Because of the appearance of unknown assassins in the capital, Shangyuan Celebration was canceled, and night bans remained as usual on the 14th to 16th day.
The street was full of turmoil, and there were Jinyiwei everywhere, and the people stayed at home, daring not to make a big noise. The same is true for Wang Yanqing. She has no obsession with the festival, and she didn't even hang up the lights in the house.
On the day of Shangyuan Festival, Wang Yanqing rested as usual. When he first arrived at Shen, the concierge suddenly ran in and said that someone had brought Wang Yanqing a gift and asked Wang Yanqing what to do with it.
When Wang Yanqing heard the gift, he had a premonition of who wrote it. She wanted to see what Lu Heng was doing, so she asked the concierge to hand it over. The concierge quickly brought a square box, which turned out to be a lamp after opening it.
The lantern was tied into a tiger, with red paper pasted on the outside, and the word "King" written on the forehead. This lamp is very finely made, and the tiger's expression is lifelike, but it is not scary at all, but rather naive.
The maids all gathered around and talked about how beautiful this lamp was. Suddenly someone with sharp eyes pointed at the bottom of the box and said, "There is another letter here."
The person next to her secretly twisted her, and the maid realized that she had said the wrong thing. They looked at each other, put down the tiger lantern lightly, and quietly exited.
Wang Yanqing sighed, and finally picked up the envelope and opened it to see the contents.
The words on the paper were unexpectedly simple: "I was investigating the fine work today, and I occasionally saw lanterns selling on the roadside. When I saw Siqing, I folded a tiger lantern and wished Qingqing Renyin Shangyuan's well-being."
Wang Yanqing turned over the page and looked at it, except for this sentence, there was nothing else. Wang Yanqing put down the letterhead and stared at the tiger lantern.
In fact, she recognized it as soon as she opened the box. The character "King" on the tiger's forehead was written by Lu Heng. With so many zodiac signs, he sent the tiger alone, not because this year was the Year of the Tiger, but because her surname was Wang.
It's hard to say what he meant, but he succeeded in making Wang Yanqing's mind chaotic.
For Lu Heng, sending jewelry, even a farm estate, is nothing. With his position, there are too many ways to get money, and the most expensive thing is just a number to him. He didn't even have to think about it himself, he just explained something, and the housekeeper helped him pick out gifts.
What makes him spend his time is the real value. Even if it's just a tiger lantern on the roadside, if he wrote on the lantern, it means that he personally watched the lantern and wrote it himself.
In the past few days on the New Year's Day, they have been under great pressure to catch Japanese pirates. He suddenly stopped on the side of the road during his business trip, just thinking that she might like this kind of light. What kind of mentality did he have when he did this
The maid came in to change the tea, she saw Wang Yanqing staring at the lamp motionlessly, and asked cautiously, "Madam, what should I do with this lamp?"
Wang Yanqing came back to her senses. She didn't want to take Lu Heng's things, but looking at the cute little tiger, she couldn't bear to throw it away.
The maid was overjoyed and hurriedly replied, "Yes."
The sky was getting dark, and a red tiger lantern hung under the eaves, which could be seen as soon as you looked up. Wang Yanqing actually understood Lu Heng's intentions. Lu Heng was not a thing, but the craftsman was right. It would be a pity to take anger on the lantern. Wang Yanqing had made up his mind to ignore Lu Heng and never fall into his trap. But there are some thoughts that she can't control if she doesn't want to, especially the conspicuous tiger lamp hanging above her head, which reminds Lu Heng invisibly of his existence, causing Wang Yanqing to see him in his dreams at night.
In the dream, she was only ten years old, and she was copying the copybook left by the Master. I don't know what happened, and the post would never be finished. Just when she was so panicked that she didn't know what to do, the second brother suddenly appeared and said that he would imitate Wang Yanqing's handwriting, and asked Wang Yanqing to go outside to hold the master, and he came to help her cheat.
Wang Yanqing woke up the next day, listening to the wind outside the window slowing down for a long time, but still felt absurd.
In reality, she will never fail to finish her homework, nor will she deceive the master. In reality, her second brother is not Lu Heng either.
She sighed softly for some reason.
After Wang Yanqing put away the lamp, the figure outside seemed to be inspired, and then kept sending things over. It's just that every time he sends something precious, for example, this time, he sent a plum blossom.
The note that came with the flowers said: "The Japanese pirates are hiding in an opera troupe, and there are many plum blossoms outside the pear orchard, and this one blooms especially well. The plum is flawless, it's been left here and ruined, should we transplant it to our mansion? "
Wang Yanqing glanced at it and threw the letter on the candle wick and burned it. He could say that he was so confident about grabbing things. It was his business to remove it or not. Where did "our mansion" come from
Wang Yanqing showed no mercy to Lu Heng's letters, and burned one of them, but she had a headache for this plum blossom.
The plum blossoms are really beautiful, and they are so scorching, like the blood burning in the cold winter, it is too cruel to throw them on the ground. Wang Yanqing had no choice but to ask the maid to take the vase and put the plum blossoms in place.
Lu Heng harassed one or two from time to time like this, even if no one appeared, his sense of presence never ceased. In this regard, Wang Yanqing is still too naive. When he encounters an old official like Lu Heng, he leads him by the nose without realizing it.
Lu Heng is in the palace halls and has long been familiar with the way of giving gifts. Don’t give food as a gift, it’s easy to get into trouble without saying it, and it’s gone after eating, so the recipient can’t remember it at all; you can’t give gold and silver jewelry, these things can be taken out and spent at any time, there is no identification, can’t Impressive.
So what Lu Heng gave were lanterns and plum blossoms, which were unique enough and could be displayed for a long time. A red plum in the house is unique and eye-catching. As long as she sees it, she will think of him.
Wouldn't it be more useful than giving a mountain of gold and silver
Time passed unknowingly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the twentieth of the first month, and the day of the court came. As usual, Lu Heng sent someone to bring Wang Yanqing a small gift, and complained in the letter that the old men didn't care about the injury on his shoulder at all, they were aggressive early on, and they managed to deal with those people. To face a room deserted.
If it was said that he was still wearing a layer of clothes in the previous letters, now he has made it clear. Wang Yanqing looked at the letter and felt the emperor's mood subtly.
If Lu Heng, through the mouth of the maid, hinted how seriously he was injured and how hard it was to deal with the doubts inside and outside the court alone, Wang Yanqing would definitely feel disgusted. But if he picked it up by himself and used his injury to express sympathy, Wang Yanqing felt nothing.
Wang Yanqing suddenly became vigilant, how could she forget the truth of boiling frogs in warm water? Yang Ting, Yang Yingning, and Zhang Jinggong were the first assistants who couldn't play against him. How could she have the confidence to escape Lu Heng's trap
She has just stepped out of the Fu family's cage, does she want to take the initiative to enter another deeper, bigger, and more dreamy-looking golden wire cage
Wang Yanqing thought she couldn't go on like this. She put away all the gifts that Lu Heng brought, called the doorman, and said with a solemn face, "Return these things to Master Lu. In the future, the letters from the Lu House, no matter what they are. , you don't have to pass it in."
Seeing Wang Yanqing's face, the concierge knew that the situation was serious. Wang Yanqing called the housekeeper and asked, "The major yamen have resumed their errands in the past few days, right?"
Hearing that, the steward was not sure what Wang Yanqing wanted to do, so he responded cautiously: "The government office in the capital should be able to do it, but there are still restrictions on the city gate. If you go to work outside the city, I'm afraid it won't work."
Wang Yanqing nodded and said, "Just in time, go to Shuntian Mansion and ask, can the formalities for the release of slaves be done these days?"
The housekeeper agreed. He looked at Wang Yanqing and seemed to want to remind him of something, but in the end he shut up wisely and went out to do what Wang Yanqing explained.
It was obvious that as long as she told Lu Heng, she would be able to handle everything without worrying about it, but Wang Yanqing chose to ask the Shuntian government office and do it herself.
The court is arguing about who should govern the Japanese pirates. However, the wind of national affairs does not blow on the common people. The people of the capital are still concerned about the east and west.
Wang Yanqing also didn't care about Japanese pirates, and she devoted all her energy to Shuntian Mansion these days. She didn't mention her identity, only called her surname Wang, and wanted to get rid of her old servant. The renunciation of slaves is not an isolated case. There is a fixed procedure for a long time, but this time, the efficiency of Shuntian Mansion is surprisingly high.
Wang Yanqing didn't want to think about whether Lu Heng had instructed him or not. On the day when all the formalities were settled, Wang Yanqing called Feicui over and handed her an official document.
Jade saw the document with the official seal on her face, and her face was full of disbelief. Wang Yanqing pushed the document to her and said, "This is your deed of sale and the certificate of release. I was afraid that it would affect your mood. I didn't tell you, everything is done now, you can see if there is any problem."
Jade picked it up and looked at it. She was the master's personal servant girl, and she could barely recognize some words. She didn't need to understand all the words, it was enough to just know the red handprint on the deed and the official seal of the government.
Jadeite was sold at a very young age, and becoming a slave would be inferior to others, bear hardships and stand hard work, and always have the self-awareness of a slave. Jade has long been used to this kind of life, and suddenly one day, someone told her that you are free.
No one can value and resell her at will.
Fei Cui felt dazed for a moment, she was silent for a long time, and asked, "Miss, are you really not going to go back to the Hou Mansion?"
Jade's contract of selling her life was in Zhenyuan Hou's mansion, and Fu Tingzhou handed it over to Wang Yanqing. Now, Wang Yanqing has released her. On the one hand, it shows that Wang Yanqing really treats her as a person. Unlike those young ladies who say that they are sisters to the maid, they actually hold the maid’s contract of selling their lives and never mention letting them go. On the other hand, Wang Yanqing also planning to leave.
Therefore, before withdrawing, it is necessary to settle the whereabouts of Jade.
Wang Yanqing nodded invisibly, and said in a calm and calm tone, "Yes."
There was silence between the two, Jade paused for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Alright. After all, Lord Hou wants to marry a noble lady of the right family, not Yongping Houfu, but also other people. No matter how careful Lord Hou is, he can't do it. Taking care of the backyard at all times, the mistress and the old lady always find a way to make things difficult.
In fact, when Fu Tingzhou came to look for Wang Yanqing last time, Feicui had a hunch. Wang Yanqing looked at Hou Ye no longer had the light in her eyes. She had no love, no hatred, or even resentment.
Jade knew that it was impossible for Lord Hou and the girl.
During this time, Jade looked coldly, and could feel Lu Heng's concern for Wang Yanqing. Jade grew up in the back house, and was used to seeing secret fights between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, wives and concubines fighting for favor, and maids crawling on the bed. The affairs of the house were not managed by men, but they could not be separated from men everywhere. It's not hard to guess that the male protagonist is not attentive.
Jade once supported Wang Yanqing to stay in the Zhenyuan Hou Mansion, but it was because Fu Tingzhou had a crush on Wang Yanqing. Although it is cruel to say this, with Wang Yanqing's appearance, it is difficult for her to live a peaceful and self-sufficient life in the folk, and sooner or later, she will be targeted by men with hidden lust. They were all forced to marry, so it is better to marry Fu Tingzhou. Anyway, Fu Tingzhou and her have childhood friendship and sincere feelings.
- It's a pity that these sincerity are still ranked after the interests of the Houfu.
But now, there seems to be another man who can put Wang Yanqing ahead of the family's interests. Jade knew very well that she was able to break free from slavery, but it was actually because of Lu Heng's light. From Jade's point of view, even if she did it again, she would still tell Wang Yanqing the truth. But from Lu Heng's point of view, what Jade did really ruined his wedding.
Even so, Lu Heng was still willing to show kindness, but for Wang Yanqing's sake, he loved Wu and Wu, and was kind to Jade.
Now that Wang Yanqing has recovered her memory, she still chooses to leave Fu Tingzhou and make a clean break with the Fu family. If this is Wang Yanqing's decision, Jade can only have blessings.
But Jade still wouldn't say good things for Lu Heng. No matter how pitiful Lu Heng is now, he is still not a good thing.
After all, the Marquis of Zhenyuan was kind to Wang Yanqing. Without the Fu family, Wang Yanqing could grow up smoothly or not. She didn't say anything wrong with Zhenyuan Hou's mansion, but changed the subject lightly: "You were sold because of natural disasters. After so many years, I don't know if you still have relatives in your hometown. I have prepared fifty taels of dowry for you, If you want to go back to your hometown, I will send someone to escort you back. You can buy a few acres of land locally and find an honest person to live in peace. "
Jade shook her head and said, "There are too many nobles in the capital, and the slaves do not want to stay in the capital. After so long, I can't remember what my hometown looks like. I only remember that there are many paddy fields there and the county is very prosperous. The slaves want to go back to their hometown to have a look. , If you can still find family members, it would be good to find a nearby county to live."
Wang Yanqing nodded, not interfering with Jade's decision. Fifty taels of silver in the capital is nothing, and it may not be as good as Lu Heng and the others for a meal, but for ordinary people, it is enough for a lifetime of food and clothing.
Fifty taels is just enough to guarantee Jade's life without worry, and it will not cause her death. The more you give, the more you will hurt her.
Maybe this is where people are vulnerable. Jade was sold by her family, but after she regained her freedom, she still wanted to go back to find her family. Wang Yanqing did not comment on this, but just reminded her: "Then you must protect yourself and don't tell anyone how much silver taels you have on you, not even close relatives."
Jade nodded: "Miss Xie, this servant understands."
Wang Yanqing felt an unspeakable disappointment in her heart, but she squeezed out a smile and said to Jade: "From now on, you don't have to call yourself a slave anymore. These habits must be slowly changed."
Emerald smiled and said yes, the sun was shining in front of the window, as if time went back to those years when they depended on each other and talked about everything. After Jade collected the deed and documents, she hesitated a few times, but still summoned the courage to ask: "Girl, what are you going to do in the future?"
"In the future?" Wang Yanqing looked at the gold powder floating in the sun, and his eyes were slightly ecstatic, "I don't know. But I heard that the city gates have been opened these days. Maybe, I will go back to my hometown to have a look."
Fei Cui hesitated to speak, and finally asked in a low voice, "Will the girl not stay?"
Wang Yanqing shook his head with a smile, lowered his eyes, stared at the dazzling and unreal patterns on the skirt, and said softly, "I haven't seen him cheating on me for two years. Now, who knows whether these gestures are true or false?"
Jade's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but the words were still on her lips. With a cheerful look, she deliberately said to Wang Yanqing in a flying tone: "Girl, you are gentle, kind, firm, and smart. It is a blessing for all men in the world to marry you in their three lifetimes, and you will definitely find a man you like. "
When Jade praised Wang Yanqing, she didn't use words like beautiful and slender, she knew what Wang Yanqing really cared about. Wang Yanqing just smiled and did not answer.
After Jade left, the smile in Wang Yanqing's eyes quickly faded. She walked to the window. A few days ago, the red plum had dried up and was alone in a vase. Wang Yanqing dropped a lot of debris when he touched it lightly.
Wang Yanqing sighed inwardly, raised her head, and looked at the bright sunshine outside the window.
Fu Tingzhou is gone, and Feicui is going too. From now on, she will be left alone.
Anyway, Jade can still look forward to looking for her relatives, but as for Wang Yanqing, who can she look for
The insider relayed Wang Yanqing's latest news back to Lu Mansion. Lu Heng flipped through the conversation between her and Feicui, and the more he looked, the darker his face became.
After reading all the content, he pressed his eyebrows, showing a headache after a long time.
There are few things in the world that can make him feel in a dilemma and can't start. The solution to Fu Tingzhou does not mean that he is all right.
Lu Heng thought that Wang Yanqing was just impulsive, and when her anger subsided, there would always be room for change. However, she was determined to leave.
Of course Lu Heng couldn't let her go, but he knew too much about the impact of distance on feelings. Once out of sight, no matter how deep the feelings are, they will always be forgotten a little bit. But Lu Heng couldn't come forward to stop him, otherwise, the scenes he did in front of him would be in vain.
Even backlash.
Lu Heng thought about Wang Yanqing all night and didn't fall asleep until very late. But not long after he turned off the lights, he suddenly heard eager footsteps outside. The guard didn't care about being rude and knocked on the door: "Sir, something has happened!"