The dog days are slowly coming to an end, but because of the lack of rain this year, the weather is still a bit hot.
Qixia Villa is a good place to escape the summer heat.
When Cui Shangzhou stepped into the door here, he only felt the endless coolness and comfort of the green shade.
Even the cicadas on the branches are not as noisy as outside.
"Master Cui Qi is here.
Please take a seat in Jinxiuyuan."
The maid whom I had already known well came forward to guide him.
Cui Shangzhou asked hurriedly: "Junhua is not in the study" The maid hurriedly said: "The uncle went out early in the morning and has not come back yet."
"Oh."
Cui Shangzhou wanted to say that he should go to the study and wait for Mu Xuan to come back, but he followed the maid just a stone's throw away without knowing it.
Since he came to visit, there was no way he would also miss the owner.
How could you just think about hiding?
Cui Shangzhou followed the maid to Jinxiuyuan with a somewhat complicated mood.
Under the grape trellis in the yard, there was a white cat curled up in a ball, sleeping with eyes narrowed, and two maids were muttering at the base of the wall.
Wan Su came out with a copper basin.
He looked up and saw Cui Shangzhou coming.
He hurriedly stepped forward and greeted with a smile: "Master Cui Qi is here."
Cui Shangzhou nodded and asked with a smile: "I'm here to pay my respects to the princess.
I don't know if it's convenient."
Wan Su smiled and said: "The princess has just gotten up from her nap, let me pass the message for you."
So she turned back and came out soon, and said with a smile: "Master Cui Qi, please come in."
Cui Shangzhou thought for a moment and walked up the stone steps.
The little maid opened the Xiang Fei's green lacquered bamboo curtain for him, and he bowed inside.
There was no one in the central hall, only the sound of clothes being hung could be heard occasionally.
Duan Hui's voice also came from the cubicle.
"Xiao Qi, please sit down for a while."
"It doesn't matter, Princess, please do as you please."
Cui Shangzhou sat down on an embroidered pier by himself, lowered his head, and looked at the pattern of terrazzo blue bricks on the ground.
But I felt a little uneasy.
He remembered that when he was a child, he came to play with the Mu siblings.
He took Mu Xuan to climb a tree, and then the princess arrived.
The princess stood under the tree looking so panicked.
He always listened to her words and took Mu Xuan smoothly without saying a word.
At that time, the princess scolded him like a little adult: "My brother is different from other children.
He is so sick and weak.
You hurt him.
What should I do if anything happens?"
What did he answer at that time.
He didn't remember much.
He only remembered that the princess was wearing an apricot red dress, sleeves and skirt that day.
The hem of the skirt was heavily embroidered with curly grass patterns using bright blue gold thread.
Her inky hair was combed with two small hairpins with a simple red rope, and the rest of her hair was hung behind her head.
Her eyes were as bright as black gems, and her long eyelashes were trembling slightly like a pair of butterfly wings.
When he was still young, he realized that girls could be so beautiful.
From now on.
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He was always cautious in front of the princess, fearing that his rudeness would make the princess dissatisfied.
He didn't take the princess to play with him, for fear of soiling her beautiful clothes and her white little hands.
In Cui Shangzhou's daze, there was a sound of curtains pulling.
The skirt was rustling, and a sweet female voice came: "Xiao Qi has been waiting for a long time."
Cui Shangzhou hurriedly raised his head and saw the sunlight outside passing through the glass window.
Princess Duanhui stood at the door against the light.
She wore a Japanese bun with two white hostas on her bun.
I didn’t draw my eyebrows very much.
The willow green skirt is covered with a snow-green short arm, all of which are very simple and elegant colors.
She stood in the backlight, but it was enough to eclipse everything around her.
The sun shone on his face, causing him to feel slightly warm.
Cui Shangzhou realized that he had lost his composure, so he stood up hurriedly, bowed his head, and said respectfully: "I'd like to pay my respects to the princess, little one."
"Yeah, you came just to pay my respects.
I thought you came to Junhua and stopped by to see me."
Cui Shangzhou did not dare to speak, but what he glanced at from the corner of his eye was the princess's skirt.
The corners of the skirt are also embroidered with dense curly grass patterns using bright blue gold thread, which is exactly the same as the pattern he saw when he was a child.
It’s just that she can no longer wear red.
Princess Duanhui sat down on the rosewood Arhat bed and said to Cui Shangzhou: "Xiaoqi, don't stand there stupidly.
Sit down quickly."
Then she said to Danju in front of her: "I asked you to get ice to make ice bowls in the morning. , how are you doing?”
Dan Ju hurriedly said: "The princess has prepared it long ago."
"In that case, hurry up and get it."
Duan Hui said to Cui Shangzhou again: "The weather is weirdly hot, Xiaoqi should try it too."
Cui Shangzhou hurriedly said: "Thank you very much, Princess, for the reward."
Not long after, Danxia came in holding a painted sunflower disc with two ice bowls inside.
There was a layer of crushed ice on the bottom of the amber colored glass bowl.
Then it is covered with chopped tender lotus root, fresh water chestnuts and chicken head rice.
The top layer is sprinkled with chopped sweet almonds and fresh walnuts, and topped with secret sugar roses.
It's fragrant, sweet, and very cool, making people want to eat it with their index fingers.
Sure enough, as soon as I put this ice bowl down, I immediately felt a lot more relaxed.
After Duan Hui finished eating, he started chatting with Cui Sangzhou.
"When I was a child in Futian, I wanted to eat this every day, but I was young and weak at that time.
But I didn't know anything, so I just shouted to eat it.
Every time, I was punished by my mother-in-law.
Later, my mother-in-law couldn't resist and asked people to make it.
I ate it.
I ate two more bites because of my gluttony, and my stomach hurt in the evening, but I learned a lesson that time.”
"I heard that those who are sick and weak can't get enough of it."
"Yes, so my brother never had it when he was a child."
After Duan Hui said this, he turned to Dan Ju and said, "You told me to leave a bowl for the kitchen and leave a bowl for Junhua."
Danju smiled and agreed and went down.
"Uncle Mu, is he out for something?"
"Yes, I went out early in the morning.
But I don't know why I haven't come back yet.
He obviously promised me to stay for a few days, so he shouldn't just go back to the temple without saying a word.
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What do you want to see him for?
"?"
Cui Shangzhou thought to himself that the princess cared about Mu Xuan more than anyone else, as the two siblings had the same mother, so it didn't hurt to let her know.
So he told the princess all the things that Concubine Yan had entrusted.
The smile on the princess's face grew more and more as she listened, and finally she said happily: "The old man finally understands that she has such a grandson.
This important matter should have been done earlier."
"It's just Junhua's temper" Cui Shangzhou's words made Duan Hui calm down instantly.
He slowly wrung his handkerchief and said, "Yeah, I've forgotten what kind of temper he has.
When I mentioned this to him before, there was no time when he didn't get angry.
This time The kid has a bad temper.
I'm not worried about him going astray.
Xiaoqi, I'm afraid you have to come forward for this matter.
After all, you two are close friends.
They are all men, maybe I can get through to him.”
To be honest, Cui Sangzhou was not sure at all.
Not long after, the weather suddenly changed.
What was originally a sunny day suddenly became covered with dark clouds, and it looked like it was going to rain.
Then a strong wind came.
Thunder and lightning.
The rain fell heavily.
Rain curtains have been hung under the eaves.
The sudden change in weather made Princess Duanhui worried about Mu Xuan who had not returned, so she hurriedly sent people to look for her.
Cui Shangzhou was naturally embarrassed to stay in Jinxiu Courtyard, so he went to Tangli Study Room to wait for Mu Xuan to return.
But after waiting and waiting until it was dark, Mu Xuan came back.
Although he also wore a bamboo hat and a raincoat, his trouser legs were covered in mud.
I can no longer tell what the shoes look like.
Fu Cui and Qiu Ci quickly stepped forward to serve and untied the coir raincoat and bamboo hat under the eaves.
After changing into clogs, Fu Cui brought some clean clothes to help Mu Xuan change into the house.
Mu Xuan, however, was not used to having maids take care of her, so she said, "I'll do it myself."
Fucui smiled.
He put down his clothes and said, "Master Cui Qi came here in the afternoon, and he is still waiting for me in the study."
"Cui Qi is here just in time.
I also have something important to discuss with him."
Mu Xuan changed into a dry slate blue soft satin robe and went to the study.
Cui Sangzhou sat quietly on the chair behind the desk.
He lit an oil lamp and held a book in his hand, which he was reading with great interest.
"I see you're used to it after staying here all day."
"I won't get tired of it even after a whole day and a month."
Cui Shangzhou said with a smile, put down the book in his hand, and stood up slowly.
"You haven't eaten yet.
I heard that the kitchen has prepared food.
Let's go eat together."
Cui Sangzhou readily agreed.
Mu Xuan did not drink alcohol and was a vegetarian, but the princess thought that Cui Shangzhou was here, so she also sent a pot of pear blossoms.
Four cold and four hot, all are extremely exquisite dishes.
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The two sat down separately, and Mu Xuan asked the maid in front of him to fill Mu Xuan's wine glass with wine.
Although Mu Xuan didn't drink, she ate her food slowly and talked with Cui Shangzhou.
"Guess where I'm going today?"
How could Cui Shangzhou guess?
He smiled and said, "I heard from the princess that you left the house early in the morning."
"Yes, I went back to Chai's house."
Cui Shangzhou was a little surprised and asked quickly: "Why didn't you tell the princess when you went to my grandfather's house?
It rained suddenly in the afternoon.
The princess was worried that you didn't come back, so she kept sending people to find out about you."
"I hid it from my sister.
I just said I wanted to go out for a walk.
I didn't tell her the truth."
Only then did Cui Shangzhou know why Mu Xuan went to Chai's house.
Mu Xuan sent away all the maids serving in front of her, and said in detail to Cui Shangzhou: "I went to Chai's house, found my aunt, and asked her about what happened back then.
What she said was very different from Lu Qiao's.
There’s not much difference.
It’s just that the positions are different and there are some biases in some details.”
"So at least that woman didn't lie to us."
"I don't dare to make this decision now.
I went to see my aunt for one thing, but also to find out about Lu Tan.
Lu Tan's death is very strange."
Cui Shangzhou's eyes flashed, he was obviously interested, and he quickly asked: "What's so strange?"
"I heard that when she came out of the palace, she brought a lot of money with her.
She had no father or mother, and only had one brother.
The brother didn't take care of business in the Chai family at first, and was only responsible for helping to look after a house.
Her brother and sister-in-law didn't treat her well.
No matter what, her sister-in-law even coaxed her to help take care of her money, clothes and jewelry.
Later, she and her brother discussed finding a husband for Lu Tan, but her sister-in-law took advantage of Lu Tan's money and refused to marry her. .
He even spread rumors about Lu Tan, saying that he was kicked out by his master because of his lack of service, and that he climbed into bed with his master behind his back.
Later, when he saw that his master was ill, he put something in his medicine, and so on. , I don’t know if it’s true.”
"Because of her sister-in-law, Lu Tan's reputation in their area was ruined.
She lived at home for several years and suffered from her brother and sister-in-law's idleness.
I heard that once she was almost sold by her brother again.
Later, she came to her sister-in-law to ask for the money.
My sister-in-law couldn't get out the money she had saved.
Instead, she said that all these years when you were at home, I didn't care about you asking for food money.
Isn't it that the food and clothing you wore were the green sandalwood provided by the family?
I couldn't bear the humiliation, so I had a big quarrel with my sister-in-law.
Later, He ran to the river and threw himself into the water.
I heard that he was fished out the next day and his whole body was swollen.”
Cui Shangzhou listened quietly to Mu Xuan's words, and then said: "When you say something strange, are you referring to the rumors created by her sister-in-law?"
Mu Xuan took a deep look at Cui Shangzhou, then moved her eyes to the dancing candlelight.
After staring at it for a long time, she said: "Lutan's brother and sister-in-law are no longer in Bianliang.
I only found out about them from their neighbors." .
I don’t understand why her sister-in-law would say those things to belittle her.
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Is it really just her sister-in-law’s spreading rumors?”
Cui Shangzhou understood that Mu Xuan was worried about whether those were rumors or the truth.
If so, then the death of the late princess might not have been a normal death.
"Since you are worried, how about I check it for you?"
Mu Xuan was a little afraid of coming into contact with the truth of the answer.
He thought for a long time before saying, "Of course I have to ask clearly.
If I don't know the true nature of the matter, my mother and concubine's death will be a tragic death."
Mu Xuan's words were full of sadness and ruthlessness, and also had a deep chill.
Cui Shangzhou tilted his neck and poured all the wine in the cup down his throat.
The fine pear blossom white had a mellow taste, not too choking, and there was a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.
"Jun Hua, how long do you plan to hide this from the princess?"
Mu Xuan lowered her eyelids and said, "I don't know, I'm afraid I can't hide it for long."
He vaguely felt that the truth was not far away from being revealed.
"I say you should try to tell the princess these things.
She has the same identity as you, so there is no reason to hide her completely.
As for how to say it, you may need to pay attention to the following methods."
Mu Xuan rubbed her nose, looked at Cui Shangzhou, and said: "If there is anything, I can't hide it even if I want to.
It's just that my sister has a hard life.
She was widowed at a young age and was miserable.
But I don't know how to comfort her.
Shang Zhou, I only have one sister.
I want to protect her, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to protect her in the end.”
Mu Xuan said, feeling sad and the corners of her eyes were slightly moist.
Cui Shangzhou hurriedly said: "How could it be so, Jun Hua, I think there is nothing you can't do as long as you are willing."
The rain fell gradually outside, and the dishes on the table slowly cooled down.
Mu Xuan moved her chopsticks a few times, but lost her appetite.
Seeing him like this, Cui Shangzhou had someone bring him a wine glass, poured half a glass of wine into it, and forced Mu Xuan to drink it.
Mu Xuan didn't drink at all, but Cui Shangzhou drank so much that he choked and coughed.
"If you're not in a good mood, just have a drink.
Sometimes people don't have to live too clearly."
Later, Cui Sangzhou completely forgot what Concubine Yan entrusted him to say
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