Chapter 122

Xie Wan Ning was shocked at the Second Prince's misbehavior, and thinking of his sticky words "cousin-in-law" during the day, she suddenly got goose bumps all over her body.

I made up my mind to take a detour when I see him next time.

This is a scum who seduces women. More than one noble lady in the capital has been defiled by him.

And few people know about this.

The next day, when Pei Yuqing woke her up, Xie Wan Ning couldn't help but ask what she had been holding back all night: "Does His Majesty know about the Second Prince's matter?"

Pei Yuqing hummed and said, "This is a royal scandal and should not be made public. The emperor has warned him and he has restrained himself a lot in recent days."

However, it is difficult to change one's nature. Who knows how long the emperor's warning can make him restrain himself.

The emperor has four princes in total, and he loves each of them very much. As long as they are not guilty of plotting to usurp the throne, playing with a few women doesn't matter.

Even if she is a lady from a high-class family, if she encounters such a thing, she will keep it secret for the sake of her reputation, and she is more afraid than anyone else that the news will spread.

Pei Yuqing would know that because he has the Sky Guard.

From this limited glimpse, Xie Wan Ning had some idea of ​​how powerful he was.

Almost the entire Khan's information network was controlled by him.

He knew almost all the secrets of the royal family and the ministers' families.

"Brother Changqing," Xie Wan Ning stretched out her hands and hugged his waist, "Is there anything in this world that you don't know?"

"I am also a mortal, of course there are things I don't know."

Pei Yuqing held her shoulders, raised his brows slightly, and smiled on his handsome face, saying, "For example, I don't know how long you are going to stay in bed late at night."

For example, he didn't know whether she liked him more over the past few months.

…………

This winter is colder than in previous years. According to Xie Wan Ning, it would be best to stay in the yard and not go anywhere.

But the end of every year is the busiest time for the wives of each family.

He was busy entertaining guests, calculating the year's accounts, purchasing silver charcoal, cotton cloth, and winter clothes for the masters and servants in the neighboring rooms of the mansion, and distributing regular money to the servants in the mansion. At the end of the year, all rewards and punishments had to be dealt with.

Only when the master takes the abilities of his subordinates into consideration and clearly distinguishes rewards and punishments, will the servants be more dedicated in doing their work next year.

If there is no punishment for mistakes and no reward for merits, even the most powerful families will have lazy and unruly slaves.

This year, Xie Wan Ning went from being a girl in the boudoir to a married woman, and she was also the lady in charge of half of the household affairs in the Duke's Mansion.

So, she became busier.

It wasn't until the twelfth lunar month that I finally had a break from the busyness.

As the year draws to a close, every family starts hosting banquets.

It would be fine if she didn't visit distant relatives, but for her maternal grandparents' home like the Qucheng Marquis' Mansion, it was necessary etiquette for her to bring her husband to pay respects to her grandparents in the first year of her marriage.

On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, it was snowing heavily. The Qucheng Marquis' Mansion hosted a banquet for relatives and friends. Xie Wan Ning, who had not left the mansion for many days, had to step out of the courtyard.

She was wearing a plain brocade waisted skirt, a thick fox fur cloak, and holding a hand warmer in her hands.

When Pei Yuqing helped her get off the carriage, she stepped on the snow that had just been swept clean. The moment the cold air hit her, she shrank her neck out of coldness.

After waiting for his sister for a while, Xie Yanyu walked over and looked down at the girl who was wrapped like a red ball of wool, with a hint of smile in his eyes.

"Are you so afraid of the cold?"

"Brother!" Xie Wan Ning's eyes lit up as she looked at her brother whom she hadn't seen for more than half a month. She leaned over to look behind him and asked, "Are father and mother here?"

"Here you are, you are so cruel, you are so close to me, but you haven't come back to see me for ten days or half a month."

Xie Yanyu couldn't help but mutter a few words. When he looked at Pei Yuqing, he smiled slightly and said, "It's cold outside, let's go in."

The Qucheng Marquis Mansion is an old aristocratic family that has been rooted in the capital for many years. It has flourished and has many in-laws, and the guests invited to this banquet are all close relatives and friends.

When we entered the main hall, it was already very lively.

This was not Pei Yuqing's first visit to the Qucheng Marquis' Mansion, but it was his first visit as the grandson-in-law.

He had an upright figure, handsome features, and a graceful appearance. He performed a proper junior salute to the couple of Marquis Qucheng who were sitting at the top of the table.

Xie Wan Ning stood beside him, her cloak still on her body. The little girl, wrapped up like a fur ball, only revealed a rosy little face with curved eyebrows and eyes, and was stunningly beautiful.

Looking at this couple, the room was silent for a moment, and soon someone praised: "What a perfect match made in heaven, a perfect match."

The old lady of Qucheng Marquis's Mansion waved to her granddaughter to come closer and asked her a few questions with concern.

Seeing her good complexion, he smiled and said, "This woman, whether she is married well or not, it all depends on her face."

The old man looked at his grandson-in-law with kind eyes and was very satisfied.

Feeling that these words had a hidden meaning, Xie Wan Ning lowered her head in embarrassment.

Pei Yuqing was not surprised by the honor. She just smiled slightly and thanked him softly.

Sitting next to my grandmother and mother, I chatted with relatives for a while until I drank a cup of tea. Knowing that the two young people were not used to staying here, the old lady of Qucheng Marquis waved her hand and said, "Let's go to Liushui Pavilion to play. All the young people who came today are there."

The main hall of the Qucheng Marquis Mansion is very large, divided into inner, outer and side halls, and there are many people. Xie Wan Ning really can't get used to it. When she was about to leave, she walked to the outer hall, only to see her brother talking to someone in the corner.

She let go of Pei Yuqing's hand and whispered, "Wait for me here."

After saying that, she lifted her skirt and walked over there stealthily.

Xie Yanyu was well versed in the six arts of a gentleman and was also quite skilled in martial arts. He noticed when his sister tiptoed towards him. He paused and made no move.

When Xie Wan Ning walked behind him and was about to raise her hand to pat his shoulder, Xie Yanyu suddenly turned around, scaring her.

"Brother!" She yelled in a panic, "You did it on purpose!"

Xie Yanyu reached out and pinched her red little face, smiling without saying a word.

Xie Wan Ning shook off his hand and said indignantly: "You have become bad."

"Wanwan has become braver," Xie Yanyu laughed, "You didn't dare to scare me before, but now you are braver."

"..."Xie Wan Ning was speechless.

She is indeed courageous, all thanks to Pei Changqing.

Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.

Pei Yuqing had already caught up. He held Xie Wanning's shoulder, greeted Xie Yanyu, and smiled at the man who was talking to Xie Yanyu, "Brother Ji."

Xie Wan Ning also raised her eyes and looked over.

After just one glance, her brows furrowed.

Xie Yanyu said: "This is my second aunt's eldest son. According to seniority, you should call him cousin."

The old lady of Qucheng Marquis's Mansion had three sons and two daughters. Zheng was the eldest daughter, and she had a younger sister from the same mother, who was their second aunt.

However, she had been stationed in the north with her husband for many years and seldom returned to Beijing. This should be the first time Xie Wan Ning had met this cousin, but she felt that he looked familiar.

Perhaps the hesitation on her face was too obvious, so cousin Ji smiled and said, "Don't let the painting fan out of the curtain to cover up the spring mountain and the talent above. If you say reunion is like the bright moon, then you must let the sweet osmanthus bloom."

"......!" Xie Wan Ning suddenly realized, "Since you are my cousin, why did you become the one to welcome the bride if you didn't come to drink my wedding wine?" On the wedding day, among the several men who helped Pei Yuqing to welcome the bride, this cousin Ji was among them.

He even wrote an excellent poem about rejecting the fan, which impressed her so much that she took a second look at it.

She asked bluntly, and cousin Ji was obviously unprepared and looked stunned.

Pei Yuqing explained for him, "I have a good personal relationship with Brother Ji. He is the top scholar in this year's spring exam and is very talented. It is not difficult for him to compose a poem on the spot, so I asked him to help me."

After all, getting married is not easy. From poems urging the bride to get married to poems rejecting the fan, writing more than a dozen poems is not a small amount. If you encounter some mischievous people who are specifically making things difficult for you, and come up with some new and difficult questions...

In short, it won’t be wrong to bring a few more men who are well-versed in poetry and literature.

Xie Wan Ning was stunned by what she heard.

The new top scholar?

Although in those dreams, she always stayed in the square backyard of the Lu family and had little contact with the outside world, she had also heard about the incident in which the newly crowned top scholar Ji Chengfeng was ordered to inspect southern Sichuan, but encountered refugees on the way and died of an epidemic.

Those who could pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar were all excellent in both civil and military skills. But this Ji Chengfeng was said to have amazing talent. When the news of his death reached the capital, the emperor cried bitterly, suspended court for three days, and ordered a thorough investigation.

He didn't believe that the cause of death of the top scholar he had chosen could be so simple, and he died on the way to an inspection tour. The person who went to investigate the case thoroughly was Lu Ziyan.

It’s after the New Year, the beginning of spring.

She had heard of this brilliant but envied number one scholar, but she didn't expect him to be so young.

He was very tall and handsome, with a face as white as jade, gentle and refined, and stood straight and firm, like a green bamboo or a pine or cypress.

...No wonder he is gone. It’s like His Majesty has lost his son.

He is indeed an outstanding young man.

What the imperial court needs most are young people who are loyal to the country, full of ambition, capable and talented.

Such people are the backbone and hope of the Khan.

The girl at the apple of my eye just stared at the man in a daze. Pei Yuqing lowered his eyes to hide the darkness in them, and called her name in a gentle tone.

Xie Wan Ning finally came back to her senses. She didn't feel embarrassed and naturally looked away.

The scene was inexplicably awkward.

After a moment of silence, everyone decided to go to Liushui Pavilion.

As soon as I walked out of the main hall, I found that the snow outside was getting heavier and heavier. After the servants swept the snow on the road, a thin layer of snow accumulated again soon.

The deerskin boots on Xie Wan Ning's feet stepped on it, making a dull 'clacking' sound.

The road was not that wide, so Xie Wan Ning deliberately walked slower. Pei Yuqing and Ji Chengfeng walked in front, while Xie Yanyu walked behind with his sister.

The two siblings hadn't had a good conversation for a long time. Xie Yanyu looked down at her and asked, "Are you cold?"

Xie Wan Ning shook her head, snow falling from her long eyelashes. She tilted her head back and smiled, "I'm not cold, but my legs are a little sore. I want my brother to carry me on his back."

They are four years apart in age, and she basically grew up on her brother's back when she was a child.

"Wanwan," Xie Yanyu brushed away the snowflakes on her eyelashes and said helplessly, "You are a grown-up girl now."

"Oh," Xie Wan Ning responded softly, and then said, "Then I'll go and let my husband carry me."

"Come back," Xie Yanyu held his sister who was about to run forward and asked her sternly, "Why were you staring at your cousin Ji just now?"

"..." Xie Wan Ning blinked, not knowing how to answer.

She couldn't say that she was hesitating whether to save the other person's life, right?

...If she wanted to save him, how should she do it?

Her silence made Xie Yanyu look even uglier. When Xie Wanning saw this, she was startled and quickly said, "I just took a closer look out of curiosity. I didn't have any other thoughts."

Xie Yanyu said calmly: "Do you remember who was the man you stared at so intently last time?"

Xie Wan Ning choked. Who else could it be? Pei Changqing.

She said unhappily, "That's different."

Not far in front of the brother and sister, Pei Yuqing paused and turned his head to glance at his friend beside him.

Ji Chengfeng felt uncomfortable being stared at by him and whispered, "Brother Changqing, don't think too much."

Later, Xie Wanning's voice was almost synchronized with his.

She said, "Brother, don't think too much."

Such a coincidence made several people's hearts skip a beat.

Except for Xie Wan Ning, a weak woman with ordinary hearing, the other three could easily hear each other's voices.

Xie Wan Ning continued, "I just think that the new No. 1 scholar is already so good-looking, so what will the No. 3 scholar look like?"

Tanhualang is Xie Ruyu's future husband. She has long wanted to find out something about him, but she has never found a chance.

I did think about asking Pei Yuqing directly, but I was afraid that person would think too much.

Thinking of this, she tugged at the sleeve of the person next to her: "Brother, are you familiar with Duan Cheng? What is he like?"

"What are you doing? I'm curious about Duan Cheng again."

Xie Yanyu glanced at his brother-in-law in front of him and said helplessly: "Although I have never made friends with Duan Cheng, the imperial court's selection of officials requires strict assessment of talent, morality, and family background. To be selected as the third place, his character is not excellent, but at least it is excellent."

"Don't even think about your appearance," Xie Yanyu said, "If it weren't for the excellent essay written by Chengfeng in the palace examination, and His Majesty couldn't bear to see the top prize go to someone else, the third place would definitely be his."

Xie Wan Ning remained silent.

What do you mean, forget about it. She...

But she understood that Duan Cheng was a good person, except that he was not as good-looking as Ji Chengfeng, which was not a big deal.

only……

Xie Wan Ning asked: "What about his personal ethics?"

The imperial court doesn't care about whether a person's personal morality is loose when selecting officials, but when a woman gets married...

"Wanwan!" Xie Yanyu said in a serious tone.

There is no married woman who would inquire about the private morality of a man outside her husband's family.

He still remembered that his sister had asked about Duan Cheng a few months ago...

Xie Yanyu's expression changed a little: "Are you always curious about what Duan Cheng does?"

"I didn't do anything. I haven't even met him. What can I do?"

She had indeed never met Duan Cheng, and Xie Yanyu slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Wan Ning was completely defeated. She waved her hands and said, "Forget it. I won't ask anymore."

She really shouldn't have asked. Even if she was very close to a man, she seldom cared whether the other person had a dissolute private life. As long as he had good character and didn't force women of good character into prostitution, there was nothing wrong with him being a little romantic.

Therefore, she still had to find a way to ask Pei Yuqing.