When Ling Xiao saw Ling Qingwan's friend coming, he didn't stay long. He just gave them a few instructions and left.
Watching Ling Xiao leave, Ling Qingwan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's not right. What is my brother doing in my room in the middle of the night?"
Suddenly thinking of this, Ling Qingwan pondered it carefully and found it even more strange.
Beside her, Hong Chang lowered her head silently.
Under the circumstances at that time, she had no other choice but to call Ling Xiao to help.
Fortunately, whether Ling Xiao faced Wei Xun last night or came to see Ling Qingwan today, he never took off Hong Shang.
“Wanwan!”
Just as I was thinking about it, An Yi stepped in.
Ling Qingwan's thoughts were interrupted. Looking at the people in front of her, she instantly forgot what happened last night.
"No, it's not Wanwan, it's Princess." Zhang Shuying spoke up and corrected An Yi's address.
"Yes, yes, yes! Princess!" An Yi slapped her head and said with a smile.
After saying that, the two of them followed the etiquette and bowed to Ling Qingwan.
Ling Qingwan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I'm not married yet. If people knew you called me like that, I'm afraid they would think you were a snob and that I couldn't wait to marry into the palace."
"If Ling Qingwan cared about other people's eyes, she would not be Ling Qingwan." Gu Zhi chuckled.
Ling Qingwan was shocked.
As expected, no one knows her better than Gu Zhi.
Ling Qingwan glanced at the three boxes on the table, and a warm feeling surged in her chest.
They came here today because they heard that the emperor had issued an imperial decree that Ling Qingwan would be able to marry into the palace by early spring next year at the latest. They came here specifically to congratulate Ling Qingwan.
Zhang Shuying and Gu Zhi may not know, but An Yi knows how much Ling Qingwan and Wei Xun went through before they were able to achieve their happy ending.
Several people were talking and laughing, the room was filled with laughter, and the atmosphere was very cheerful.
"Oops! It's too late!"
Before he knew it, Gu Zhi almost forgot the time.
"What's wrong with you?" An Yi asked puzzledly.
"I still have homework to do, so I won't chat with you guys for now. I'll come and play with you guys another day."
Gu Zhi didn't have time to explain further. He just said hello quickly and left.
"Children have to do their homework every day." Zhang Shuying saw that the two were puzzled and helped to explain.
"Can't she tell her parents that she won't be going today?" An Yi still couldn't understand.
"She is a concubine's daughter, and her mother has no say in the mansion." Zhang Shuying said softly.
An Yi was speechless.
No wonder.
Recalling the events after meeting Gu Zhi, Ling Qingwan always felt that she had a calmness and composure that was different from that of a person her age. Ling Qingwan had experienced a lifetime, and although her body was only fourteen or fifteen years old, she had already passed that age psychologically. This was not the reason for Gu Zhi.
Now Ling Qingwan knows.
Although Da Yue did not make much of a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, people could not help but think that legitimate children were noble and illegitimate children were inferior. Otherwise, why would Ling Chuchu fight for the identity of the eldest daughter of the Ling family until her death
If a bastard is lucky enough to meet a gentle and kind lady like Ling Shen, his life will be better. But if he is not lucky enough to meet a good lady, or even a snobbish lady, what awaits him is long-term oppression and humiliation.
"But I have booked a play at Jinhua Garden, and with Gu Zhi, there will be exactly four people." Although An Yi could understand, she still felt it was a pity.
Jinhuayuan is a famous opera troupe in Tokyo City. Tickets for their plays are hard to get. An Yi managed to buy four tickets just so that she could watch the show with a few friends today.
If one of them is missing, An Yi will feel that the meaning is missing.
"If I had known, I would have gone back to the Grand Secretary's Mansion with her." An Yi sighed. "With me here, who dares to force Gu Zhi to do his homework?"
"Gu Zhi does her homework because she sets high standards for herself. Do you think everyone is like you, only willing to go because the prince and princess urge her?" Ling Qingwan couldn't help laughing.
An Yi blushed when Ling Qingwan hit the nail on the head.
"How about this, since Gu Zhi is not here and there is an empty ticket, why don't I call my brother and we go together?" Ling Qingwan suggested to the two.
She just wanted to go out for a walk today, and Ling Xiao was about the same age as them, so there shouldn't be any barriers between them.
More importantly, An Yi was also there. Ling Qingwan thought that she and Ling Xiao could still keep in touch.
Now the Princess of Northern Zhou was eyeing Ling Xiao with eager eyes. Ling Qingwan didn't want her precious brother to be snatched away by someone for no reason.
Compared to Shangwu, Ling Qingwan wants An Yi to be her sister-in-law.
Although this little girl is younger than her and looks like a little kid, Ling Qingwan likes An Yi and knows her background well, so she is relieved that An Yi will marry Ling Xiao.
Zhang Shuying and An Yi had no objections, so Ling Qingwan immediately sent someone to bring the news to Ling Xiao.
After an incense stick of time, several people met behind the gate of the general's mansion.
Ling Xiao was very happy listening to the girls laughing and chatting nearby.
Ling Qingwan was different from other ladies in both character and experience. Therefore, she could not fit into the circle of noble ladies in the capital. Now that he saw his sister had a few close friends, Ling Xiao was naturally happy for her.
Everyone took a carriage and came to Jinhua Garden.
This was Ling Qingwan's first time to watch a play since her rebirth. The weather was nice today, and Ling Qingwan was in a very good mood.
Three women and one man arrived at their destination. An Yi walked in front and handed the ticket to the guy at the door.
The waiter was attentive and respectful and led the four people to their seats.
"I just asked my guys, and I heard that today's show is about a woman disguising herself as a man and going to the battlefield to kill the enemy." An Yi told them.
"It sounds interesting." Zhang Shuying nodded enthusiastically.
On that day, Shangwu held a martial arts competition to choose a husband, but she was not there and did not know some things.
A woman disguised as a man to fight on the battlefield, the more she listened to this story, the more it sounded like Shang Wu's personal story.
Ling Qingwan blinked her right eyelid.
She secretly hoped that it was all just a coincidence.
Soon, the show began.
Everyone was watching the show with great interest, but Ling Qingwan felt more and more that something was wrong.
In the play, the heroine is a princess of a country. She doesn't like needlework but prefers to wield swords and guns. She disguises herself as a man to fight the enemy, and then meets the enemy's general. The two are talented and beautiful, and they fall in love at first sight...
Ling Qingwan looked at Ling Xiao and found that Ling Xiao also had an ugly expression on his face.
"Brother." She called softly.
"Or let's go back." Ling Xiao said to Ling Qingwan.
For some reason, not many people were present today. An Yi and Zhang Shuying also felt that it was boring, so they agreed and stood up to leave.
"The show hasn't even finished yet, why are you guys leaving?"
Ling Qingwan and his group had only taken a few steps when suddenly, a crisp voice rang out.
Then, Shang Wu walked into the hall.
Ling Qingwan frowned.
"General Ling, long time no see." Shang Wu stopped in front of Ling Xiao and greeted him with a smile.
"Didn't you see that I am here too? And the future princess, and the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion!"