The stars and the moon were dim, and the roof was quiet and deserted. Huangfu looked around but found nothing. He only heard a few cat meows coming from the adjacent roof.
Could it be the noise caused by a wild cat
He thought about it, came down from the roof, and still stood guard outside the door.
But after all this trouble, he didn't hear what Xie Nanjia's final answer was. The noise in the room gradually subsided, and the mother and daughter had fallen asleep.
There was nothing he could do. He couldn't be blamed. If anyone should be blamed, blame the cat. Huangfu shrugged helplessly, wrapped himself tightly in the fox fur coat specially awarded to him by the Second Young Master to keep warm, leaned under the eaves with his arms folded, and closed his eyes to rest.
A dark shadow was crawling on the roof opposite, watching him with bated breath.
The second young master Zhao has two top guards under his command, one is Wei Jun and the other is Huangfu. They are inseparable from him no matter where he goes. Now the second young master actually sent one of them to protect a little girl, which shows how much he values this girl.
Fortunately, he was only here to investigate the girl's background on the orders of the young lady. If he had attempted to assassinate her, he would have never been able to succeed.
But then again, why would the Marquis equip the Second Young Master Zhao, a bastard, with top experts as guards? Even Zhao Jingping, the crown prince, probably cannot enjoy such treatment.
Could it be that because the Second Young Master was getting into trouble and offending people every day, and they were afraid that he would be sought after, so they sent an expert to protect him
The secret guard was puzzled by this, but one thing was certain, as long as Huangfu was there, he would not be able to get close to the girl at all, let alone investigate her background.
The only way was to wait for the Second Young Master and his companions to set off for Beijing, while he stayed in the manor to inquire.
Thinking of this, the secret guard quietly left the roof and found a place to hide and rest.
At this time, three hundred miles away in the capital, in the Crown Prince's bedroom in the Eastern Palace, Song Jingxing was frowning at a secret report.
The secret report said that Zhao Jingyu's guards were far more than those he usually brought out. There was also a group of secret guards behind the scenes, all of whom were soldiers led by Marquis Dingyuan. They were all brave and skilled in fighting. After Marquis Dingyuan became the Minister of War, those people retired and left the barracks. No one knew where they went. Unexpectedly, they actually followed Zhao Jingyu secretly.
Song Jingxing, wearing a cotton robe, paced back and forth in the room, and read the secret report over and over again with a sullen face. As a bastard's son, Zhao Jingyu actually secretly raised retired soldiers as secret guards. What exactly did he want to do
Could it be that he is planning a rebellion
"It's not a rebellion." Advisor Feng Shaoxiu analyzed, "In my humble opinion, there are only two possibilities. One is that Marquis Dingyuan loves his son dearly and is worried that his wife is not tolerant and that his son's life is in danger, so he formed a guard team to protect his safety. The other is that Zhao Jingyu is dissatisfied with his stepmother's harsh treatment. On the surface, he is living a life of debauchery and playing games, but in fact he is secretly cultivating his own snobbery and preparing to seize power when the opportunity arises."
"Is that all?" Song Jingxing pondered, "Why do I feel that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing?"
"Your Highness is worrying too much." Feng Shao said, "Even if he is the leader of the pack, he is after the title of Marquis, which has little to do with your current status, let alone a conflict of interest. Your Highness does not need to take it to heart."
"No, no, no, Mr. Feng, you must know that there is a saying that says it is better to take precautions before they happen." Song Jingxing stretched out his arms and said, "This world will belong to me sooner or later. If Zhao Jingyu really takes the title of Marquis from my brother, with his arrogance, I don't know what kind of trouble he will cause me. I would rather have a mediocre Marquis Dingyuan than an ambitious and undisciplined Marquis Dingyuan. Do you understand?"
"..." Feng Shao felt that the prince was making a big deal out of nothing. No matter how rampant Zhao Jingyu was, he was just a bastard. There had never been a precedent of a bastard ascending to the throne in any royal family of the Great Zhou. Moreover, the wife of Marquis Dingyuan held the three articles of law with the emperor's private seal in her hand, and she would never allow Zhao Jingyu to succeed.
However, he is a minister and the prince is the king, so he has to obey what the prince says even if he disagrees.
"So, Your Highness, what are your plans for Zhao Jingyu next?" he asked cautiously.
"I haven't made up my mind yet, so don't alarm him for now." Song Jingxing said, "I think he must have other secrets, so have people keep an eye on him and don't let down their guard."
"Yes!" Feng Shao took the order and left. Before leaving, he couldn't help but remind him, "Your Highness should not be distracted by some unimportant things. The most urgent task should be to focus on the marriage with Jinping County Princess. With the support of the Zhenguo Mansion, Your Highness can rest assured."
"I'm fine, you go ahead!" Song Jingxing waved his sleeves and waited for Feng Shao to leave. He pinched his eyebrows wearily, and a pretty little face appeared in front of him.
Although there is no principal wife in the Eastern Palace, there is no shortage of servants to sleep with him. To him, women are just tools to balance his body and mind. He never thought that one day he would be obsessed with a little girl.
After many days, the words "I want to win myself back for the Second Young Master" still lingered in his ears like a curse. He didn't know what possessed him, but he knew that ever since the game of pitching pots in the paddock, other women became boring in his eyes. Even the most desirable Lady An could no longer arouse his interest.
As for the Princess Jinping, who had been living among the people for twelve years, he looked down upon her even more, because in his eyes, that lady was no different from a country girl except for her prominent status.
Fortunately, the Queen Mother had already agreed to his request. As long as he married Su Jinping, he could have any other girl he wanted.
Therefore, in order to bring the little girl into the Eastern Palace as early as possible, no matter how much he disliked Su Jinping, he would try his best to facilitate this marriage.
Let’s see what Zhao Jingyu can use to compete with him then.
He couldn't wait to see Zhao Jingyu's reaction to the loss of his loved one.
…
The cock crowed three times and the sky was bright. Xie Nanjia and Xiu'er's mother got up early to wash and dress. In order to avoid being hungry during the wedding, the mother and daughter simply made two bowls of noodles.
After eating the noodles, the women who were responsible for dressing Xiu'er Niang came. There were four of them in total. They surrounded Xiu'er Niang and helped her change her clothes, comb her hair, and put on makeup. They were very busy. The loud and rough voices typical of country people made the whole courtyard full of joy.
Country people don't know how to comb their hair in a new way. Xie Nanjia watched from the side and was not satisfied with any of the ways she looked at it. She took the wooden comb from the woman who was combing her hair and said with a smile, "I did learn some new styles in the Marquis' Mansion. Today, I will comb my mother's hair myself!"
Xiu'er's mother didn't think anything of it at first, but when she heard that her daughter wanted to comb her hair herself, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"Don't cry on a wedding day." The woman next to her tried to comfort her, "You married such a good man as the steward, your daughter is beautiful and sensible, and she is also highly valued by the second young master. This is such a blessing that others can't envy. You should be happy."
Xiu'er's mother still couldn't stop crying. She choked up and said to the women that she had a few words to tell her daughter and asked them to wait outside for a while.
The women put down their work and went out.
Xiu'er's mother took Xie Nanjia's hand and motioned her to sit down. She wiped her tears and said, "Xiu'er, since your father died, we have been living together on this farm for more than seven years. I have a secret hidden in my heart for a long time. I have always wanted to tell you when you grow up and get married. Unexpectedly, you are still not married, but I am married first. Now I am not sure whether to tell you this secret now or wait until you get married."
Xie Nanjia was stunned when he heard this, and he held Xiu'er's mother's hand, hesitating and not knowing how to respond.
Xiu'er's mother's secret must be related to Xiu'er. She is not the real Xiu'er. She doesn't know whether she should listen to this secret, whether she can listen to it, and whether it will become a burden to herself after listening to it.
What if it was true as Zhao Jingyu said, that Xiu'er was picked up or bought, did she have to find Xiu'er's biological parents and help her trace her ancestral roots
She already had two mothers and didn't want to have another one out of nowhere.
"Mom, I don't know what your secret is, but I think this way, if you can't make up your mind whether to tell someone something, it means it may be something that people can't bear. Since I didn't know this secret for so many years and I was still living well, it means it shouldn't be that important. So, it doesn't matter if you don't tell me, or you can wait until I grow up and mature before telling me."
Xiu'er's mother was stunned when she heard this and she almost didn't recognize her own daughter. It seemed that the capital city was indeed different from the countryside. Her daughter had only been there for a few months, but her daughter's speech was different.
"But I'm afraid if I don't tell you, you'll resent me when you find out."
"No, I will never hate my mother." Xie Nanjia promised solemnly.
Xiu'er's mother hesitated for a long time, but finally followed her advice and put the secret back in her heart, planning to tell it when she grew up.
After she put on her makeup and combed her hair again, the sounds of ceremonial music and firecrackers were heard outside. Song Ce, wearing red clothes and colorful ribbons, came to pick up the bride with a bridal sedan.
Xiu'er's mother suddenly became nervous.
"Mom, don't be afraid, I'm here with you!" Xie Nanjia personally put the bright red veil on her head and took her hand as they walked out the door.
Xiu'er's mother's hands were cold.
When I went out of the door, I saw that the yard was filled with men, women, old and young, all with happy faces, waiting to see the bride get into the sedan chair.
Xiu'er Niang's wedding dress was embroidered with gold and phoenixes and inlaid with pearls. It dazzled everyone's eyes and made the women envious.
Xie Nanjia spotted Zhao Jingyu in the crowd with her sharp eyes. Surprisingly, he was not wearing red today, but a purple robe of the same color as Xie Nanjia's. He had his hair tied up with a golden crown, and he was tall and slender, noble and handsome.
Receiving Xie Nanjia's gaze, he gently raised the corners of his lips, revealing a smile that captivated everyone.
Xie Nanjia's heart trembled, and she quickly retracted her gaze and handed Xiu'er Niang's hand to Song Ce who was waiting in front of the sedan chair.
"Uncle Song, I leave my mother in your care. Please treat her well and don't let her suffer any grievances." Xie Nanjia urged earnestly.
These were clearly words that parents should entrust to their daughter's son-in-law. As soon as Xie Nanjia said this, Xiu'er's mother couldn't help but burst into tears under her veil.
The women around were also touched and pulled up their sleeves to wipe the corners of their eyes.
No matter what, this orphan and widow finally made it through.
Song Ce took Xiu'er's mother's hand and said solemnly: "Xiu'er, don't worry, I will definitely treat your mother well. I am not good at speaking and I can't say nice things. You just need to watch me do it."
"Okay, I believe you." Xie Nanjia said, "You know, I have always trusted you."
If he hadn't trusted him, he wouldn't have asked him to join forces to deal with Hu Sanmu, and he wouldn't have let him go to the Marquis' Mansion to deliver the letter.
Song Ce understood what she meant, nodded heavily, and carefully helped Xiu'er Niang into the sedan chair.
The ceremonial music started again, firecrackers blasted, and everyone surrounded the sedan chair all the way to Song Ce's house.
Xie Nanjia took the opportunity to squeeze next to Zhao Jingyu and walk with him.
The crowd dispersed, and a dishevelled woman appeared from nowhere, staring at the receding bridal sedan with resentment, and spat in hatred: "You bastards, you killed my son and my husband, and they are living happily together. Just wait and see, I will make you pay with blood!"
(End of this chapter)