First Concubine

Chapter 19 Thrilling Banquet (1)

Shui Linglong turned around calmly and left the scene without saying a word. Aunt Zhou had no control over what she wanted to do. Aunt Zhou had to understand her position clearly. It was Aunt Zhou who fawned over her, not her to win over Aunt Zhou.

As soon as Shui Linglong left, Aunt Zhou’s heart suddenly sank...

Shui Lingyu covered her swollen face and tried her best to hold back her tears and prevent them from falling: "I don't have to." After that, she returned to her yard in tears.

Aunt Zhou pulled Shui Lingyue behind the rockery. After making sure that no one was around, she said seriously: "Fourth Miss, you are really reckless today!"

Shui Lingyue said disapprovingly: "It's just a lesson to a cheap girl. Auntie, you are too timid. Didn't you tell me that I don't have to give in to anyone in the house except Shui Lingxi?"

Aunt Zhou took a deep breath, nodded, and said: "Now and then, it was my aunt who was wrong in the past, don't blame me! From now on, until the child in my aunt's belly is born, you must behave yourself, do you understand?" "If she gets a boy in one fell swoop, she won't have to rely on anyone anymore; but if she's still a daughter, she has nothing to be proud of.

 “Auntie!” It will be next fall until the baby is born! Shui Linglong has already married Zhuge Yu!

Aunt Zhou held her hand and said, "Let me ask you, was it your own idea to cause trouble for the eldest lady, or was it someone's instigation?"

Shui Lingyue turned her face away, her eyes flashed, and she said harshly: "It was she who caused me to enter the Buddhist hall! Shouldn't I seek revenge from her?"

Aunt Zhou's tone was much lower: "Auntie, I beg you, don't go against the eldest lady, even if it's for your brother. As long as your brother is born safely, your status in the house will rise!"

 You really only have an unborn child in your heart! Shui Lingyue withdrew her hand and said in a cold voice: "We haven't given birth yet, how do we know if it's a boy or a girl? I don't want to put the happiness of the rest of my life on it! It's not certain whether it will give birth!"

"You..." Aunt Zhou almost fainted from anger, "Who taught you these **** words?"

Shui Lingyue gave her a cold look: "Auntie, just have a good time and raise your baby. Don't worry about me!"

After Shui Lingyue left, Aunt Zhou leaned on Gao Mama's shoulders in exhaustion, and said with a sad face: "Sure enough, the eldest lady was right. Madam released the fourth lady because she had no good intentions! The fourth lady didn't know what to listen to. What kind of slander has made me so alienated!"

Gao MaMa sighed, the eldest lady could push the fourth lady back to the Buddhist hall by acting coquettishly at the old lady, but she watched helplessly as the fourth lady jumped into the trap set by the old lady, and she also told you what she had set. What about kindness? But saying these words will only add to Aunt Zhou's troubles, and will not save the current situation at all. It is the lesser of two evils. The eldest lady is alone, without a biological mother or a younger brother, and she will get married sooner or later.

Gao MaMa looked at Aunt Zhou's belly, her eyes flashed, and she said with a smile: "After all, I have served the Fourth Miss for a few years. I will persuade her later. With the Fourth Miss's intelligence, she can just turn around, mother." Girl Lianxin, how can we really be separated? It’s what the eldest lady asked us to do. How do you think about it, aunt?”

 The half-month passed by in a flash, and the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month was Mrs. Guo’s sixtieth birthday.

Early in the morning, the mansion ordered people to prepare carriages for each of the masters. Except for the old lady who had a slight cough due to the cold weather and was inconvenient to travel, the other masters all went to Guo Mansion.

These days, Qin Fangyi has been pretending to be sick. With the old lady pressing her down, she can't call Shui Linglong. And since Shui Lingxi became seriously ill, she couldn't bear to let her suffer, so only Shui San and Shui Si were left. He Shui took turns running to Changlexuan, and Qin Shi and Qin Zhixiao from the Prime Minister's Mansion came to visit twice.

Shui Linglong enjoyed her leisure time and sometimes listened to Du's mother talk about the progress of the shop. It turned out that after taking out the calligraphy and paintings collected by Dong Jiaxue, she pawned one and exchanged some money for Uncle Zhang to do business. Uncle Zhang was a smart man, but it was a pity that he was with the wrong master, the old lady Zhang. After the old lady passed away, , the old lady forced Aunt Zhang into the temple to become a concubine, and her subordinates were demoted from one position to another. Uncle Zhang, who was the chief steward, became a warehouse guard, and Mama Du, who was in charge of the kitchen, became a warehouse guard. The rough servant of Lingxiangyuan. Mother Du felt that the couple would not be able to make a name for themselves even if they stayed in the Shangshu Mansion, so it would be better to follow Shui Lingyue to try. If successful, Shui Lingyue would take her and Uncle Zhang into the palace, and that would be another story. world. However, their carefully designed conspiracy was discovered by Shui Linglong at a glance, and suffered backlash.

There is no absolute loyalty between people. Shui Linglong was able to control them, firstly, by holding their handle; secondly, by allowing them enough profits. Uncle Zhang used the same energy as when he and Aunt Zhang overturned the old house. In just half a month, he traveled to the most prosperous areas in the capital and bought a time-honored restaurant.

Shui Linglong lowered the curtain. The restaurant was still under renovation, but the progress looked good.

This time, Shui Linglong brought Zhi Fan and Ye Mao to the banquet. Zhi Fan was the best at observing people and was the best at finding out information. However, she would not tell the news in one go, and would usually explain it in three or two chapters. On the one hand, it whets the appetite, and on the other hand, it shows that one has worked hard and achieved great results. In this way, he became more and more respected by Shui Linglong. He didn't advance to the next level, but he was close to it.

Zhi Fan replaced Shui Linglong with a Tang woman and said, "Miss, Liu Lu seems to be overdressed recently and doesn't look like a maid anymore. Do you think it's time to warn her?"

Shui Linglong has never doubted that Zhi Fan is the smartest girl in the whole yard and the one who has her best interests at heart. However, unlike Ye Mao, who is loyal to his master, Zhi Fan is betting. If she remembers correctly, Zhi Fan will Showing her discerning side started when she won the literary test championship at the Plum Appreciation Banquet. Before that, Zhi Fan was even more unknown than Ye Mao.

Shui Linglong smiled meaningfully: "It's not a big deal if a female student doesn't stay in college. If she gets married, you can take over her position."

Zhi Fan turned pale with fright: "That's not what I meant! I really care about the reputation of the eldest lady."

Shui Linglong played with Tang Pozi in her hand and said casually: "Yes, when I am well, you can also be well."

Zhifan's face became paler. Did the eldest lady really not understand the tone of her words, or did the eldest lady insist on keeping a hidden danger around her? People like Liu Lu may betray their master if they are not careful.

Shui Linglong looked at the puzzled Zhi Fan and smiled faintly: "Let me tell you a joke. Once upon a time, the Kingdom of Shu and the Kingdom of Jin were at war. One day, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Shu patrolled the border and reported to the general, 'General, I An archer was found on the border of Jin State. The archer's archery skills were really poor. He shot five arrows but failed to hit a single one." The general was furious when he heard this. "Since his archery skills are so poor. , why don't you just shoot him to death? ' What do you think the soldier said? 'You are stupid, general, do you want Jin to replace him with an archer who is always accurate? '"

 “Pfft—” Ye Mao laughed out loud.

Zhifan fell into deep thought, understanding something but not quite understanding it. But one thing is certain, the eldest lady definitely knows that Liu Lu is a hidden danger. In this case, the eldest lady not only does not look for opportunities to drive away the other party, but instead reuses him... Does this mean that the person who is reused by the eldest lady may not be the one whom the eldest lady truly trusts? Thinking of this, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Zhi Fan's back. She is too young to play tricks with the eldest lady. I am afraid that her little tricks have been discovered by the eldest lady. It seems that she will have to be more sincere in the future!

Mrs. Guo’s sixtieth birthday was held with great splendor and bustle. The red silk and red lanterns in the house reflected the white snow scenery around her, making it particularly enchanting and magnificent.

Shui Hangge met Qin Zhixiao as soon as he entered the Guo Mansion. The two aunts and nephews chatted and laughed happily and went to the Xiangrui Hall where the male guests were. Qin Fangyi took the female family members to the Huici Hall to chat with Mrs. Guo.

Before leaving, Qin Zhixiao secretly glanced back at Shui Lingyu. Shui Lingyu blushed and lowered her head shyly. Thinking of the last time he visited Madam on an excuse, but instead brought her golden sore medicine and... kissed her on the mouth, her heart felt as sweet as honey. But she didn't know what she thought of, her eyes darkened, and she became a little annoyed.

“Third sister, let’s go!” Shui Lingqing tugged at Shui Lingyu’s sleeves. Shui Lingyu raised her head and realized that Qin Fangyi and the other sisters had gone far away.

In the Huici Hall, Mrs. Guo was sitting on the main seat with a kind face. She was wearing a brown long coat, lined with a light yellow floor-length skirt, and a white embroidered osmanthus twig silk cloth, which was a gift from the third princess. , it can be seen that the third princess is very happy about this marriage. The third princess sat next to the old lady, and just below her were the two daughters-in-law of the Guo family, Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Guo.

 Qin Fangyi and Mrs. Guo were good friends in the boudoir, otherwise Shui Lingxi would not have such a close relationship with Guo Rong. But as the saying goes, the more good friends are, the more they like to compare behind their backs. Mrs. Guo once relied on her status as the first wife's direct daughter to surpass Qin Fangyi, the second daughter, in terms of status. Later, Mrs. Guo married into the Guo family. , although the Guo family is not as big as before, the lean camel is bigger than the horse. At that time, Shui Hangge was just a sixth-grade compilation. Mrs. Guo didn't take the other party seriously at all. From time to time, she would provoke Qin Fangyi, which made her irritated. Qin Fangyi blushed with her several times. It wasn't until Shui Hangge rose to prominence and became a second-rank minister, and at the same time it was reported that the Prince's Palace and the Shangshu Palace were related by marriage, and Uncle Guo was still a fourth-rank lieutenant general, and Guo Rong was not as beautiful as Shuilingxi, Mrs. Guo was now I feel that I have really been defeated by Qin Fangyi.

But Qin Fangyi is smarter than Mrs. Guo. Instead of trying to get back the situation from Mrs. Guo herself, she encourages her daughter to bully Guo Rong. This trick is really vicious, and she tortures Mrs. Guo to death every time!

　Now it’s better, Guo Yan has become famous, and Mrs. Guo feels full of energy again!

After Qin Fangyi brought her daughters to meet Mrs. Guo and the third princess, Mrs. Guo said with a smile on her face: "I have heard of Linglong's grace at the plum blossom appreciation banquet. When I saw it today, she really lived up to her reputation. I heard Speaking of the last ball, the third princess and Linglong cooperated very well. After all, this is also a kind of fate. "

 Wanted to stimulate Qin Fangyi, but used her as a raft. Shui Linglong said generously, "Aunt Guo has given me the compliment."

 Recalling the scandal of the Plum Appreciation Banquet, Shui Lingxi and Qin Fangyi’s faces turned green at the same time!

However, the third princess smiled and agreed: "What Mrs. Guo said is absolutely true. I also feel that Linglong and I are destined!" She didn't hate Shui Linglong, on the contrary, she had a little appreciation for it, so when the emperor brother proposed to use it in her name When giving Shui Linglong a congratulatory gift, she agreed without thinking. Of course, it's far from being "destined", but she really likes Guo Yan, so she is willing to put down her body to please her future mother-in-law.

In the garden, there are several archery targets neatly placed, and behind the targets, camphor branches and leaves are beautiful, and the trees are large and shaded. When the cold wind blows, the fragrance spreads in the garden and is suppressed in an instant. The flowers are fragrant.

Guo Yan hit the bullseye with one arrow, and everyone clapped and cheered!

He turned around and looked at Zhuge Yu, who only wanted to watch on the wall. There was a complicated look in his eyes for a moment, but when Zhuge Yu also looked at him, he smiled very brightly and said: "Prince Zhuge, it's your turn."

In Zhuge Yu's impression, Guo Yan was an out-and-out reckless man. Guo Yan once lost a thousand taels of silver in gambling with him and was so angry that he smashed the table on the spot and accused him of being a cheat, so he beat Guo Yan till death. He couldn't get out of bed for three months. Afterwards, Guo Yan felt grievances and gathered dozens of gangsters to seek revenge on him. The two sides fought with each other and alarmed the government. After finding out the truth, his father became furious and forced the Guo family to arrest Guo Yan. Sent to the battlefield. Guo Yan's martial arts skills are excellent, so it makes sense that he would win with bravery, but where did he get such a calm and calm demeanor today? Don't tell him that the military still learns this stuff!

 Zhuge Yu took the bow and arrow from Guo Yan's hand. However, Guo Yan did not let go in time, but suddenly injected a strong internal force, like a knife, and rushed towards the acupuncture point in Zhuge Yu's palm unexpectedly! If you are not careful, your hand will be ruined!

Zhuge Yu's expression remained unchanged. He clenched his right palm and a stronger internal force suddenly shot out, pushing Guo Yan's dark energy back into his own body in an instant!

Guo Yan felt a pain in his chest and blood rushed to his throat. He had no choice but to withdraw his hand, but his eyes were filled with shock. According to the memory of this body, Zhuge Yu was just a spoiled dandy, and the two of them fought not once or twice, but the former master did not realize at all that Zhuge Yu was a martial arts master!

This man is hiding too deeply!

"General Guo, I accept the concession." Zhuge Yu raised his thick eyebrows slightly, took up the bow and pulled the string, and shot an arrow through the bull's-eye, nailing it directly to the camphor tree. The boy went to get it, but found that a bunch of purple nails were nailed to the end of the arrow. camphor flowers. The boy thought for a moment, pulled out the arrow, and brought the camphor flower to Zhuge Yu.

 “Your Majesty, your archery skills are good!” Guo Yan praised sincerely.

Zhuge Yu smiled and handed the flowers to Anping: "Send it to Linglong."

 Anping took it with a smile: "Yes!"

Guo Yan's deep eyes suddenly filled with boundless undercurrents, just like the blue sky suddenly ushered in billowing dark clouds during the day, which made his whole heart feel heavy! The lessons from his previous life were still fresh in his mind. In this life, he would definitely stop Shui Linglong from marrying Xun Feng, but Zhuge Yu... what if he was another Xun Feng?

Guo Rong stood up, walked gracefully to Shui Linglong, and took her arm affectionately, as if she had never helped Shui Lingxi frame Shui Linglong: "Linglong, my elder brother and the others are playing archery in the garden. "Are you going to take a look? Or should we go to the Juyuan to play pot? His Royal Highness must be busy with business, but Prince Zhuge is here!"

These words were normal at first, but when they came out of Guo Rong's mouth, it felt a bit...the prince didn't want to see Shui Lingxi and deliberately avoided her, while Zhuge Yu uncharacteristically integrated into the social circle for Shui Linglong.

  This is exactly what Guo Rong wants to express!

Shui Linglong sneered in her heart, they were really a mother and daughter, both using the same moves! But it's good to be able to enrage Shui Lingxi: "Let's... go play hut."

Shui Lingxi's hands buried under her wide sleeves were squeezed tightly. One was her former follower, and the other was a concubine who was not worthy of being on the stage. How dare they join hands to embarrass her?

Guo Rong and Shui Linglong headed towards the Juyuan, and met Anping halfway. Anping smiled and handed the flowers to Shui Linglong, saying that it was from the prince.

Shui Linglong held her forehead, this guy couldn't wait to ruin her reputation!

Entering the Chrysanthemum Garden, many young ladies were playing with the throwing pot despite the severe cold.

 Guo Rong and Shui Linglong played for a while. Suddenly, Shui Lingyu's personal maid Cui'er ran over in a panic: "Miss, please go and take a look. The third lady is about to be beaten to death by the fourth lady!"

"She's too silly! She doesn't even look at where this place is?" Shui Linglong glanced at Cui'er. How could she say such a scandal in front of Guo Rong? Is she really brainless or does she have ulterior motives? "It's useless for you to report to me. It's urgent to tell Madam quickly."

Cui'er became anxious and pulled Shui Linglong's sleeve: "Miss! The third lady offended the fourth lady because of you. You can't just die without saving her! Aunt Zhou was originally a concubine, and she's pregnant again. How could the madam fall out with Aunt Zhou because of the daughter of a bitch? I beg you, please save the third lady!"

Guo Rong thought of the several concubine sisters in her family and her mother's methods of dealing with them. She felt that Cui'er's worries were reasonable. She cleared her throat and said, "In that case, let's go over and have a look." She didn't want guests to be there. Something happened in Guo Mansion.

Shui Linglong and Guo Rong took their maids to the back hill of Guo Mansion. The sky was bright, the snow was broken, and the road was wet. You could hear the sound of water stains when you stepped on it.

“It’s too slippery, ladies, be careful,” Cui’er reminded softly.

Shui Linglong and Guo Rong nodded and continued to move forward, but their pace slowed down a bit.

Having just walked halfway, a maid from the Guo Mansion ran over with small steps: "Fifth Miss, the eldest young master asked you to go to the garden to shoot archery!"

"Huh?" Guo Rong was embarrassed, "At this time?"

Shui Linglong glanced at the little maid who lowered her head and held her hands tightly, then smiled at Guo Rong and said: "It's not a big deal for the two sisters to be naughty. Miss Guo, just go and play. It's good that I'm here. If they are really making trouble, If it’s bad, I’ll ask someone to send them back home first.”

 (End of this chapter)