After sending Princess Guan back to the main courtyard as usual, and after busying herself with waiting for her, Guan Xiuyan dragged her tired body back to the courtyard where she lived.
As soon as she returned to her room, Guan Xiuyan got on the bed without even washing up. She leaned against the corner and curled up into a ball.
When Hui'er saw it, she felt a little distressed: "Girl."
Guan Xiuyan raised her head blankly: "Did I do something wrong?"
Hui'er can't answer this question.
Guan Xiuyan said to herself: "I just thought that my cousin is soft-hearted. With so many years of friendship, he can always protect me well. Isn't this better than marrying to another family with whom I am unfamiliar?"
"I know that the family my cousin has chosen for me is not too bad, but whether a woman can gain a foothold in her husband's family depends on her mother's family."
"And I don't have a natal family."
"Although life in the palace is not satisfactory, my aunt is a blood relative after all. Even if she is a little more difficult to serve, she will never harm me."
"I really just want a place to stay."
"If I leave the palace, I will be just a duckweed. Without the protection of my aunt and cousin, I will be nothing. So I can't leave the palace, I have to stay with my aunt and cousin."
Hearing these words, Hui'er felt heartbroken and stepped forward to hug Guan Xiuyan: "Girl, everything will be fine."
Guan Xiuyan's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really? Will it really be okay? Will my cousin accept me? Will he be angry with me? Will he stop liking me from now on?"
Hui'er shook her head and said: "No, the third master has always been very kind to the girl."
Guan Xiuyan thought of how Chu Yao had secretly taken care of her over the years, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as my cousin doesn't hate me, I promise, I will be obedient and won't compete with my cousin for his favor. As long as
It would be nice if he could think of me and come see me occasionally."
Speaking of Shi Fuxin, Guan Xiuyan was worried again: "I seem to have offended my cousin to death today. Even if I was pointed out to my cousin by the Queen Mother, as my cousin's head wife, it would be easy for her to manipulate me."
"My cousin is very powerful, Hui'er, tell me, will she harm me, make it impossible for me to gain a foothold in the palace, and then drive me out of the palace?"
Sensing Guan Xiuyan's panic, Hui'er said quickly: "No, girl, don't think too much. As long as you hold the princess's heart firmly, with her protecting you, the third lady will not dare to do anything to you." Guan Xiuyan: "Yes, I still have an aunt, no, more than that, I also have a cousin. My cousin will not ignore me, and my aunt and cousin will protect me."
After a while, Guan Xiuyan's mood became more stable: "I really don't want to be an enemy of my cousin, and I can't help it. The Queen Mother has issued an edict, and I am not as bold as my cousin, so I can't disobey it."
"My aunt also wants her to stay with her all the time. I can't disobey her. I really have no choice."
"I don't want to be a concubine, but I can never be my own master."
While talking to herself, Guan Xiuyan leaned in Hui'er's arms, closed her eyes tiredly, and in a daze, Shi Fuxin's words, 'I think highly of you after all', kept ringing in her ears.
That contemptuous look made Guan Xiuyan's heart tremble. She was so confused that she couldn't find any reason to deceive herself.
She knew that she was just afraid of marrying into someone else's family and suffering hardship, of being bullied by her husband's family, and of never seeing her cousin again, so she put down her dignity and would rather be her cousin's concubine!
Inspection Department.
Meng Moling stood at the door of Chu Yao's office. From time to time, she glanced at Chu Yao who was busy doing errands in the room. Her face was full of hesitation, and she endured it. Finally, she couldn't help it, and asked even at the risk of being beaten.
One sentence: "Brother Yao, you really don't want to go back to the palace to have a look?"
Chu Yao did not respond.
Meng Moling hesitated for a while and then said: "Anyone who is well-informed now probably knows that the Queen Mother has given you a side room by decree."
Before Princess Guan and Guan Xiuyan left the palace, the Supervision Department received news that the Queen Mother had issued an order to point Guan Xiuyan to Chu Yao as a side chamber.
And in order to make the matter a certainty, the Queen Mother also publicized the matter.
"Brother Yao, are you really not going back to comfort your sister-in-law? My sister-in-law may be very angry now!"
Chu Yao finally raised his head from his official duties, with a complicated look in his eyes. Would Shi Liu really be angry because he had an extra concubine?
If it were other women, they might be jealous and angry if they knew that their husband had more concubines, but after what happened to Shiliu, he was no longer sure.
Because he really didn’t know how important he was in Shi Liu’s heart.
Will Shiliu be jealous because of such a thing?
Seeing that Chu Yao didn't respond, Meng Moling asked again: "Brother Yao, do you care about your sister-in-law? Why don't you panic at all when such a big thing happened?"
Chu Yao looked over: "Why should I panic?"
Meng Moling: "Because you want to take a concubine, I tell you, women are jealous, and my sister-in-law will definitely make trouble with you."
Chu Yao is not too worried about Shi Liu. He knows very well that Shi Liu has a strong endurance and is difficult to be affected by the outside world. But when he thinks of Guan Xiuyan, he has a headache.
He felt pity for this cousin who had lost his parents, especially when the palace was isolated and helpless. She had helped him many times so that he could not ignore her.
However, he has absolutely no romantic feelings for her.
Thinking of the Queen Mother who issued the decree, Chu Yao narrowed his eyes. No wonder the Emperor has been preventing the Queen Mother from returning to the palace. Sure enough, the most powerful person in the Wei family is still the Queen Mother.
As soon as he took action, he didn't even have time to prepare.
Meng Moling continued: "Brother Yao, just like my sister-in-law, I think you'd better go back and tell her clearly."
Chu Yao looked at Meng Moling: "Why do you think that when something happens, I have to take the initiative to find Shi Liufufu first? Why doesn't she come to me in a hurry?"
Meng Moling was stunned by these words: "Brother Yao has always been at a disadvantage among you, hasn't it?"
Chu Yao's face turned dark on the spot: "Who said I'm at a disadvantage?"
Meng Moling scratched her head: "Isn't it?"
His behavior made Chu Yao so angry that he picked up a book and smashed it.
After Meng Moling ran away with a roar, Chu Yao lowered his eyes and started to think.
Now the news that he wants to take his cousin as his concubine has been widely known. If he stood up and refused at this time, given his cousin's temper, he would probably be too embarrassed to live.
But if you don't refuse, will you really fulfill the Queen Mother's wish and accept your cousin?
At this time, Meng Moling ran back again, "Brother Yao, the prince-in-law is here."
Before Chu Yao had time to speak, he saw Shi Dinghao striding in.
Seeing Shi Dinghao's unkind expression, Chu Yao waved to Meng Moling, asking him to step back, and then looked at Shi Dinghao: "Why are Jiulang here at this time?"
Shi Dinghao didn't answer, just looked at him: "Do you really want to take your cousin as your concubine?"
Chu Yao frowned. He didn't want to accept his cousin in the first place, but now he was scolded by Shi Dinghao, and he felt very unhappy: "I want to accept her if you don't want her. It's the Queen Mother's decree."
Shi Dinghao: "Then you should quickly find a way to push this matter aside."
Chu Yao did not answer this question.
Shi Dinghao was a little angry: "Why, you don't want to?"
Chu Yao: "If I do this, my cousin will not survive."
Shi Dinghao stood up suddenly: "Cousin, cousin, you only have your cousin in your heart, where did you put my sister?"
Chu Yao looked at her: "Your sister will always be my first wife, and no one can change this."
Hearing this, Shi Dinghao became even more angry: "Do you think your wife's position is very fragrant? Do you think my sister is very rare?"
"I won't say anything about it as soon as your palace reveals the matter. You can't choose your parents and your origin, but you can decide whether you want to take a concubine or not?"
Chu Yao patiently said: "I will say it again, it is the Queen Mother's decree to accept my cousin."
Shi Dinghao: "Isn't it my fault that you didn't handle your cousin's affairs well? There is a girl waiting to be married by your side. Didn't you take the initiative to give people the opportunity to deal with you?"
"Chu Yao, let me tell you, my sister has a fierce temper and cannot tolerate sand in her eyes. Once you touch her bottom line, she will turn around and leave without hesitation."
Chu Yao looked at Shi Dinghao coldly: "What exactly do you want to say?"
Shi Dinghao looked at him: "I have loved to cling to my sister since I was a child. I know best what kind of person my sister is. For others, having three wives and four concubines is normal, but for her, it is a taboo and cannot be violated.
Taboo."
"I'm not afraid to tell you today that our family is actually very dissatisfied with you, but my sister likes you and I don't want her to be sad, so I came to see you today. You can take care of yourself."
Seeing Shi Dinghao striding away, Chu Yao frowned. Previously, he thought that Shi Liu might not care too much about accepting his cousin, but now that he heard Shi Dinghao's roar, he was not sure anymore.
Will Shiliu be angry?
Chu Yao suddenly remembered Shi Liu's decisiveness when he dumped Fan Mingyu, and he became irritable for no reason. He couldn't sit still, and immediately got up and went back to the palace.
Didn't Shiliu say that if he had anything to say, he would ask her in person? Then he would go back and ask her now!
Shi Fuxin did not go back to the house with Princess Guan and Guan Xiuyan. Instead, she went to Hongyanxiao first and had someone call the cigarette bag. After carefully talking to the cigarette bag about collecting information about the Wei family, she returned to the house. When Chu Yao returned home, Shi Fuxin had just returned and had just taken a shower and was wiping her hair.
"Back."
There was no anger or blame. Listening to Shi Fuxin's calm inquiry, Chu Yao didn't know whether to be grateful for his wife's generosity or to be angry that she didn't care about him.
Seeing that Chu Yao had a straight face and said nothing when he came back, Shi Fuxin said angrily: "I wasn't even angry, but you got angry first."
Chu Yao immediately looked at her: "Why aren't you angry?"
Shi Fuxin: "How do you know I'm not angry? I'm already angry."
Chu Yao's expression softened a little, and then he frowned and asked, "Why aren't you angry with me?"
Shi Fuxin asked back: "Why should I be angry with you? You didn't offend me."
Chu Yao: "But I want to take a concubine."
Shi Fuxin looked at him with a smile: "Did you want to accept it?"
Chu Yao shook his head: "No."
Shi Fuxin: "That's fine. If you want to take a concubine, or if you can refuse but don't refuse, I will naturally talk to you."
Chu Yao was silent: "Jiulang came to see me just now. He was very dissatisfied with my plan to take in my cousin and asked me to find a way to push it away."
Shi Fuxin chuckled and said: "Jiulang is worried about me. He will definitely not take your feelings into consideration when he speaks. You are his brother-in-law, but you should not forget the faults of the villain. Don't be as knowledgeable as him."
Chu Yao's expression softened a bit again and he looked at her: "Your reaction is different from what I expected."
Shi Fuxin looked over with a smile: "How do you think I should react?"
Chu Yao: "Why didn't you let me push my cousin aside?"
Shi Fuxin: "The Queen Mother has made it clear that she wants to vent her anger on the Crown Prince. If she doesn't take care of her cousin, other things will happen. Now everyone knows about it. There will be a heavy price to pay for disobeying the Queen Mother's decree."
"Besides, cousin Guan was raised by her mother and concubine after all. You must have some affection for her. You probably can't be so cruel as to put her in an embarrassing situation, right?"
Chu Yao was a little touched that Shi Fuxin could understand his feelings, and he was glad that he had not misjudged the person at the beginning. This was the woman he wanted to marry, but why was he still feeling a little uncomfortable in his heart?
Yes, as Meng Moling said, women are all jealous. He was pleased with Shiliu's calmness, but in this reason, he probably didn't care about him.
Chu Yao was silent for a moment and suddenly said: "I don't know whether I should be happy or unhappy."
Shi Fuxin stared at him for a while, put down the veil, walked to Chu Yao, sat on his lap, put her arms around his neck and asked, "What plans do you have for cousin Guan?"
Shi Fuxin's sudden approach made Chu Yao a little startled, especially when he saw her with her hair down, which was different from her usual appearance, and she was a little distracted for a moment.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Shi Fuxin asked more specifically: "How do you feel about your cousin?"
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Chu Yao: "Of course it's a brother-sister relationship."
Shi Fuxin continued: "Now that you have accepted her, do you still treat her like a brother and sister?"
Chu Yao said without thinking: "That's not it." Then, he sighed, "After all, we are the ones who have caused trouble for our cousin."
Fu Xin disagreed with this: "This makes no sense. I told her before entering the palace that you have already found a candidate for her."
"As long as she wants to live a peaceful life, when the Queen Mother reveals that she wants to ask her to be your concubine, she should stand up and refuse."
"Don't say she didn't dare to resist. The mother-in-law was standing by and could always say a few words to her. Even if she couldn't completely reject the Queen Mother, she could still delay it for a while, but she didn't do that."
"Afterwards, I received news that I wanted to take her with me to see the Queen Mother, but not only was she unwilling, she knelt down in public and asked me to help her."
"Don't act like we owe her any more. Cousin Guan entered the game voluntarily. She is not innocent."
Chu Yao suddenly fell silent.
Shi Fuxin: "You haven't told me yet, how are you going to arrange for cousin Guan?"
Chu Yao had no other solution for the moment: "You are the mistress of my courtyard, and it is your business to manage the concubine."
Shi Fuxin smiled: "Then I will put her together with the old princess and the women rewarded by the father."
Chu Yao frowned subconsciously: "She is my cousin after all. The palace is so big, let her live in an independent courtyard."
Shi Fuxin played with the jade pendant around Chu Yao's waist: "So, cousin Guan is still very important in your heart?"
Chu Yao looked at her: "Are you jealous?"
Shi Fuxin did not answer, but looked at Chu Yao and said seriously: "I know that a man with your background takes three wives and four concubines for granted."
"Now, let me tell you what I think."
"I don't want to share my husband with any woman. If my husband is unclean, then I won't want him."
"This is the bottom line, there is no possibility of negotiation."
"How you want to treat your cousin Guan, I have no right to interfere. All I can do is defend my bottom line."
Seeing that Chu Yao's brows were knotted, Shi Fuxin stretched out her hand to smooth it out for him: "You must not think that I am threatening you by saying these words. No, I never try to change others, nor do I think that I am trying to change others. I have such great ability."
"Whatever choice you have, it's all your own consideration."
"Of course, everyone has to bear the consequences of their own choices. My choice is that the bottom line cannot be broken. If it is broken, then I will also bear the consequences."
Chu Yao and Shi Fuxin looked at each other, with different emotions suppressed in their eyes.
After a while, Chu Yao carried Shi Fuxin to the chair next to him and sat down, then left without saying a word.
Seeing Chu Yao leaving with a sullen face, Aunt Leng looked at Shi Fuxin with some worry: "Madam, what you just said was too harsh?"
Shi Fuxin said calmly: "I'm just stating the facts." After saying that, she continued to wipe her hair.
When Nanny Leng came out of the room, An Ran pulled her aside and whispered: "I looked at the way Third Master just looked like he was really angry."
Nanny Leng sighed: "Madam's words are a bit harsh, but cousin is different from other concubines. If you don't speak harshly, it will be Madam who will suffer in the future."
An Ran: "Do you think the third master will listen to my wife? If the third master listens to my wife, then my cousin will only get a title."
Aunt Leng said indifferently: "That was also her choice. Madam is right. Everyone should bear the consequences of their own choices. If my cousin chooses to be the third master's concubine, then she must be prepared to stay alone."< /p>