The emperor's illness recovered quickly, and at the same time, the case of Empress Du's murder of the emperor's heir was brought up again by him, and he dispatched his confidant ministers to investigate thoroughly. It has been more than three years, almost four years, and many evidences have been wiped out, but the officials in charge of the investigation still found some clues, and then traced them to the fifth prince and his concubine.
The news came back to Lin'an Mansion, and the emperor fell ill again. He forced Empress Du to stay in the mansion and refused to let her go. He apologized and pleaded guilty every day.
Queen Du failed to return to the Taoist temple for half a month, and all the things she had stored in the Taoist temple were cleaned up and taken away by the emperor's confidant, the eunuch. If nothing else, when the emperor returns to the palace, she should also go back.
The Du Mansion was still deserted, and the wealthy families of Lin'an Mansion were all watching the emperor's attitude. If he really does reconcile with Empress Du, they will go to make friends with the Du family brothers and sisters. But even so, compared to Concubine Min who gave birth to a prince, Queen Du's weight was still a bit underwhelming. Her post has been abolished, and even if the emperor brought her back, it would be impossible to restore her to her former glory. Who can stand facing her scarred and terrifying face all day long
All the turbulent undercurrents are buried under the surface of singing and dancing. Everyone was watching or spying, but Lin Dan and Du Ruyan were doing their business mindlessly.
"Dan, our brocade is ready, when will it be sold in the store? I don't care, you want to make me a dress like Xu Qian! I heard that my aunt might be able to follow the emperor back to the palace, and those cloth merchants have They came to the door with a sullen face, trying to sell me the best fabrics in their store. Bah! When our embroidery energy is produced, I will kick them away, just like they kicked ours away. Like!" Du Ruyan made a kicking motion while arranging the embroidery frame, with an indignant expression.
"Okay, I'll make a new dress for you when I have time. Does Aunt Du really want to follow the emperor back to the palace?" Lin Dan was rarely curious about a person's fate.
"I don't know what she thinks either." Du Ruyan sighed: "She has changed a lot, and I can't understand her more and more."
"Forget it if you can't figure it out, go and take out the account book and see how much money we've earned recently." Lin Dan couldn't help rubbing his hands.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it out and settle the account immediately." When talking about money, Du Ruyan's gloomy expression was immediately replaced by excitement. In this world, there is no pain that money cannot heal, especially if this money is earned by their hard work.
The two held an account book and counted slowly, head to head, their expressions were very serious, but their eyes were sparkling. Du Rusong stood at the door for a long time. Seeing that they hadn't noticed him yet, he laughed helplessly, "You two really got into the eyes of money."
"Yeah, brother, you're here!" Du Ru waved his hand without raising his butt.
"Du Rusong, what are you doing?" Lin Dan stood up to say hello, but his eyes were reluctantly fixed on the account book.
"I'll order a set of clothes." Du Rusong walked up to her, smiling like a spring breeze.
"Okay, I'll write you two orders, what style, color, and pattern do you like?" Lin Dan took out a small notebook, carefully recorded Du Rusong's request, and then wrote his size in the lower left corner. .
"Make a dark coat, black, with auspicious clouds and dark patterns," Du Rusong coughed and whispered, "I have grown stronger recently, and the size may have changed. Dan'er, can you help me measure it again?"
Lin Dan did not suspect him, so he took Du Rusong to the inner room, took out a roll of tape measure and measured it carefully, then nodded and said, "It really has grown stronger, and the bust has grown by half an inch."
Du Rusong looked down at her serious face, and said slowly, "Dan'er, you once said that you want to open the embroidery village to the capital. If I beg you, would you be willing to go with me? You don't have to worry about anything. I'll help you find shops and staff."
Lin Dan was stunned, and hesitated for a while before he said, "Du Rusong, I stayed well in Lin'an Mansion, why should I leave with you?"
Du Rusong took a deep breath and said cautiously, "Dan'er, what I mean is, are you willing to marry me?"
Lin Dan raised his face, his eyes widened, obviously not expecting him to make such a request. After a while, she shook her head and said, "I don't want to. My mother wants me to find a doorman. If I get married, who will inherit the family business I've worked so hard to earn?"
Du Rusong looked at her surprised but not surprised face. In addition to regret and disappointment, he also felt helpless like resignation. If Lin Dan could fall in love with himself, why wait until today? But it doesn't matter, as long as he can be with her, it's enough as long as he can watch her and protect her, he has no more requirements.
"I understand." Du Rusong nodded slowly, and then bravely hugged the petite girl into his arms.
Lin Dan was caught off guard and bumped into his chest, his forehead and nose were flushed red, and Du Rusong laughed lightly with his ignorant expression. He clenched his arms hard, released them quickly, and walked out without a word.
Du Ruyan walked in lightly after a long time, and asked, "Dan, are you my sister-in-law?"
"I don't marry anyone, I only marry a doorman." Lin Dan insisted on this point. It doesn't matter to her whether she gets married or not, but if she wants to fulfill the wishes of Lin Dafu and Zhang Hui, she must recruit a son-in-law and have a child, otherwise the Lin family will be doomed.
Du Ruyan pouted in disappointment, but couldn't say anything. The two walked outside and finished the bills absentmindedly, only to find that the turnover had increased a lot, and then they were happy.
"Let's go, go home!" Du Ruyan locked the account book in the cabinet with a happy expression.
"Bring out a small piece of silver, let's go shopping on the street and buy some embroidery thread." Lin Dan rubbed his small hands.
"How can one piece of silver be enough? If you want to take it, take a big one." Du Ruyan picked around in the money box, and finally picked a silver ingot of ten taels. Like mice who stole oil, the two hid the money box in the hidden compartment under the floor tiles, and then sneaked out through the back corner door. If someone who doesn't know it bumps into it, they won't think that they are the owners of this shop, and they think they are thieves from somewhere.
The two walked along Suzaku Street all the way to play, suddenly, Du Ruyan stopped, then quickly dragged Lin Dan into an empty alley, and said in a low voice: "Don't make a sound, my brother and the emperor are in front. That restaurant! I don't want to see the emperor, let's go the other way."
She still had a fresh memory of the emperor's ruthlessness, and she didn't want to see his hypocritical face at all.
"This is a dead end. Let's change to another alley." Lin Dan pointed to the opposite side.
The two were about to sneak away, but saw Li Jiarong walking slowly from the other side of the street, with a proud expression on her face, frowning and blowing her nose when passing by passers-by, as if she couldn't bear to be with him at all. These untouchables are too close. Meng Si followed her step by step, like a little maid. Obviously, they did not find that the emperor was also on this street, otherwise it would not be the current style.
"Let's not go!" Du Ruyan immediately changed her mind, "Let's play with Li Jiarong."
"How to play?" As soon as Lin Dan finished speaking, Du Ruyan pulled him out. The two walked straight towards Li Jiarong with their heads buried, and then bumped into her.
"Are you blind? You can't see the road?" Li Jiarong pushed the two of them away, and when she saw their appearance, she immediately showed a look of disgust.
"You were the one who hit us first, right?" Du Ruyan said in a low voice, "Li Jiarong, what are you proud of? My aunt will be returning to the capital soon. In a short while, you will still be there. I will be trampled under my feet."
Li Jiarong was instantly furious, and screamed at a high volume: "That bitch Du's face is ruined, she still wants to go back to the capital, she is dreaming! If my aunt can crush her once, she can crush her twice, you I can't run away with Du Rusong! As long as you stay here in Lin'an Mansion, I will step on you as much as I want! Want to fight with me? Let's see if you are alive! That bitch Du Shi is clearly one who can't. The hen that lays eggs, my aunt has already given birth to the ninth prince, can she be compared with my aunt? In the future, my aunt will go further..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a sharp rebuke from the upstairs across the street: "Naughty girl, shut up for me!"
When she looked up, her face turned pale. I saw the emperor standing by the window, staring at him gloomily, behind him stood Li Ran, Li Xiudian, Du Rusong, the first prince and others. The scolding was from Li Ran. He was looking at him with an ashen face, his lips trembling slightly with anger.
"Emperor..." As soon as she uttered a word, Du Ruyan covered her mouth.
"Uncle, are you here too?" Du Ruyan greeted with a smile, as if he had just seen a group of people.
The gloomy emperor was pleased by this long-lost uncle, and seeing her so clever and knowing to cover up her identity, her face could not help softening, "We are eating here, Yaner is hungry, come and eat with my uncle. "
"No, no, my little sister and I are going to Liyuan to listen to the opera, so we won't eat with you. It's boring." Du Ruyan dragged Lin Dan and ran away, leaving Li Jiarong standing on the spot with cold hands and feet. Du Ruyan grew up in the palace and has an extraordinary relationship with the emperor. She dared to gag with the emperor and leave without saying goodbye, but Li Jiarong didn't even have the courage to look at each other directly. This is the difference between a real lady and a wild phoenix.
The emperor looked at Du Ruyan's back, shook his head and laughed, his expression extremely doting. When he looked at Li Jiarong again, his eyes instantly condensed into ice: "Du's bitch? Break her down? Go further?" He turned to Li Ran, Word by word: "It seems that there are a lot of things I haven't checked out yet, Li Aiqing, don't you think?"
Li Ran and Li Xiudian immediately knelt down, sweating profusely.
The emperor stared at the top of their dark heads with deep eyes. The truth of Fan Ge's frame-up is definitely not as simple as it appears on the surface, and if the Concubine Min's family wants to go further, what is the way to go further? Do you want to be a queen, or a queen mother
As the body is getting weaker and weaker, the emperor's attitude towards these princes and concubines has gradually changed from favor to precaution. It seemed that only Empress Du, who was infertile all her life, lost her mother's power, and devoted herself to him, was the only one who could be trusted. However, he lost even such a person...