This was the first time that Si Que took the initiative to speak to anyone in the Jinnan Palace other than You Yuzhi.
Cuiyu was startled. She felt in the pouch at her waist, took out a copper coin, and quickly handed it to Sique.
Si Que glanced at Cuiyu's hand. After walking in the snow for a long time, Cuiyu fell again. She was a little dirty, and her fingers were covered with snow mud. Even the gaps between her fingers were stained with dirt and she didn't have time to wipe them clean.
Si Que glanced at Cui Yu's hand holding the copper coin and didn't take it.
"No."
Cuiyu opened her eyes wide. They were narrow and long, and even if she tried to open them wide, they were not round. She realized later that Si Que thought her hands were dirty, and her cheeks suddenly turned red. She put the copper coins into her purse awkwardly. She put her hands behind her back and wiped them randomly with a handkerchief.
You Yuji had finished talking to Zhao Sheng. She lowered the curtain and turned back. She had heard the conversation in the carriage. She hesitated for a moment before cautiously looking at Si Que. Seeing that he had his eyelashes drooped and was unaware, she boldly looked at him deeply, but only for a moment before quickly looking away.
The next moment after she looked away, Si Que raised his eyelashes slightly and looked over, pausing for a moment on the two folds of her slender skirt, then slowly moving up.
After a moment, You Yuji looked over again and happened to meet Si Que's gaze. When their eyes met, You Yuji's fingertips on her knees trembled slightly, and she quickly looked away. She silently told herself not to look at him again, but suddenly her ears echoed his slow voice by the hot spring - "Sister, look at me."
Suddenly, some lingering images appeared before my eyes.
You Yuji leaned forward, picked up the already cold tea on the small square table, and took a sip of the cold tea.
Fang family.
Fang Bishu frowned and walked quickly into her daughter's room.
"What's wrong?" Fang Qingyi stood up and went to greet her mother. When she saw her mother's face, she immediately had a bad feeling.
Fang Bishu shook her head: "All the people were detained, not a single one escaped. I'm afraid our plan has been discovered early on. That bitch You Yuji has already made preparations in advance and is waiting for us to take the bait!"
"This..." Fang Qingyi's face turned pale and she took a step back in a daze.
"Your Majesty decided to go to Yunping Temple today. Prince Jinnan and your aunt followed him. I'm afraid Prince Jinnan and the princess already know about this."
Playing tricks and even tampering with the sedan chair of King Jinnan is no small matter.
"What should I do..." Fang Qingyi's face turned paler and her voice trembled as she listened. She felt a chill down her spine. She regretted drinking too much that day and having such an absurd affair with her cousin... Since that absurd day, she had completely bet her future on Chen Anzhi and could no longer afford to lose.
Seeing her daughter crying helplessly, Fang Bishu held her daughter's hand tightly and said sternly: "Why are you panicking? The child in your belly is our biggest bargaining chip. Besides, You Yuji is just an orphan of a fallen country, and the princess is your biological aunt. Your aunt knows who is close and who is far away."
Fang Bishu leaned over and whispered in her daughter's ear.
Fang Qingyi frowned, with a struggle in her eyes. Finally, she placed her hands on her abdomen and nodded heavily.
Soon, Fang Qingyi boarded the carriage and hurried to the Jinnan Palace. She urged the driver to go faster and faster.
Chen Anzhi was sitting on the bed, rubbing his swollen and painful ankle. He was very upset. Since the beating, the injury on his buttocks had not healed completely, and now he injured his foot.
"Everything has gone wrong since I married that charming woman!" Chen Anzhi muttered irritably.
When the servant informed Fang Qingyi to come over, Chen Anzhi was startled. Thinking of his cousin's recent indifference to him, he was immediately delighted, thinking that his cousin was no longer angry with him. Regardless of the pain in his ankle, he got out of bed and walked to the door to greet her in person on crutches.
"Cousin." He called her in a gentle tone.
In the past two years, they have already developed a tacit understanding, and they can always communicate with each other through their eyes when there are outsiders around. All the affection is contained in this call of "cousin", and he believes that his cousin can hear it.
"Cousin..." Fang Qingyi looked deeply at Chen Anzhi with a pair of tearful eyes. Regardless of the servants who were still there, she threw herself directly into Chen Anzhi's arms.
Chen Anzhi was shocked.
You know, they used to be polite cousins in front of outsiders. He was hesitating whether to push Fang Qingyi away, but she cried in his arms, "Mother sent someone to kill my cousin's wife, cousin, go and save her!"
"What? My aunt sent people to kill You Yujie?" Chen Anzhi reacted quickly, waved his hand, and drove all the servants away.
Fang Qingyi cried breathlessly: "My mother knew that I was pregnant, so she wanted to make plans for me and for the child in my belly. I know that my mother is doing this for my own good and for the good of our child, but I don't want this child to be stained with blood before it is born. Wuuuuu, cousin, I would rather not have this child than harm innocent people... Cousin, please send someone to save my cousin's wife..."
Fang Bishu thought that You Yuji had made arrangements in advance and then took witnesses to seek justice from the princess. What she didn't know was that You Yuji had signed a "military order" to the Princess of Jinnan before leaving.
The princess sat in the dining room, frowning.
The day before yesterday, when she called You Yuji to discuss going to Yunping Temple to burn the Buddhist scriptures as the sorcerer said, You Yuji swore to her that this was all a conspiracy by Fang's mother and daughter to take her life and vacate the position of the Crown Prince's Consort.
There were many strange things happening in the palace, and the princess was already suspicious. When You Yuji told her, she believed it a little, but Fang Bishu was her biological sister after all, and she didn't want to believe that her sister would tamper with the prince's sedan chair and hurt Chen Anzhi's foot.
Nanny Gu lifted the thick door curtain and came in, whispering, "Princess, the Crown Prince's wife and her entourage have arrived at Yunping Temple. They've been through a lot, how about arranging for them to rest first? Or should we call them over to talk?"
"No need to summon him. Let's talk about everything when we get home tomorrow. Don't disturb His Majesty." The princess sighed deeply.
Many years ago, the brother-in-law committed a serious crime. Before it was exposed, the princess was ruthless and used her power to make her sister divorce and take her three children to set up a female household. As expected, the brother-in-law was later exposed and his entire family was executed, but the sister and her three children escaped this disaster.
Over the years, she felt sorry for her sister, but her sister was actually plotting against her
The table was filled with ordinary vegetarian food, but because it was steaming hot, everyone in the group ate it with big mouthfuls.
You Yuji had something on her mind and held the chopsticks for a long time without eating.
Gu Mama came over and told the princess what she had said. The weather was bad today, so everyone stayed in the temple for one night and returned home tomorrow.
Madam Jing came in from outside and said, "Madam, there are not many guest rooms in the temple. We have to make do with two people in one room tonight."
You Yuji nodded: "You can arrange it."
You Yuji put her thoughts aside and picked up the chopsticks to eat.
"If Aunt Chun Xing doesn't mind, I will squeeze in with you tonight."
Chun Xing hurriedly said, "No, no, I don't mind. How could I dare to despise you? And please don't call me "you" anymore. I really can't bear it."
Chun Xing said this sincerely, she never considered herself a master. In fact, she felt that she was not as good as an innocent maid.
"Madam Cuiyu and Madam Lin share one room. Madam and Princess Que share one room."
You Yuji's hand trembled, and the tofu between the two chopsticks fell onto the table.
Si Que lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes shielding the light and shadow in his eyes. He waited with interest for You Yuji's refusal.
You Yuji glanced at the tofu that fell on the table and said "hmm" as usual.
Si Que looked up in surprise, and a strange color appeared in his dark eyes.
You Yuji calmly picked up another piece of tofu and ate it.
Si Que narrowed his eyes slightly and watched how her bright red lips moved gently while she ate.
It seems very soft.
Everyone was hungry and cold, and they were all concentrating on eating. Except for You Yuji, no one noticed that Si Que didn't eat much, and she looked at You Yuji for a long time with a playful look.
You Yuji knew it, but pretended not to know.
After dinner, You Yuji asked if the guest room was ready. Madam Jing nodded, saying that the bedding was new and even the hot water for bathing was ready.
When the aunts heard that they could take a bath, they ate and hurried to the guest room. On the way, they even played finger-guessing games to see who would take the hot bath first.
Si Que sat in the chair, not moving.
He looked at You Yuji with a smile, waiting.
You Yuji took a sip of tea and wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief before looking at Si Que and saying, "You are not feeling well. Go back to your room and take a hot bath to drive away the cold. Since we are in the temple, I might as well go and pray for my mother's safety."
Si Que looked into You Yuzhi's eyes and smiled.
He said, "Okay, I'll listen to my sister."
It was true that she wanted to avoid letting Si Que take a bath first, and it was also true that she wanted to pray for her mother's safety. You Yuji knelt down in front of the Buddha statue, holding the amulet given by Lin Yingying in her hand. She looked up at the Buddha statue's compassionate eyes and prayed earnestly: "Mother has been kind to others all her life, and now she is lying on her deathbed..."
Thinking of her mother, You Yuji's voice choked with sobs. She suppressed her emotions and continued, "I am willing to exchange my own life for yours. I hope the Buddha will grant my wish."
"He is a child who values filial piety." A strong and vigorous voice suddenly came from not far away.
You Yuji was startled and quickly stood up and looked back.
The person who spoke was none other than His Majesty the present emperor.
Chen Lian stood beside His Majesty. There was also a middle-aged man wearing brocade clothes decorated with dragon patterns. Although You Yuji had never seen him before, she could guess that he was the prince.
You Yuji hurriedly saluted: "Long live His Majesty, and a thousand years of life for the Crown Prince."
An eunuch came up to His Majesty's ear and whispered about You Yuji's identity.
"No need to be polite." The emperor nodded. "Your father is a heroic general."
You Yuji knelt down again to express gratitude on behalf of her father.
The emperor did not say anything more to You Yuji. Before leaving, he told the chief eunuch beside him: "Deshun, let Doctor Hu go to You's house tomorrow."
Doctor Hu is a skilled doctor and is the imperial physician to His Majesty. He rarely treats others.
You Yuji was so surprised that she knelt down to express her gratitude.
The emperor waved his hand and walked out.
You Yuji was still kneeling there. She opened her palms and looked at the word "Shou" on the amulet in her palms.
The guest room in the temple was very small and simply furnished, with two wooden beds and a small square table in the middle, and no other tables or chairs.
You Yuji was happy to think that Doctor Hu might be able to help her mother get better. When she walked into the guest room, Si Que had already taken a bath and was lying on the uncomfortable wooden bed in boredom.
You Yuji sat down beside her bed, took the amulet and looked at Si Que.
Si Que turned his head and met her gaze.
"elder sister."
He called out slowly, and then said, "Are you willing to live under the same roof with me?"
Finally they were alone.
He looked at You Yuji, waiting for her to get angry and curse.
Imagining You Yuji's angry scolding, he became very interested and almost impatient.
Si Que was weak after all, and could not withstand the wind and snow. Before You Yuzhi could speak, he coughed twice intermittently.
Si Que frowned, and a gloomy look flashed across his dark eyes.
The next moment, a faint fragrance came from his nose, and You Yuji had already covered her hand. This time it was not her palm, she restrainedly used the back of her slightly curled fingers to test the temperature of his forehead, and quickly withdrew her hand.
"I only know that you are willing to tell me the secret." You Yuji said softly.
Si Que was silent for a moment before speaking: "I am a bastard and a pervert, aren't you afraid of being bullied at night?"
You Yuji shook her head gently: "You are willing to tell me such an important secret because you are thinking about me. You are a gentleman among gentlemen."
"I don't know why you are pretending to be a woman. I guess you have difficulties." You Yuji smiled gently, "If you need, I will help you hide it."