, I wish I could kill you!"
"So, Wei Chenglin, before I can maintain my sanity, either get married or leave, and completely cut off her thoughts!"
Wei Chenglin had mixed feelings in his heart. At this moment, he deeply felt the anger and sadness of Prince Ping's unrequited love, and he also believed in his deep love for his wife. He thought, with a husband who loves her so deeply, Princess Ping must have a better life in this life.
"I knew her earlier than you, and even for her, I have been trying every means to reject the wife chosen by my concubine for me. I even secretly decided in my heart that if she is not married, I will not marry."
"Now, she has finally become my wife, and our child will be born soon."
Wei Chenglin has been silent all the time, listening to him tell about his past admiration and longing, the joy of knowing that he can finally marry his sweetheart, the sadness of being neglected by his beloved, and the joy of getting a response, etc. Complicated emotions.
After a long time, until Prince Ping's voice finally ceased to sound, he said slowly: "Northern Xinjiang is currently short of a guard. I am not talented, and I am willing to share your majesty's worries!"
King Ping was stunned, he didn't expect him to say such a thing, and for some reason he felt a little guilty.
"Actually, you don't have to go to Northern Xinjiang, you just need to leave the capital, and she will really leave you behind after staying for two or three years. After that, you can go wherever you want, and this king will never interfere. "
"Your Highness is too worried, this is the minister's plan."
Seeing that his expression was calm, King Ping breathed a sigh of relief, as if what he said was really just a decision he had made long ago, rather than being forced by him.
When Shen Xinyan learned of her son's decision, the letter of appointment had already reached Wei Chenglin's hands.
"Have you decided?" She asked with complicated eyes, still a little unwilling to give up.
"The child is not filial!" Apart from saying this, he didn't know what else to say.
Shen Xinyan's lips moved, and she wanted to say something to blame him, but in the end she didn't say anything, she just sighed softly, and her whole body was like a scab that had been beaten by Shuang.
The letter of appointment had already been issued, so naturally there was no delay, only half a month later, Wei Chenglin packed up and prepared to leave for northern Xinjiang.
Before the moment, he respectfully kowtowed a few times to the eldest princess, looking at the silver-faced grandmother, his throat choked, and unspeakable guilt immediately surged up.
"Grandmother, please take care of yourself. When your grandson comes back, I will marry you a good and capable granddaughter-in-law and give birth to a white and fat great-grandson, okay?"
"Okay, okay, okay! Grandma is waiting!" The eldest princess had tears in her eyes and a kind smile on her face.
Wei Chenglin kowtowed to her a few more times before turning to Wei Junhang: "Father, if my son goes here, he will definitely not lose Wei's reputation!"
"Father believes in you!" Wei Junhang smiled and nodded with reddened eyes.
Finally, he slowly met Shen Xinyan with watery eyes, opened his mouth to say something, Shen Xinyan had already walked over, and helped him arrange the clothes on his body, and said softly: "Go, be careful in everything , mother and your grandmother are waiting for you to come back and marry me a virtuous and capable daughter-in-law and give birth to a white and fat grandson."
"Okay!" He nodded emphatically.
His eyes swept over his dear ones for the last time, and finally, he turned around and strode away.
The sun spread across the ground, and also covered him with a thin layer of tulle. Shen Xinyan subconsciously chased a few steps, watching him stepping on the golden light all over the ground, gradually drifting away...