Strange Tale of Qingluan

The night just came, the lanterns under the eaves were all lit, Wen Qian wandered around outside the house, it took a while before she made up her mind, stopped, mustered up the courage to enter the house, raised the bead curtain, Su Zhongming inside said: "Brother, I... I have something to discuss with you."

"What's the matter?" Su Zhongming was reading a book, turned a page, and spoke.Wen Qian stepped in, stood beside him, put her hands behind her, and said, "You know, I've never been broken with you..."

"Well, then?" Su Zhongming replied without raising his head.Wen Qian thought for a while, and said: "Today someone said that he likes me and wants me to marry him..." As soon as the words fell, Su Zhongming couldn't help looking up, surprised and puzzled, and the first thought in his heart was: Isn't it?Who has such bad eyesight? !

"Is that...?" he replied, half-believing.Wen Qian nodded and confessed: "Well! His family is a family of rice merchants. If a girl marries into his family, she will never have to worry about having no rice to eat for the rest of her life. But... what should I do! I have already paid homage to you , how should I tell others?"

Then divorce me and marry him instead. ——In Su Zhongming's mind, such a thought flashed across, but who knew that the woman's next words shattered his hope.Wen Qian said: "Besides, I don't like him." Su Zhongming was dejected, impatient when he felt hopeless, and blurted out: "What are you trying to tell me?"

"It's just... how should I tell him! I can't tell him that I'm the queen, and he won't believe it." Wen Qian quickly explained.Su Zhongming was annoyed, and couldn't help blurting: "You tell him that you don't like him, and it's over."

Wen Qian disapproved, walked to the opposite side of him, and said anxiously: "This is not okay, I just have no affection for him, he is the first friend I met and the best friend I talked to when I sneaked out of the palace. "Su Zhongming snorted softly, "You told him that you can't accept his unrequited thoughts, can he still change his face and cut off contact with you?"

"I'm most afraid that this is the case..." Wen Qian replied sadly.Su Zhongming's heart collapsed to the extreme, and then he raised his head, a little irritated, "Please! There are plenty of people in the king's city. You can make friends with whoever you want. Why do you have to keep a man with such a fragile mentality? If he can't bear it, you don't accept him. If it’s a matter, then let’s break it up in one shot.”

Wen Qian hesitated for a while, then nodded, "Then I'd better tell him the truth." Turning around, she was about to go out.Su Zhongming put down the book and called her, "Who is that person?" Wen Qian turned her head, "It's from the Mi Shang family!" Su Zhongming had no choice but to emphasize the words, "Name..."

"Shen's rice shop, Chen Yun." Wen Qian told the truth.Su Zhongming's response was unremarkable, "Oh, so it's that girl Yingying's brother..." Wen Qian was stunned for a moment, and asked, "Brother, do you know Yingying?" Su Zhongming turned his face away, "I don't know, Why would I casually talk to people outside the palace? I just heard about it when I visited the eldest princess's house."

"Then I'll go back." Wen Qian breathed a sigh of relief and left the house.Su Zhongming sat in the room, didn't read the book, just stared blankly.He thought to himself: This woman, Shen Yingying, last time I heard people say that she often meets those talented sons, especially the handsome and talented ones. She once wanted to meet Li Xuan, but failed. It is said... She said something, Frankly, the next target is the current King Wen, it seems... a female publicist?

Three days later, a carriage came from Miao State, and the person who got out of the carriage was Wen Qian's father, Lord Zhen Guo, Qin Xue.He stepped up the stone steps and walked towards the Empress Dowager's bedroom.The eunuch who led the way rushed into the Xiangge in the bedroom and reported to Shi Chaojing: "Queen Mother, Lord Zhen Guo is here, and I have something important to discuss with the Queen Mother."

Shi Chaojing was stunned for a moment, and immediately gave an order, "Let him in quickly." After the eunuch led the order and retreated, Duke Zhen stepped in.Shi Chaojing greeted him with a smile, "Dear family, we haven't seen each other for a long time, are you here today for your daughter's business?" Lord Zhen Guo replied: "Well, since it is a relative, I will make a long story short——I want to take back this marriage. .”

Shi Chaojing was taken aback when he heard the words, and blurted out: "What!? You want to divorce this marriage? This... in-laws, the daughter has already entered the Su family's door, how can you go back on your word?"

Zhen Guogong calmly said: "It's okay, as long as no child is born, this marriage can also be divorced." Shi Chaojing was very puzzled, and asked: "But why did you want to divorce? If they are already in love, we as parents , wouldn’t it be too cruel to split them up like this?”

Zhen Guogong Shen Yin for a moment, and suggested: "It's better to ask first, it would be better if the two are not in love." Shi Chaojing had no choice but to order Su Zhongming and Wen Qian to be summoned.

As soon as the two arrived, they sat upright with Zhen Guogong and Shi Chaojing, their eyes met each other, and they were silent for a long time.Su Zhongming was the most dishonest. He looked left at Zhen Guogong and right at Shi Chaojing. After a while, he finally couldn't hold back and opened his mouth: "Is it just for a cup of tea? You don't talk. If there is nothing, I'm going back." After saying that, he stood up.

"Your Majesty!" Duke Zhen finally opened his lips, but he refused to let him leave.Shi Chaojing sighed, followed by opening his lips: "Since we have insisted, we still have to say what should be said, let the in-laws just say it directly, and don't waste time." Su Zhongming sat back again after hearing this.Duke Zhen had no choice but to be calm, "Your Majesty, if I withdraw this marriage, you will not object?"

The young girl was shocked at the same time when she heard this, Wen Qian stood up in surprise, and said in disbelief: "Father, what are you talking about? You want to take this marriage back? But... the daughter has already paid her respects." Duke Zhen Answer: "Father has no choice but to love you. Daddy doesn't care if you and His Majesty are married or not. In short, the marriage must be withdrawn."

"Father! How could you do this?" Wen Qian stomped her feet anxiously, "In the past, my daughter listened to you. She went on blind dates six times and finally married her willingly. Now you come to regret the marriage. I can't listen to you this time. snort……"

Duke Zhen's face suddenly became serious, not allowing her to be self-willed, slightly sullen: "Stop messing around! How dare you disobey my father's will!" Wen Qian just let out an unyielding hum, not daring to say anything nonsense.Su Zhongming calmly said, "If you regret the marriage, you will regret it. Anyway, she and I are innocent."

Shi Chaojing was taken aback, and blurted out, "You...haven't gotten well yet?" Wen Qian took the opportunity and began to complain, "To tell the truth, I didn't even drink the wedding wine when I entered the bridal chamber!" Shi Chaojing was surprised and asked Su Zhongming, "Why is it like this?" Without waiting for Su Zhongming to explain, Lord Zhen Guo said happily: "This is just right! It saves a lot of trouble."

Shi Chaojing was a little reluctant, and persuaded the Duke of Zhen, "Wen Qian, the child, the Ai family seems to like it very much. My father-in-law, let them be a couple for life?" It's all my fault, I agreed without thinking it over, and now I can rein in the precipice, I've made up my mind, and the Queen Mother doesn't need to persuade you."

Seeing that she couldn't be persuaded, Shi Chaojing had no choice but to regret, sighed for a while, and said to Wen Qian: "Girl, go and return the Queen's Seal and Fengpao together." Wen Qian was very reluctant, stomped her feet again, and immediately She left the hall, and after a while, she came back again and ordered someone to present the queen's seal and phoenix robe to Shi Chaojing.

"Tomorrow, Aijia will announce to the world that the Queen will be abolished, and the engagement between the two of you will be terminated." Shi Chaojing took the two items and announced immediately.Su Zhongming couldn't believe it, he always thought that his divorce was more difficult than going to heaven, but he didn't expect a miracle to happen. The divorce from Wen Qian, a savage and willful Jianghu woman, only happened at that moment.

Zhen Guogong stood up and said to Shi Chaojing: "Since the matter has been settled, I will leave with my daughter." Shi Chaojing also stood up and stopped him, "Don't go so fast, my father-in-law finally entered the palace, why not stay in the palace first Let’s stay for a few days.” Duke Zhen did not dare to refuse, but accepted the kind offer.

The father and daughter left the Empress Dowager's bedroom with Su Zhongming, and Su Zhongming asked, "Why did Lord Zhen change his mind suddenly?" Duke Zhen sighed, feeling helpless, but only replied, "This matter, let's talk about it." It's a long story, Your Majesty doesn't need to ask any more." Su Zhongming stared at him curiously, and after he finished speaking, Duke Zhen fell into an unknown memory.

At that time, Zhen Guozheng was riding his horse slowly through the streets on the way back to the mansion, when suddenly a hidden weapon flew in the air, he avoided it, let the hidden weapon be nailed to the pillar, then got off his horse, and stepped forward After looking at it, he found that there was a cloth strip on the hidden weapon. After seeing the ink on the cloth strip, he didn't intend to go back, and went straight to the appointment.

In the simple rain shelter in the southern suburbs outside the city, there was a person waiting for him. The person turned his back to Lord Zhen Guo and did not show his face.Lord Zhen Guo stepped forward and asked for advice: "May I ask who is your Excellency? Why do you pretend to be mysterious and invite me?"

The man just showed a phoenix jade tablet for him to take a look.Zhen Guogong just glanced at it, and immediately understood, and asked: "You met Su Ruitian?" The man didn't answer him, but said: "Your daughter must break with King Wen, they don't have the fate to be husband and wife. It is also Su Ruitian's dying wish."

Duke Zhen pondered for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "How did you know about this matter?" The man replied, "You don't need to ask too many questions, just do as I tell you. It's very clear, but I'm not a villain, and I will never use your details to threaten you, you can figure it out for yourself. If you don't obey, if there is any trouble in the future, you will have to bear it yourself."

Lord Zhen frowned, then bowed his hands to him, "Farewell." He turned around and left.After that, the conversation in the Empress Dowager's bedroom took place.

On the second day after Shi Chaojing's edict was issued, someone handed an invitation letter to Lord Zhen Guo. When Lord Zhen Guo saw the content of the letter, he couldn't help blurting out in surprise: "Shen's Rice Shop?" Then he muttered to himself , "I have never had anything to do with this Shen family, how could I receive such a kind invitation from the Shen family?"

Wen Qian was coming out of the small pavilion, and seeing a letter in his hand, she couldn't help asking curiously: "Father, who sent this letter?" Duke Zhen Guo put the letter away, and said, "With you Nothing to do' and went out.

Duke Zhen went out of Miyagi and went straight to a rice shop in the Shen family. The shopkeeper knew that he was Lord Zhen, so he politely invited him into the small courtyard behind the shop, where several people were waiting. with him.

A person stepped forward, smiled and bowed to him with great enthusiasm, "Duke Zhen, I've been waiting for a long time." Duke Zhen glanced at him and asked, "Are you the master of the Shen family?" The man smiled. He replied, "Exactly! Lord Zhen has a good eye."

"I don't know you before, why did you invite me here?" Lord Zhen Guo said bluntly.The man smiled and said: "You and I are indeed strangers, but Gui Qianjin and my family Yun'er are a pair of people!" Duke Zhen was a little indifferent, and put his right hand behind his back, "I don't know what you are talking about. "

"Duke Zhen, will my dignified rice merchant family deceive you? Yun'er is just here, if you don't believe me, you can ask him." Master Shen said, pointing to the young man behind him.Duke Zhen glanced at the young man and said, "If you have anything to say, just speak up. I don't like to listen to beating around the bush."

Master Shen smiled and said: "I heard that your daughter just broke up with your Majesty recently, that's just right, my family Yun'er and your daughter are the real couple, and I ask Duke Zhen to complete this happy event."

Lord Zhen frowned, because he never knew who his daughter liked, so he couldn't immediately agree. After thinking about it for a while, he took another look at the young man and asked him, "How well do you know my daughter?" ?”

Shen Yun replied: "It's easy to talk, every time we meet, we are always happy, and we have never been angry." Duke Zhen pointed at him and asked him again, "Do you know that my daughter is very savage, sometimes Even if it is unreasonable, she will beat benevolence?" Shen Yun replied confidently, "Even so, I believe that with an excellent husband like me, she will not dare to mess around."

Duke Zhen sighed for a while, and replied: "You are too naive, my girl...forget it, I don't want to destroy the prestige of my family, it's better for the Shen family to think clearly about this matter."

"So, Duke Zhen has agreed to this marriage?" Master Shen was overjoyed.Duke Zheng thought about it again, and felt that this just broke Wen Qian's desire to continue to be a queen, so he sighed again and said: "As long as the Shen family promises to treat her well no matter what she looks like after marrying into the Shen family She, I can accept."

"That's natural, that's natural!" Master Shen beamed with joy, and Shen Yun also smiled happily.Master Shen said: "Then I will ask people to go back to see the auspicious day, and prepare the dowry and wedding invitations!"