Chapter 31: [Two more in one]

"Xiao Jiu, you'll go back for the time being." Queen Wei's lips curled up with a sneer. These Beiyan barbarians really take themselves too seriously, thinking that they want to marry with whomever they want to marry?
For fear of frightening the little girl, Empress Wei hurriedly said again: "My palace and the emperor will never let you make a marriage. Xiao Jiu, your marriage will definitely be picked for you by my palace."
"..." Qin Jiu said in his heart: Yeluluan will stare at him, is it because of the compound bow?
"Du Ruo!"
Empress Wei called out, and an oval-faced palace lady in blue palace dress walked over and bowed her knees upright.
"Xiao Jiu, this is Du Ruo, she will follow you from now on." Queen Wei took Qin Jiu's little hand, and the corner of her mouth made a meaningful arc.
Since Queen Wei asked Du Ruo to follow Qin Jiao, it meant that Du Ruo would no longer be a court lady, but Qin Jiao's.
Qin Jiu obediently responded.
Soon, the maids helped Qin Jiu tidy up things, and Qin Jiu, who was dressed in jewels, returned to the Zhongyi Hou Mansion with Mrs. Qin Tai, along with them, and Du Ruo, who was given to Qin Jiu by the queen.
On the road, when the carriage passed the Anding Hou Mansion, there was a white banner hanging in front of the Hou Mansion. Mrs. Qin sighed sighfully: "Mrs. Shi Zi was afraid that she would be violently killed."
When Yunguang's scandal was reported to Empress Liu, Qin Jiu happened to be there, so he also knew about the "Shengzifu" and about the Andinghou Mansion.
There are so many concubines of An Ding Hou Shizi, who have not given birth to any children. They have made it clear that the problem is the Shizi, but they have forced the Shizi's wife to seek medical advice everywhere and ask God to worship Buddha. And when something happened, it was Mrs. Shizi who died.
Soon, the carriage left Anding Hou Mansion far behind, and after crossing four or five streets, it arrived at Zhongyi Hou Mansion.
Mrs. Hou, Mrs. Su, personally welcomed Mrs. Qin Tai and Qin Jiu back home at the gate.
Her beautiful face was full of smiles, like a okay person, and smiled: "Sister Jiu, your winter clothes have been made, and I will let the mother send you a try. If something is wrong, please let me Sewing room reform."
Qin Jiao also thanked the okay person with a smile, "Thank you, auntie."
Mrs. Qin was also laughing, "You can rest today, and you don't have to come here to please peace..."
The three of them stood together and watched happily.
After that, Qin Jiu took Du Ruo back to Wanxiangyuan.
I haven't been back for ten days, and the Guanxiangyuan seems to be no different from before Qin Jiao left. The people all came out and bowed her.
Du Ruo skillfully and wisely ordered his subordinates to do things and let them prepare tea, cakes and fruits for Qin Zhuo.
She personally waited for Qin Jiu to sit down and drink tea, then looked around in the yard inside and out, and said while walking:
"The quilt is damp, immediately take it to dry, and then incense!"
"How can the furnishings on this Duobaoge be arranged like this?! Everything is piled up, really thinking that the Hou Mansion is such a nouveau riche?"
"The water in the vase hasn't been changed for several days?"
"..."
The people in the entire yard were under the command of Du Ruo. They all knew that Du Ruo came out of the palace and was rewarded by Queen Wei. They dared not speak.
Originally Qin Jiu's yard was managed by a maid and two first-class maids, but after Du Ruo came, they all had to stand aside.
Qin Jiao was drinking tea in a leisurely and contented manner, watching Du Ruofeng's busy life, his lips bend.
Well, this yard is still very lively!
Qin Jiu took another sip of tea, and suddenly remembered someone, and asked casually, "Where is Xia Lian?"
Another big maid, Chun Xing, knelt back and replied: "Girl, Xia Lian is still recovering."
Qin Jiu put down the teacup, raised his eyebrows, and asked with a smile but not a smile: "She got sick by the second aunt's palm?"
Du Ruo also knew about Xia Lian, and it was precisely because of the restlessness of the subordinates of the Guanxiangyuan that Empress Wei would reward herself to the girl, lest the girl would be angry with her in her own yard.
This Xia Lian really took herself seriously. It was already eleven days ago that she was slapped in her mouth. She lost her teeth, and she should be all right now!
Xia Lian did not come today, obviously deliberately thinking about the girl's face.
Du Ruo frowned, and reprimanded unceremoniously: "It's really unruly! She doesn't go home if she is ill. Does she want to give the girl her madness?!"
Chun Xing: "..."
Du Ruo said and looked at Qin Jiao, "Girl, since Xia Lian is so ill, don't stay."
"Then get out." Qin Jiao said in a voice.
The master and servant have a feeling of singing and harmony.
Du Ruo's temperament is good, and he just does what he says, and immediately ordered: "Don't hurry out of Xia Lian!"
Chun Xing and the other servants looked at each other, and no one dared to move.
Although Xia Lian was slapped in public that day, Madam Hou gave Xia Lian a reward the next day, which made them feel at ease. Whatever happens even if it is slapped, these rewards given by Madam Hou are worth it!
Originally, the three girls should be welcome when they returned home today, but in order to show loyalty to Madam Hou, Xia Lian pretended not to come.
Chun Xing and others knew everything well, but they couldn't tell Qin Jiao.
Du Ruo looked around at the people who were standing on the spot, frowned and said: "The Lord's House of Zhongyi is really unruly!"
"If you don't be obedient, just change it!" Qin Jiao said casually, "I will ask the queen and aunt to reward me later, just like Du Ruo you, I use it smoothly."
Du Ruo was happy, with a smile on his face, blessed and said: "The girl is so praised."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Chun Xing waited and people were stunned.
It is conceivable that if the Queen Wei comes forward, they will definitely be driven away. Once they are driven away, the lady will not use them again.
Du Ruo didn't count on them either, and went out by himself, striding forward.
Chun Xing and the others took a while, and after recovering, realized what Du Ruo was going to do, and hurried to catch up.
After Du Ruo left the house, he casually asked a ruthless lady in the yard, "Where is Xia Lian's house?"
The mother-in-law, who was stunned by Du Ruo's aura, pointed in a direction subconsciously, "The back cover is the first room."
Du Ruo went straight to the back cover room where the maids lived, and kicked the door of the first room directly.
"boom!"
Du Ruofeng rushed in.
Xia Lian was still lying on the couch holding the quilt and pretending to be sick. When she heard a loud noise, she subconsciously sat up, looking at Du Ruo who described the stranger, her face was a little confused.
Du Ruo could not be polite, and he lifted the bedding directly, and said, "You are sick, a girl can't afford it! Billow!"
Xia Lian raised her delicate brows, "Who are you..." What right do you have to let yourself go!
While talking, Chun Xing also entered the house afterwards.
She was afraid that Xia Lian might have a conflict with Du Ruo, so she quickly stepped forward and took her arm and said, "Xia Lian, this is the girl Du Ruo the empress gave to the girl."
Chun Xing lowered her voice, and whispered in Xia Lian's ear: "You go to the madam first, don't get stuck with her."
To hit a dog depends on the owner. To hit Du Ruo is to sweep the queen's face!
Xia Lian was still unwilling, and her face was not pretty, Chun Xing hurriedly dragged the person away.
Du Ruo calmly came out of the back cover room again, and there were many maids and women in the courtyard outside, all looking at Du Ruo with complex expressions.
Du Ruojiao brutally akimbo her hips and pointed at them and said: "What are you doing around, there is still a lot of work to do!"
At this moment, the people in the sewing room just came to deliver new clothes.
Sister-in-law just watched Xia Lian be driven out embarrassedly, and saw Du Ruoyi reprimanding others with a subtle expression.
If nothing had happened, the mother-in-law came forward to greet Du Ruo, and followed Du Ruo into the house.
"Three girls," Madam Guan said with a smile to Qin Jiao, "According to the rules of the house, there are four sets of clothes, shoes and socks, and one set of head and face each season. The girl did it when she came back. Eight sets of clothes, this is also the kindness of the lady to the girl."
The eight maids she brought stood in two rows, each holding a suit.
Qin Jiu glanced lightly at these clothes.
The eight colors of moon white, mori green, pine flower color, silky color, lotus color, snow green, amber, and willow color are all very plain, and the workmanship and embroidery of the dress are very delicate.
She had only been in the palace for ten days, and it was not easy to finish eight sets of clothes.
Qin Jiu pursed his lips, took a full moon white at random and looked at it, and immediately saw signs of changes from the position of the skirt corners.
Du Ruo squinted her eyes. She had been in the palace for many years, and she hadn’t seen anything about her. At a glance, she could tell that Su was afraid that the sewing room would change the outdated clothes that other girls hadn’t worn in previous years, and then used it to deal with Qin Jiao. Too!
On the surface, Su's family prepared eight sets of winter clothes for his niece. They were so generous that people couldn't say a good word, but secretly, they used it to wear Qin Jiu's shoes.
Du Ruo pulled out a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth, and said to Qin Jiu: "Girl, is the Hou Mansion keeping filial piety? The slave servant didn't listen to the empress."
"Puff." Qin Gui laughed directly.
Maternal housekeeper looked embarrassed.
Qin Jiu put away his smile, and said solemnly: "No one keeps filial piety."
Du Ruo said again: "It must be that the purchasing manager was blinded. I bought the overstocked old goods from the cloth house. Look at the patterns of the beads, the eight lucky patterns, and the tangled pomegranate flowers on these clothes. It's the color."
"..." Where did the maid daring answer this.
Du Ruo sighed, "Fortunately, the empress made some clothes for the girl. Otherwise, if you wear these clothes and go out, outsiders should think that something has happened to the Hou Mansion. You must keep your filial piety!"
Qin Zhuo felt reasonable, so he stopped trying on clothes, and ordered the maid and them to put down their clothes, and then sent them away.
Du Ruo was in a hurry and instructed the little maids to put these clothes in the small storeroom, which the girls could use to reward people in the future.
She didn't take any time to spare herself, personally organized Qin Jiu's luggage from the palace, took out from it the book that Qin Jiu had read halfway through in Fengluan Palace, and arranged the fruit plate and snack plate.
The objects brought out of the palace, from plates, plates, boxes to desserts, are exquisite and delicate.
Qin Jiu leisurely leaned by the window, read a book, ate snacks, and was extremely satisfied.
This year, as long as there is something useful, you can really live a very leisurely life!
It’s so good in ancient times.
Qin Jiu thought about it beautifully, reading a book and eating snacks.
In the evening, the second-class maid brought the dinner back and prepared it.
The dinner for every girl in the mansion is four dishes and one soup. Today’s dinner is boiled small green vegetables, scallion carp, roasted crucian carp with watercress and green onions, braised cabbage with shrimps, mushroom and wolfberry chicken soup, four dishes and one soup, with meat and vegetables , Every dish looks delicious.
Du Ruo personally served Qin Jiu's vegetables, and Qin Jiu took a few bites of his chopsticks and felt that something was wrong.
The boiled small greens are too salty.
Egg carp is raw.
The crucian carp grilled with watercress onion is thin, small and spiny.
Qin Jiao put down his chopsticks and moved his eyebrows, knowing that this was Xia Lian, who had been driven away by the Su clan, and asked the kitchen to wear small shoes for her.
Du Ruo is a person who knows how to look at his face and immediately knows what's wrong. He quickly picked up a pair of clean chopsticks and tried a few dishes without swallowing them. He directly spit out the dishes into the pelvis.
Du Ruo put down his chopsticks heavily, raging in his black eyes, and said angrily: "The slave and maid will return to the palace tomorrow to file a complaint."
The big maid Chun Xing and the other small maids shrank their pupils slightly, staring silently at the toes of their shoes.
Qin Jiao waved his hand nonchalantly, "No, there is no need to talk to the Queen's aunt about this little thing."
Afterwards, Qin Jiu let people withdraw their dinner and only ate the snacks brought from the palace.
The two little maids next to each other winked and exchanged glances with weird expressions.
Like a pebble dropped in the lake, there were ripples in the Wanxiang Courtyard. Not only did the people at Wanxiang Courtyard know what happened during dinner, but also many people in other courtyards. I heard about it.
For breakfast the next day, Qin Jiu didn't let the maid prepare a meal. He only opened the food box and took a look, and then asked Du Ruo to take the food box and go out with her.
One master and one servant left the Wanxiangyuan, all the way east, through several verandas and paths, until they came to a small bamboo forest.
The master and servant looked at each other tacitly and smiled. Qin Jiu hid behind a rockery near the bamboo forest with his food box, while Du Ruo stood in the middle of the road and waited.
Without a cup of tea, a servant girl in Tsing Yi came over here carrying a food box.
Tsing Yi maid also naturally saw Du Ruo.
Of course she knew Du Ruo. No one in the Hou Mansion knew that the empress had rewarded the pungent court lady to the third girl. When Du Ruo arrived at the Hou Mansion yesterday, she first drove Xia Lian out of the Guanxiangyuan.
The Tsing Yi maid walked forward carefully, always feeling that the other person was not good.
Seeing she walked to the rockery, Du Ruo rushed forward a few steps, blocking the other side's way, and sternly said: "Is all pig food eaten in this mansion?!"
"I want to see what Madam Hou is eating, is it intentional to neglect our girl!" Du Ruo stretched out his hand to grab the other party's food box.
Tsing Yi's maid was taken aback, took two steps back, and then came to understand: This Du Ruo is here to find fault!
She was a little disdainful.
It was just for some food. In the final analysis, the wife did not deduct the three girls, but the kitchen occasionally made a mistake. No matter where it went, it was also the wife. How could the three girls fight the wife.
But she didn't dare to tell Du Ruo about this. If Du Ruo urged and smashed the food box, the wife was afraid that she would not be able to punish Du Ruo, so the unlucky person would only be herself.
The Tsing Yi maid could only coax Du Ruo and said, "Sister, let's talk about it..."
Du Ruo continued to stretch out his hand to grab the food box regardless. For fear of spilling the food in the food box, the Tsing Yi maid hurriedly put the food box on the stone pier next to him, and then stepped forward to take Du Ruo’s arm and walk in the other direction. Dare to let her approach the food box.
"Sister, listen to what you mean, but what's wrong with the meals of the three girls?" The Qingyi maid smiled. "This is a trivial matter, I will tell my wife when I turn back, let the wife train the kitchen steward!"
"Sister, don't be angry, it's not worth it to be angry!"
The Tsing Yi maid was busy coaxing Du Ruo, completely unaware that Qin Jiu came out from behind the rockery, quickly replaced the two food boxes, and then hid behind the rockery.
Du Ruo saw that Qin Jiu had done it, his eyes flashed, but his mouth continued angrily: "This huge Hou Mansion can't even cook a few dishes. It's a shame to say it!"
At this moment, in a yard ten feet away in front, a short and fat woman walked out and urged them: "Ying'er, why are you so slow! Madam has gotten up!"
"Come here!" Ying'er responded quickly.
She hurriedly turned around and picked up the food box placed on the stone pier. She didn't notice that the food box in her hand was lighter than before. She walked along the corridor in three steps and two steps.
After Ying'er and the short and chubby woman entered the yard, Qin Jiu walked out carrying the new food box.
Du Ruo grinned and said: No wonder the empress loves her girl so much!
Du Ruo took the food box in Qin Jiu's hand, and the master and servant hurriedly went in another direction. They went to a place where there was no one before opening the food box.
This Madam Hou’s breakfast is very rich. A cage of snow-white crystal dumplings, a bowl of shepherd’s purse meat wontons, a dish of sweet and soft golden jujube cakes, and soft and fragrant millet and egg porridge. Plates of various pickles, full of aroma.
Qin Jiu felt satisfied, and greeted Du Ruo back to Wanxiangyuan.
On the other side, Ying'er took Qin Jiu's food box and went to Su's house, and immediately other maids took over the food box and set food for Su's family.
After Su sat down, he took a small dumpling with chopsticks and ate it, biting half of it...
"Click!"
Su's face suddenly changed, and the teeth that bit hard objects were painful.
She no longer cared about her manners, and quickly spit out the dumplings in her mouth.
In addition to the dough and meat of the Xiaolongbao, there was a stone with a grain of rice and a small piece of broken teeth.
The complexions of the maids beside them also became unsightly, and they all noticed that a small piece of Su's left canine had been knocked off.
"Snapped!"
Su Shi slapped the table with a heavy palm, and all the dishes on the table were shaken. The bowl of millet egg porridge spilled a little.
Su's face was so gloomy that the ink was about to drip, and he used chopsticks to turn over the meal. The millet egg porridge was mixed with date seeds, and the jujube cake was mixed with raw...
Ying'er's eyes widened and became silly. She knelt down and said with a trembling: "Madam, the slave and maid don't know why..." At this point, she suddenly thought of Du Ruo and changed her words, "The slave knows! It's three. Girl, it must be the third girl!"
Ying'er hurriedly talked about the fact that Du Ruo was blocking the road, and finally said: "It must be Du Ruo who asked her to replace the meal without the servant's attention!"
Su Shi was angry and annoyed, and directly put the chopsticks on the table, one of the chopsticks rolled off the table, and fell to the ground with a "pop".
Su Clan was almost mad and yelled: "Qin Jiu, this stinky girl grew up in the hands of a savage countrywoman. She is indeed a sinister and vulgar, unruly and uneducated."
The other maids around were chilling, and Madam Zhao persuaded: "Madam, the three girls are all fourteen years old, and they are also older. If you make an appointment earlier, you will be able to get married. The wife will endure it for a year or two. thing."
Su Clan felt like a fire was burning in his heart, and angrily patted the table again, "This girl has to be in charge!"
Madam Zhao could only make her promise, and winked at the maid beside her to serve Su's tea. She changed the subject and said, "Madam, the second girl asked for a carriage just now. She said she was going out later today."
Su Clan frowned more tightly when he heard this, and said angrily: "One or two don't worry!"
Qin Xin is the second prince and concubine in the future, and Mother Zhao didn't dare to take the conversation, she just smiled.
Qin Xin went out early in the morning and went to the prison of Jingzhao Mansion.
Today she is very different from what she usually does. She is wearing a gray cloth coat and blue and white coarse cloth on her head. The turban has been wrapped around her face, covering most of her face.
With a dumb voice, she said a few words to the guard at the door, and then stuffed the other party with five taels of silver, and smoothly entered the prison of Jingzhao Mansion.
The servant took her to a cell and said gruffly: "Move faster." Then he went out.
The prisoner in that cell was Daoist Yunguang.
Her hair is messy, her eyes are confused, her cyan vestments are covered with blood, and she can't see the infinite scenery.
When she saw the pair of embroidered shoes dotted with tassels parked at the door of the cell, she raised her head, tugged at the corner of her mouth, and said with difficulty, "Miss Qin..."
Her voice was hoarse, with a weird smile, "You are here!"
Qin Xin's face was extremely ugly.
Ever since the scandal of Yunguang was exposed, Qin Xin was afraid, for fear that Yunguang would confess himself. After all, Yunguang now can be said to be barefoot and not afraid to wear shoes.
Finally, she found an opportunity to come out and see Yunguang.
"Yunguang Road is long," Qin Xin pretended to be calm, and said bluntly, "You have ten charges" and you will be sentenced to exile. As long as you don't talk nonsense, I will give you a sum of money to keep you in exile. I can live freely."
Yun Guang looked at her non-committal.
Qin Xin settled down and continued: "Dao Yunguang, you have to know that even if you confess me, I will just ask you to speak good things for me in front of the mother. The things you do are unforgivable. It's impossible to be exonerated, you will still be exiled, so why bother!"
Of course Yunguang knew this.
Therefore, even under the torture of Jingzhao Mansion, she only confessed about the birth of a son, and did not mention Qin Xin at all.
She knew that Qin Xin would be unable to sit still and would come to her sooner or later.
Yun Guang chuckled twice, "Second girl Qin, if this matter is exposed, it is of course inevitable to be poor, but you can't be regarded as the second prince."