This is too much! Sima Hong watched Mingyu's back getting farther and farther away from him, feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. How stingy! It's just a few couplets, what's the big deal!
Xu Mingye looked back at Sima Hong who was still standing there, and asked Mingyu, "What did he say to you?"
“Nothing.” Mingyu blinked. “He just wanted to take the couplet I wrote.”
"Hmph!" Xu Mingye snorted again. The newly-minted scholar was in a bad mood today.
Starting from the afternoon of New Year's Eve, there was a little snowfall from the sky, which gradually became heavier. At dusk, the sound of firecrackers began to be heard in the streets. The sky was dark and filled with dark clouds, and the goose-feather-like snow mixed with the red paper from the firecrackers fell all over the ground.
Mother Liu held the steaming dumplings in her hand, opened the door of the kitchen and prepared to go to the main house. Unexpectedly, while she was cooking dumplings in the kitchen, the snow had already fallen so heavily. She exclaimed: "It's snowing so heavily!"
Xu Changqian just came out. When he heard what Liu's mother said, he looked at the gloomy sky and said with an experienced smile, "I'm afraid this snow will last for three to five days."
"It's good that it's snowing!" Mrs. Xu replied with a smile, "Don't they say that auspicious snow means a good harvest?" Mrs. Xu has been in a good mood recently. Her son has successfully entered the official career and has a bright future. In the twelfth lunar month, people are busy buying New Year's goods. The two shops are doing a booming business, and the shopkeepers and their clerks are very busy. Mrs. Xu smiles even in her dreams.
The only thing that made Madam Xu unhappy was the proposal from the Princess's Mansion. How could she bear to let her daughter become a concubine? Fortunately, the matter was left alone. After she and Xu Changqian politely rejected Madam Lu, the Princess's Mansion did not take any other actions. Fortunately, she was still worried for a few days, fearing that this matter would offend the Princess's Mansion. Now that she thinks about it, she is a princess, how could she take such a small matter to heart. How many rich ladies are waiting in line to be the concubine of His Royal Highness the Prince!
Mingyu couldn't hold on any longer and went back to her room to lie down on the bed. The sound of firecrackers outside the window covered the sound of her tossing and turning in bed. It was still snowing outside the window, hitting the window paper. Thinking of the purple cold shadow in her heart, Mingyu felt that she had really given up this time.
It was like a beautiful dream she had been having for a long time, and now she was just waking up from it. It was just that she had just woken up from the dream, and she couldn't help feeling disappointed and lost. She thought about what she liked. Maybe it was just an image she had sketched out in her mind based on the prototypes of Prince Qin and Sima Xi, mature and steady, handsome and talented, elegant and noble.
With deep feelings of loss and regret, Mingyu fell asleep and spent her first New Year's Eve in the capital.
The Xu family had been a single-line family for generations and had no relatives in the capital. On the first day of the New Year, Xu Changqian led his family to the courtyard of the second branch with new year gifts. No matter what the second and third branches were thinking, the three families sat together politely and talked for a while, and the relatives had left.
The snow stopped early in the morning on the second day of the Chinese New Year. However, the sky was still gloomy. Qi Su came to visit and put aside his New Year's greetings to meet Xu Changqian and Mrs. Xu, and then invited Xu Mingye to go to the lakeside in the suburbs of Beijing to enjoy the snow.
Xu Mingye saw clearly that Mingyu was forcing herself to smile, and without further ado, he pulled his sister out with him. He smiled and said, "Your brother Qi is not an outsider."
After a day and two nights of heavy snow, the snow on the ground was very thick, and a thick layer of ice had formed on the surface of the lake outside Beijing. Many children were wrapped tightly and were sliding happily on the ice. If anyone slipped, it would immediately cause a burst of laughter.
"Is this ice solid?" Dong Yuan, who was following behind them, was shocked. If the ice cracked, these children would be in danger.
Qi Su turned around and smiled, "It's okay. I remember playing here when I was a kid. The ice on the lake in Beijing is very thick in winter, so it's no problem for a carriage to pass through. And these children are playing in the thick ice area at the lakeside. There are adults watching them, so they won't let them go to the thin ice area in the center of the lake."
Dong Yuan took a look and found that it was true. Having grown up in the south, he couldn't help but be amazed.
Mingyu watched with a smile, thinking of the winter in Heilongjiang River that she had seen on TV in her previous life. Passing a horse-drawn carriage was nothing, as even heavy trucks could pass directly on the surface of the Songhua River in winter!
The group walked along the lake for a long time. The air was clean and crisp after the snow, and the snow squeaked underfoot. Mingyu was a little tired, and she told Xu Mingye that she couldn't walk anymore and wanted to rest in the pavilion next to her.
Xu Mingye had no choice but to sigh that his sister was so spoiled and nosy. However, he loved her very much in his heart. Seeing that many people were playing on the lake nearby, he left Dong Yuan in the pavilion to accompany Ming Yu. He and Qi Su walked forward for a while and then turned back to go home together.
Mingyu was still smiling a moment ago, but after Xu Mingye and Qi Su left, her face immediately drooped, and she sat listlessly in the pavilion. Fortunately, she had just walked a long way, so her hands and feet were warm and she didn't feel the cold. Dongyuan didn't dare to say much, but waited carefully at the side.
Before Mingyu could sit quietly for a while, she heard Dongyuan's stuttering voice beside her, "Second... Oh no, Lord Marquis?"
Sima Hong strode into the pavilion and walked straight towards Mingyu. Baihao followed behind him, pulling Sima Hong's sleeve and hurriedly admonishing him, "Master, let's talk it over nicely!"
Walking up to Mingyu, Sima Hong clenched and unclenched his fists in his sleeves several times before he calmed himself down.
Mingyu stared at him. Until he spoke first, Mingyu would remain silent.
Sima Hong no longer had the relaxed, playful smile on his face. His expression became serious. The youthful arrogance he once had faded from his face, replaced by the steadiness, determination, handsomeness and firmness of a mature man.
"You..." Sima Hong gritted his teeth and said, "What's going on between you and that Qin Jun Wang?"
After a moment's pause, Mingyu came back to her senses. She didn't expect Sima Hong to ask this very question. As if her secret had been exposed, Mingyu felt guilty and immediately turned her face to the other side. However, she suddenly felt something was wrong. Why should she feel guilty
Even if she had something going on with the Prince of Qin, it was none of Sima Hong's business. Ugh, this tone of interrogating an adulterer, what did it matter!
Seeing Mingyu didn't say anything, Sima Hong also became anxious. He simply walked around to the other side, looked at Mingyu, and said angrily, "Why don't you say anything? Are you feeling guilty?"
Fortunately, he was careful and asked Baihao to "investigate deeply" and found out that it was true. Comrade Baihao used the skills he had learned on the battlefield to spy on the enemy and finally found out the inside story. The princess's mansion actually intended to take Mingyu as the concubine of the Qin Junwang. If only the princess was interested in Mingyu, it would not matter, because it showed that his wife was loved by everyone. But if the Qin Junwang was interested in Mingyu, Sima Hong would be extremely unhappy. What's more, he had seen the Qin Junwang before. He was very handsome and a good painter. He was a famous talent in the capital.
Hey, one can draw, the other can write, what a perfect match... Sima Hong was very worried during the New Year, fearing that Mingyu also fell in love with the Prince of Qin. He finally caught Mingyu out and hurriedly followed her, wanting to ask Mingyu for clarification.
"What's it got to do with you?" Mingyu asked bluntly. This idiot was really talking about something that was not related to the topic.
Sima Hong felt like there was a fire in his heart, burning him from head to toe. He was about to be in trouble, but this girl had the guts to say with a straight face that it was none of his business
"My Lord, My Lord!" Dong Yuan smiled and stood in front of Ming Yu. "My young master will be back soon. If you have anything to say, you can talk to him!"
Baihao came forward with a grin, put his arms around Dongyuan's neck like a brother, and forcibly took him aside, saying affectionately: "We haven't seen each other for several years, and I miss you a lot. Come on, let's go somewhere else and reminisce about the past!" Brother, I'm not saying anything bad, but you'll get kicked by a donkey if you do this!
The servant Dong Yuan was almost suffocated by Bai Hao's hug. He rolled his eyes pitifully and was dragged aside by Bai Hao to "reminisce the past".
No one was blocking the way, so Sima Hong raised his voice, "Why is it none of my business?"
Mingyu glared at him, her eyes reddened, and she kept silent. This idiot was unreasonable and shameless, and she was too lazy to say more to him. However, she felt bitter and resentful in her heart, but she didn't know who could understand.
Sima Hong's sharp tone immediately stopped. He looked at Mingyu with red eyes and watery eyes. His heart was beating. He thought that he was too harsh and scared Mingyu. He blamed himself and softened his tone quickly, saying, "Don't be angry. I... I don't mean to blame you."
"I am of humble origin, how dare I get angry with the Marquis?" Mingyu said with her head down.
Sima Hong was anxious and angry. He really didn't like Mingyu talking to him in that tone. They were obviously only face to face, but it was as if there was a huge chasm between them that could not be crossed.
"I just heard that the Princess Mansion came to the Xu family to propose marriage, and I was a little worried, so I wanted to ask you. Don't be angry, I will be relieved if you are fine, I just mean well. I am just afraid that your father and mother will agree and randomly promise you to someone else... But don't worry, I won't..." Sima Hong said seriously. The Princess Mansion is now powerful and wealthy, and the Prince of Qin is such a handsome and talented man, he is also a little scared.
Mingyu is actually quite protective of her relatives. What she cannot stand the most is someone saying that her relatives have done something wrong. She immediately interrupted Sima Hong and sneered, "You are really afraid of a lot! My parents promised me to you, and they were just making a promise! Now that we have learned from the past, we will definitely not make the same mistake again!"
Sima Hong's words in a gentle voice unexpectedly made Mingyu suddenly lose her temper. She stood there speechless.