Concubine Li knew that the Pei family had also been inquiring about Cui Xiushan recently, so she immediately shifted the focus angrily: "Speaking of which, Mrs. Pei hasn't been out for a long time, why did she come to the Cui family today?"
When her name was suddenly called, Mrs. Pei was a little reserved and said with a smile: "To be honest, I came here today to talk about marriage."
"Oh? Whose marriage? Has the Cui family girl been married a long time ago?" Concubine Li kept pressing, even though she knew that Mrs. Pei was here to talk about Cui Xiushan's marriage.
Mrs. Pei smiled shyly, looked at Mrs. Cui and replied: "Although the Pei family is not a wealthy family, my father-in-law is in a high position now and can barely discuss marriage matters with the Cui family. I am not doing this for me today." That unfilial son is here, but he is here for Zhixuan’s marriage.”
Concubine Li couldn't help but twitch her lips at these words, and said sarcastically: "But now Cui Xiushan is a hot potato, and Mrs. Ping Guohou's cousin has already got there first."
"Your Majesty said it is." Mrs. Pei still looked gentle and dignified, with nothing strange on her face.
She glanced at everyone in the room, smiled without showing her teeth and said: "I did say we are close. As for the Cui family, Mr. Xiushan is indeed excellent, but he is not the only one in the Cui family. I look at it, Xiao Li Yes, although she’s not outstanding, Zhixuan is just average. Besides, I’ve known him since I was a child, and now that I’m older, isn’t it just right?”
Concubine Li and Mrs. Cui both looked surprised, but Wen Qingzhu's expression remained normal.
She raised the tea cup in her hand and took a slight sip.
According to the information she got, Pei Yu was also interested in Cui Xiushan, but she didn't expect that it was Cui Li who Mrs. Pei came to make an offer.
Now it seems that Mrs. Pei is of the same mind as her daughter.
When she put down the tea cup, Mrs. Pei started to say again: "To be honest, although this capital is big, in recent years, there have been fewer and fewer suitable people."
Soon, Concubine Li and Mrs. Cui both set their sights on Wen Qingzhu.
Seeing that she was very calm, she obviously knew about this.
Mrs. Cui didn't say anything, but Concubine Li was so angry that she was about to have a fit on the spot.
However, Mrs. Pei stood up quickly, walked to Mrs. Cui, and said with a smile: "These days, the Cui family has been working hard for the Cui family. I heard that you haven't gone out for a walk yet. It has just been two days. Xuan is going to Fengguo Temple to offer incense and pray for the victims. Madam, is she free?"
This was said euphemistically, and compared to Concubine Li's aggressiveness, Mrs. Cui benefited a lot.
She nodded immediately: "Since we are praying for the victims, I will follow you there. If Li'er is free, I will take him with me too."
"That's really great!" Mrs. Pei thanked Yingying and turned to ask the maid and servant to present all the gifts.
The servants filed in, the maids carrying them and the boys carrying them.
At a glance, there were actually eight gifts collected.
Mrs. Cui is old and has many rules. She was happy when she saw Mrs. Pei being so polite.
Wen Qingzhu was calm, but Concubine Li was so angry that her mouth was twisted.
Before Mrs. Pei said goodbye, Concubine Li finally couldn't sit still and stood up to say goodbye.
Mrs. Cui didn't like her at all, so she just politely said that she would leave slowly without seeing her off. This time, she completely offended Concubine Li, and immediately gave her a cold face.
Mrs. Pei had done what she had to do, and Wen Qingzhu also wanted to start showing off.
Jasmine brought over a five-hundred-year-old ginseng, and Wen Qingzhu personally held it in front of Mrs. Cui: "I got this old ginseng from Cangzhou. It's four to five hundred years old, so it's relatively rare. There are no old people at home, so I sent the old lady here to take care of her. I will ask you to take good care of Xiushan then."
As soon as Wen Qingzhu explained clearly, Mrs. Pei's eyes turned red immediately.
When she was young, she was lucky enough to see old ginseng of this vintage, but these were rare things.
There may not be any in the palace medicine storehouse.
Unexpectedly, Wen Qingzhu casually took out one and outshone her all at once.
Looking at Mrs. Cui's trembling hands, her face was full of rejection: "This is not possible! I am only an old woman, so I don't need such precious things."
Mrs. Pei squeezed the handkerchief tightly, feeling angry.
But for the sake of her daughter's happiness, she still endured it, and even said a few words: "Since it is Mrs. Fu Hou's wish, the old lady will accept it."
With Mrs. Pei's help, Mrs. Cui couldn't refuse, so she could only force her subordinates.
She asked worriedly: "It's not good for my body now. Why don't you send this old ginseng to the palace?"
Wen Qingzhu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Madam. Your Majesty has it. I prepared this for Madam alone."
Mrs. Cui really couldn't refuse now.
Mrs. Pei next to her was trembling, but she never said anything. She just found a moment to say goodbye and left.
Anyway, she said everything that needed to be said.
If Wen Qingzhu had not interfered, her performance would have satisfied the old lady the most.
As soon as Mrs. Pei left, Cui Xiushan opened the door from the compartment.
Without anyone else around, Wen Qingzhu felt much more relaxed: "Where's Cui Li? Now that Mrs. Pei has personally revealed the news, there's no way he can hide like this."
Cui Xiushan was also confused: "I don't know either. Madam also knows Cui Li's temperament. She seems easy to talk to, but actually she has big ideas in her heart."
Mrs. Cui thought for a while: "Then does he have a girl he likes?"
Cui Xiushan shook her head and looked at Wen Qingzhu again.
"Old madam, I really don't know about this, but he has been staying in the military camp for a long time. I can ask Fu Lie and maybe I will get some news."
Mrs. Cui nodded distressedly: "That's troublesome girl. My uncle has gone like this, leaving only this single seedling. If he doesn't want to, I don't dare to force him."
After returning to the Hou Mansion, Wen Qingzhu received news from outside as soon as he entered the door.
It was said that Concubine Li did not return directly to the palace, but went to Prince Ning's Mansion.
After staying there for two hours, I felt much better when I came out.
Wen Qingzhu pondered for a while and asked Jasmine: "Have you seen Princess Ning walking around these days?"
"No, only the princess's mother personally saw it once. Later, the Lei family wanted to go, but Prince Ning refused. I'm afraid there is something going on here."
Jasmine looked worried, Lei Qiniang was a girl with a very good personality.
It's a pity that she married Prince Ning.
Two days later, Mrs. Cui Pei actually made an appointment with Mrs. Cui and went to Fengguo Temple to offer incense.
But Cui Li still didn't go, and Fu Lie came back with a message.
He said that he had never seen anything special between Cui Li and any girl.
Wen Qingzhu rubbed his forehead. This was true. In the military camp, there were either old ladies who washed clothes or military entertainers.
It would be a pity if the Cui family declined like this.
That afternoon, the Cui family's housekeeper hurried over and said that Mrs. Cui had encountered an assassin when she was going up the mountain. Now that the old lady and Mrs. Pei were both seriously injured, she asked Wen Qingzhu to come over.
When Wen Qingzhu heard this, he quickly followed the housekeeper out.
When they arrived at Cui's house, Cui Li was already waiting in front of the bed.
When Wen Qingzhu passed by, he saw half of the old ginseng on the table, and there was still a lingering smell of blood inside.
A familiar nanny came out and hurried inside to welcome Wen Qingzhu.
Cui Li stood up and moved away from his position. Wen Qingzhu took a closer look and his heart sank. The old lady's leg was broken.
It takes a hundred days to break the muscles and bones, let alone an old lady who has been beaten for a long time.
Wen Qingzhu asked the maid to take care of it, then walked out and asked Cui Li, who was reading the prescription: "What's going on?"
"Someone doesn't want someone from the Cui family to get married." Cui Li's voice was very depressed, with a kind of understanding.
Wen Qingzhu felt something was wrong and called Cui Li outside the house again.
After retreating, she asked seriously: "Tell me, what's going on?"
This time Cui Li didn't speak, his expression was very serious.
Wen Qingzhu wanted to slap him to death and said angrily: "It's already this time, how can you bear to watch your seventh grandma tormenting you like this?!"
Cui Li's expression darkened, and after a while he whispered, "It should be Pei Yu."
"Pei Yu? Isn't he Prince Ning?" Wen Qingzhu was startled, what is going on
Cui Li showed a hint of ridicule on his face: "Pei Yu wanted to use Pei Zhixuan to marry me back then, but my great-grandfather refused. Now that the Cui family is in such a situation, it is certainly more advantageous for Pei Zhixuan to marry Xiushan. He probably can't wait any longer. After all, the queen's Pei Zhixuan will never get this position."
After hearing what he said, Wen Qingzhu didn't know what to say.
At that time, Pei Yu was a timely help, with the idea that the Cui family would slowly become a part of the Pei family. After all, Cui Li was far inferior to Pei Zhixuan.
Nowadays, Cui Xiushan holds the power of the Cui family and will definitely support Cui Li's children and grandchildren in the future.
If Pei Zhixuan marries Cui Xiushan, although he is not as easy to handle as Cui Li, but Cui Xiushan is really mature, but he is an outsider, then he can only rely on the Pei family if he wants to continue.
While Cui Xiushan is in charge, the resources of the Cui family can completely become the Pei family's.
This was Pei Yu's good plan.
It's a pity that the children back then have grown up. Even if they can't deal with Pei Yu, they still know his purpose.
After pondering for a moment, Wen Qingzhu said to him: "Wait for a few more days. Don't go out. When the little grandpa comes, Mrs. Cui should be fine."
Cui Li was startled: "Is Valley Master Xue really coming?"
"That's natural, otherwise do you think I'm saying it for fun?" Wen Qingzhu rolled her eyes at him.
After confirming again and again, Cui Li was overjoyed.
As soon as this incident came out, there was a lot of speculation outside.
Most people guessed that it was Prince Ning Li Guifei. Seeing that the marriage could not work out, they simply asked the Cui family to hold a funeral.
After receiving the news, Concubine Li was so angry that she fainted.
When he woke up again, it was not King Ning sitting next to him, but Jiang Yijia.
She held the medicine bowl in her hand and asked with concern: "How do you feel, concubine?"
"You... why are you here? Where is your brother?" Concubine Li was a little guilty. She kept many things from Jiang Yijia.
Jiang Yijia's smile became colder: "When something happens, I help my mother and concubine handle it. When nothing happens, my mother and concubine help my brother. Mother and concubine can't be so partial."
"Yijia!" Concubine Li was a little panicked. She grabbed Jiang Yijia's sleeve and said, "Listen to me, your brother has struggled for so many years and is waiting for that day in the future. How easy is it to make him give up suddenly? Tell me. , if you were in my brother’s position, would you give up?”
Jiang Yijia silently put down the medicine bowl, looked at her quietly and said, "I will give up."
Concubine Li was speechless for a moment.
At the other end of Jingping Palace, Wen Qingzhu was playing chess with Concubine Wei.
After a while, Bai Haqi came over and brought the news from Chengming Palace.
Concubine Wei said with some pity: "Yi Jia is a sensible person, but it's a pity that Concubine Li and her son are involved. It's really difficult to give up the power that is so close at hand."
Wen Qingzhu shook his head: "Whether you give up or not actually depends on the person."
"What do you say?" Concubine Wei became interested.
Wen Qingzhu put down a chess piece, raised his head and said with a smile, "Du Weiniang has come to Beijing."
Two days later, Mrs. Lei San found Wen Qingzhu.
Inquiring about Du Weiniang's affairs openly and secretly.
Wen Qingzhu knew everything he said. After hearing this, Mrs. Lei San was a little surprised: "Then Miss Du seems to be a good person."
"Of course she is good." Wen Qingzhu also agreed.