On the fifth floor of Xunyang Building, there is one of only two private rooms, a luxurious box listed as "Taiyin".
Behind a private screen, there are vaguely two beautiful figures, sitting and standing in front of the dressing table.
The helpless voice of a noble lady came:
"Okay, okay, don't look in the mirror. She is already beautiful enough. My seventeenth mother is as beautiful as a fairy. These rouge accessories, fancy clothes and skirts are just the icing on the cake, and they are also a hindrance."
"Sister-in-law is talking nonsense."
The noble daughter of the Xie family sounded out with a clear oriole-like voice, her tone sounded a little lacking in confidence, and she said weakly:
"Just coax me."
She seemed worried about something.
Xie Lingjiang only wore a set of blue and pink bellybands and underwear. She was sitting on an embroidery stool. Her skin was as white as snow and her hair was as long as a waterfall. She was looking left and right at the dressing mirror in front of her, looking at her from all angles.
A beautiful face.
"There's no nonsense."
Xie Xue'e stood behind Xie Lingjiang, put down the wooden comb, gently pressed her hands on her round shoulders, bent forward, and stared at her loving niece in the mirror. The young woman's voice was magnetic and seductive:
"Seventeenth Mother has such a pretty face and such a figure that even my aunt is moved by her. She is thin where she should be thin and fat where she should be. Is there any man in this world who wouldn't like her?
"Seventeenth Mother can seduce the young talents downstairs with a little application of pink and white. Why do you need to go to such trouble and still lack confidence?"
Xie Lingjiang looked forward to: "Really?"
"Fake."
Xie Lingjiang called angrily: "Sister-in-law!"
"You also know it's not fake? Then why ask."
Xie Xue'e had a headache and shook her head in confusion about her unconfident love for her niece.
Xie Ling Jianghu said: "He doesn't seem to like Miss Qin's thin figure."
Xie Xue'e was startled, tilted her head slightly, and thought for a while:
"Miss Qin? The busker downstairs? The one you specially ordered tonight?"
"Yes." Xie Lingjiang sat on the embroidery stool and nodded gently:
"She is also very pitiful."
Xie Xue'e shook her head, not caring about this trivial matter, with a helpless tone:
"But you are not thin either. Well, there is only one place where you are too 'fat'."
Standing behind the little beauty with a bellyband, Mrs. Bu Yao suddenly stretched out her hand.
"ah!"
Xie Lingjiang shrank his shoulders and was afraid of itchiness. He patted away his aunt's cool jade hand and rolled his eyes:
"Auntie, don't make trouble."
It turned out that the trembling fat part was pinched, and the smoothness filled the hand and overflowed between the fingers.
"Tsk, tsk." Xie Xue'e gently stroked the little girl's long hair, with envy in her eyes:
"Everyone says that Seventeenth Mother looks like my aunt when she was young, but how is this the same?"
She put her lips close to Xie Lingjiang's ear, blew the wind, and whispered in the boudoir between her aunt and niece:
"Seventeenth Mother is obviously more beautiful and charming, and she has such a wonderful fat spot. She is better than blue. She is nothing like me. It's just those people's compliments on me."
Xie Lingjiang had an extremely pretty face and blushed. He tilted his head to avoid the wind, and used his bare hands as a comb to comb the long black hair hanging down on his chest. His movements revealed some shyness and nervousness, and said:
"At the banquet later, my sister-in-law is not allowed to say such shameful words."
"Of course, my seventeenth mother must be the most beautiful tonight, hold her head high in the clouds, and be the flower of the mountains, making the young talents unattainable and fawning. This is what the Xie family's legitimate daughter should look like.
.”
Xie Xue'e raised her chin slightly and sounded proud.
Xie Lingjiang did not deny it. He tilted his head and looked at the mirror, dazed for a while:
"But, I always feel that he only treats me as a simple junior sister. Sometimes, he treats me like a little girl and has no other intentions..."
Xie Xue'e squinted her eyes and listened for a while, then suddenly said:
"But what Seventeenth Mother admires and likes, isn't it this kind of mature figure who leads the way like a morning star, showing you how to grow up?"
Xie Lingjiang was silent for a while.
Biting his lip: "But senior brother walked too fast, without even looking back to see who was behind, who was following him..."
Xie Xue'e looked at the rapt expression on Xie Lingjiang's face and smiled slightly:
"This Ouyang Lianghan is a man who does big things. His actions are extremely clear-cut. Naturally, he puts his career first. The personal relationship between his children is inevitably a little slow."
Xie Lingjiang frowned: "You're not being slow."
"what is that?"
"He's stupid, he's stupid, he's an idiot, he's stupid..."
"..."
Is there a difference?
Xie Xue'e rubbed her eyebrows and sighed helplessly:
"Okay, okay, it's useless for you to scold him in front of me. I've been here in Xunyang City for three days and I don't know how many times I've heard you scold him. If you can, scold him in front of him and wake him up."
Xie Lingjiang raised his hands to cover his small face, revealing the gaps between his fingers. He quietly looked at the charming beauty in the mirror in front of him and admitted stupidly: "I don't dare."
Xie Xue'e smiled: "Okay, just relax. After tonight, he will understand and know how valuable you are."
After saying that, it seemed that some memories were brought back. Mrs. Bu Yao grabbed the wooden comb and gently combed Xie Lingjiang's long hair. She hummed softly and said in a proud tone:
"Humph, back then, your uncle also had a dull head. Remember, that night was also my birthday party. He was knocked on the head by your father and grandmother, and he suddenly became enlightened. He couldn't get rid of him. Seventeenth Mother
You don’t know how clingy men can be.”
Xie Lingjiang turned around and looked at his aunt who looked very confident and in control, curiously:
"It's true, my uncle looks so serious, more serious than my father."
Xie Xue'e didn't answer, but asked with a smile: "Silly niece, tell me, is your senior brother serious?"
Xie Lingjiang nodded immediately, paused, and then blushed and shook his head under Xie Xue'e's smiling gaze.
"Isn't that right? According to my observations over the past few days, Ouyang Lianghan does things openly and likes to take an upright path, but he always comes up with strange tricks and clever schemes. He is definitely not that pedantic scholar."
"This is how you do things, and this is how you are as a human being." She shook her head and sighed: "Well, it is this kind of serious but not serious man who is the most annoying, and can drag the seventeenth mother's heart like this."
"That makes sense..." Xie Lingjiang nodded while listening. Behind her, she suddenly frowned and asked curiously:
"How come Auntie knows Senior Brother so well?"
Xie Xue'e knocked on the forehead of the little beauty in front of her and said with a smile:
"Your father specially asked me to come over and teach you how to deal with this matter... How can I not go and find out for myself which brat came to serve my Xie's Shuiling Cabbage?
"You can't just sit here and listen to your idiotic mother-in-law's compliments, right?"
Xie Ling Jiang covered his head and shrank his head.
Dong Dong——
"lady."
Just at this moment, there was a knock on the door, followed by a woman's respectful address entering the house.
Xie Xue'e's smile faded a little and she turned around:
"Seventeenth Mother, go put on your dress first."
Before stepping out of the private screen that blocked the spring scenery, she did not forget to warn:
"Tonight, wear the floor-length skirt I specially picked for you. I brought it from Yangzhou."
Xie Lingjiang stood up lightly and went to put on the dress.
"come in."
Mrs. Buyao's dignified and lazy voice sounded.
With a squeak, the door of the private room with the sign "Tai Yin" was gently pushed open.
Qingshu, who returned from the peak of Shuangfeng one step faster than Ouyang Rong, walked into the house and saluted respectfully:
"Madam, he is here and has already taken a seat."
Xie Xue'e walked out of the screen gracefully, stepped on the Persian carpet as soft as cat fur, walked to a pear wood chair in front of the smokeless charcoal fire heater in the center of the room, and sat down gracefully.
The maid with peach blossom eyes who was managing the affairs of the coat shop for Madam lowered her head even lower, and was extremely respectful, not at all as calm and calm as she was in front of Shopkeeper Guo today.
Xie Xue'e smiled: "No rush, let's talk about today's events first. In addition, how did he answer the questions he asked you to ask last night during the day."
"Yes, ma'am."
Qingshu nodded and recounted in detail the words and deeds of someone recorded during the day.
Xie Xue'e listened with great interest. When Qingshu finished retelling, she nodded slowly:
"He is a self-denying, dedicated, honest and upright person, and he also has a very principled bottom line."
Qingshu nodded: "I think so too. After spending a few days together, Mr. Ouyang behaves well and his words and deeds are impressive."
After a pause, she continued: "Madam, the money we invested with Wang Caozhi this time should be able to earn back quickly..."
"Okay, don't talk to me about this. No matter whether it's profit or loss, you can just follow the investment with the people below, and stand by Ouyang Lianghan unconditionally at the critical moment. How much silver is needed, just report the account after you go back.
"
When it came to business, Xie Xue'e waved her hands in disinterest, stood up, and before leaving, turned to Qingshu and said meaningfully:
"Xie can't help much with the matter between brother and Qi Niang in Xunyang City, but I can give a little help in my own name and no one can comment."
"Understood, ma'am."
Qingshu took the order and retreated. Xie Xue'e lowered her eyes, straightened her face, and returned to the back of the screen with an impermanent appearance. She saw Xie Lingjiang had changed his clothes.
I saw a stunning little girl dressed in fine clothes walking out of the back room. While arranging the ribbon that tied her slim waist, she curiously asked:
"Sister-in-law, what are you talking about?"
"It's a small matter." Xie Xue'e blinked and walked over to hold Xie Lingjiang's arm.
She turned her head and looked at it, then poked her niece's fair forehead with a straight face:
"Okay, girl, don't tighten it any more. Your waist is already thin enough. If you tighten it further, won't it make you look fatter at the top?"
"..." Xie Lingjiang.
Before she could glare, Xie Xue'e smiled and pulled Xie Lingjiang out:
"Let's go and take a look at the unlucky guy chosen tonight."
Xie Lingjiang's face suddenly became nervous.
"he came?"
Xie Xue'e smiled and nodded.
At this moment, downstairs, a certain young man with fox-white fur had just been led into the lobby on the first floor by the welcoming maid and sat down.
He did not notice that the door of a private room on the fifth floor above his head opened from inside, and two beautiful figures, one large and one small, walked out of it.
Lady Bu Yao leaned on the railing and looked out, and asked with a smile:
"Is he Ouyang Lianghan?"
Xie Ling Jiang Gai lowered his head and whispered:
"Hasn't Auntie seen his portrait? She asked knowingly."
Xie Xue'e took a few more glances at the young man with fox-white fur in the hall downstairs, and her eyes lingered on that handsome face for a while:
"I just didn't expect that he is even more handsome than the one in the portrait. I thought that the portrait that Qingshu sent me was already embellished. Yes, he is both talented and beautiful, not inferior to your uncle back then."
She smiled and nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied:
"We, the Xie girls, still have a discerning eye when choosing a husband. He is also a man of character."
Xie Lingjiang frowned, turned to look at his aunt who had just arrived in Xunyang City, and said in a serious tone:
"Elder brother is not an embroidered pillow, why can my sister-in-law just say something about it?"
Xie Xue'e whispered: "It's not an embroidered pillow? That's not necessarily the case."
She paused, and before her niece could raise her eyebrows, she blinked and said something that only a married woman could understand:
“You have to try it to know.”
Xie Lingjiang, who was ready to argue, was stunned for a moment. After a while, blush quickly spread all over his fair and pretty face that had just been bathed and washed.
"Sister-in-law is unreasonable!"
Xie Lingjiang glared at the smiling Madam Bu Yao, snorted and turned away, not wanting to pay attention to her.
She just held her chin high, puffed her head for a while, and retorted without looking back:
"Elder brother is not an embroidered pillow." I emphasized it specially.
Xie Xue'e smiled.
"Well, I don't think it looks like it." She nodded.
Xie Lingjiang gritted his teeth and said, "Sister-in-law, stop talking."
Xie Xue'e smiled and stopped teasing her.
"Oops." Xie Lingjiang suddenly shrank back.
Xie Xue'e also quickly took a step back. It turned out that below, Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his head, seeming to notice something, and looked around in confusion.
Xie Xue'e and Xie Lingjiang looked at each other and returned to the "Taiyin" box in tacit understanding.
Back in the house, Xie Lingjiang walked to the stove and stared at the coals, his pretty face lost in thought:
"Sister-in-law, would it be bad to do this tonight?"
"What's wrong? Tonight, I must let him know how honorable the Xie family's direct daughter is. Most men in the world are like this. It's too easy to get and it's hard to cherish her.
"As long as you let him see how many people dote on you and please you, you are not lacking in people to pursue you, you are surrounded by excellent men, and he knows how noble your status is, he will begin to know how to cherish you."
Xie Lingjiang murmured: "Is the same thing true for senior brother..."
"Only people are afraid of losing, especially what they have had in the past." Xie Xue'e sighed: "In fact, it's not my place to do these things, but your mother left early, and your father liked this disciple too much, so he was not strict enough.
Get up, so I, the aunt, have to do it."
"By the way." Mrs. Buyao turned around and asked, "Is there anyone coming from Prince Xunyang's Mansion tonight?"
"No." Xie Lingjiang shook his head: "But Uncle Li and the others celebrated my birthday this morning, and Mother Weber and Sister Bao'er even served a bowl of longevity noodles."
Xie Xue'e raised the corners of her lips and nodded: "This Lord is indeed much more sensible than before."
Xie Lingjiang raised his head and said seriously: "I have never asked my sister-in-law. Don't you care about your senior brother's family background?"
Xie Xue'e looked sideways: "So what if you care, so what if you don't care. The Xie family is so prominent and heroic, doesn't it give future generations the opportunity to choose as they please?
"Ms. Xie's attitude towards your marriage is the same as towards the relationship between my brother and Prince Xunyang."
Xie Lingjiang was a little worried: "But there are many tribesmen in Jinling who are close to the Wei family, and they often blame my father, and the relationship is getting more and more tense."
"Seventeenth Mother, remember, at this moment, the tighter the relationship between Brother and them, the better."
Xie Xue'e spoke in a praising tone:
"The Xie family of Chen County has been able to stand in the south of the Yangtze River for hundreds of years. The reason is not that the bets are one-sided every time, but that they never stop the Xie family's children and find their own masters, even if they are hostile to each other.
"Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, what storms has the Xie family not seen? Everyone said that the Liwei War was dangerous, but it can be said that when he unified the north and south with the dynasty, the mad emperor's cavalry trampled on the lintels of the Jiangzuo noble clan, slaughtered the noble Qi practitioners everywhere, and searched for the secret of the tripod sword
Is it dangerous to hide?"
Xie Xue'e smiled: "What a coincidence, the hussar general who was loyal to the Mad Emperor and took the lead in digging three feet into the ground was a 'traitor of the Xie family' who fled the Northern Dynasties in his early years and changed his surname to Qie."
Xie Lingjiang nodded lightly.
Xie Xue'e suddenly asked: "Should Seventeenth Mother not inform him?"
Xie Lingjiang squinted his eyes and said, "No."
Seeing her serious look, Xie Xue'e was suspicious: "There are no superfluous reminders about gifts or anything like that?"
"No, no."
"That's good." Xie Xue'e nodded: "There's no point in preparing in advance. It just wants to catch him off guard, deepen his guilt and shame, and take a good look at Seventeenth Mother's glory. After tonight, Seventeenth Mother only needs to take a step closer,
Is he guaranteed to be flattered and cherish you in every possible way?"
Xie Lingjiang lowered his head and thought for a moment, then bit his silver teeth and warned me: "Then my aunt promised me not to go too far tonight and not to do anything to humiliate him."
Xie Xue'e laughed and shook her head: "First of all, if nothing happens tonight, I will only chat with you for a few words. If I sit closer to him, I can see that the Seventeenth Mother is being sought after by young talents. I know how valuable the girls with the fifth surname are.
Knock the elm on the head, if it is not necessary, then you will not deliberately humiliate him."
She chuckled:
"Second, everyone in the world knows it.
"In the past six hundred years, I, the Xie family of Chen County, have never insulted the poor people of Jiangzuo."
After a moment of pause, the woman said calmly:
"Except my son-in-law."
Xie Ling Jiang suddenly smiled happily.
After a while, a smart maid knocked on the door and walked in, reminding her of the time.
The aunt and nephew looked at each other, stood up gracefully, and walked downstairs.