Beside her, Liu Jing has fallen asleep, breathing steadily and long.
Xu Miao listened for a while and sighed secretly.
She tossed and turned about Xun'er's affairs, but the master was able to fall asleep.
In this regard, I am much better than her.
I think so too.
Over the years, she has been shielded from the ups and downs outside. She has not experienced anything, and she is indeed not responsible for it.
The master has blocked too much for her...
With a tremor in her heart, Xu Miao bit her lip subconsciously.
Aunt Xia inquired and came back and said that there was a lot of rumors outside about fraud in the outer chamber.
It is true that she doesn't like to go out. Even if she does go out, it is just to worship in the temple. She has few contacts, so naturally a lot of news cannot reach her.
But what about the other people in the house?
How could they not know about the maids and women who were in charge of affairs, purchasing, and coming in and out?
It was all planned by the master, and they were not allowed to let her hear a word.
Hiding it from her and hiding it from A-Ping.
The master has good intentions.
The princess also said today that the master does bad things with good intentions.
But, besides these? What else did the master let his subordinates hide from her?
In this family, the only ones who can explain everything big and small clearly are the close maids, A-Ping and the people around her, right?
Sleepiness swept over me.
I was in a daze, thinking about this and that.
Gradually, Xu Miao's thoughts became chaotic, and her breathing calmed down.
She had a dream.
Dreaming about her childhood.
When her father went to war, her mother held her little one until she could not go any farther.
When her mother died of illness, her father held her and sat in the mourning hall all night. She fell asleep and woke up, and when she looked up, she saw her father's stubble-covered chin.
When her father went to the border again, she stayed alone in the house and often went to the kitchen in order to learn from the cook how to cook her late mother's favorite dishes. This was her way of missing her parents.
Another year, the cook resigned and returned to her hometown.
Later, she grew up, got married, gave birth to Ah Jian, and reluctantly sent her to her father a hundred days later.
……
The dream that was still clear and coherent suddenly became chaotic after that.
She shouted hysterically with Liu Jing.
A Jian sat in a wheelchair and spoke to her in a cold voice.
She raised the dagger ferociously and stabbed Liu Jing, but Liu Jing pushed her to the ground.
This is a dream, this is a nightmare!
Xu Miao knew very well that she was going to wake up from this unrealistic dream, but the next moment, her dream changed again.
She is younger again.
Her facial features are younger than the one who just went crazy, but her hair is all white.
She lay on Ah Jian's back and was carried forward step by step.
Several people rushed out horizontally. A Jian was unable to protect her, and a long knife struck his leg, causing blood to drip from his leg.
Her vision is also bright red.
Beyond the flash of swords and shadows, she saw Xun'er.
There seemed to be a hint of intolerance in Xun'er's eyes, but she turned her head away and did not save her and A-Jian.
For another moment, Xu Miao's dream was different again.
Only her temples are white, and the rest is still black hair.
She collapsed in the ancestral hall, holding the memorial tablets of her parents in her hands.
She couldn't breathe, and it seemed like she only had her last breath left.
She saw a man walking towards her, limping on crutches.
The man squatting down in front of her was A Jian.
There was no emotion on A Jian's face, but there were tears in his eyes.
Almost in an instant, all kinds of emotions including sadness, pain, madness, and shock came like a stormy sea.
Xu Miao woke up from her dream, her eyes widened, but there was only darkness.
Her body was wet and she was sweating profusely.
Covering her mouth, Xu Miao didn't let her heavy breathing disturb the people around her. She calmed down bit by bit and sorted out her dream bit by bit.
Those are all her, and those are not her.
That's what dreams are like, all kinds of weird things can happen.
Yes.
No matter which A-Jian is in the dream, her legs are injured.
Sitting in a wheelchair, receiving a knife, and using a cane.
This must be her inner demon.
After hearing that A Jian injured her leg, wasn't it these scenes that she was most afraid of?
Fortunately, Ajian can now walk on his own, with only a slight limp. Please rest more, keep warm, and don't freeze.
But why is she "crazy" no matter which dream she appears in?
Stab someone with scissors?
How could she do such a crazy thing?
Not to mention stabbing Liu Jing!
A head full of white hair?
What happened to her that made her hair turn gray at that age?
She seemed unable to move her arms and legs, and Ajian couldn't protect her even if he wanted to.
How could she fall down in the ancestral hall holding her parents’ memorial tablets?
It’s so chaotic.
It was difficult for Xu Miao to quickly sort out such a complicated and bizarre dream.
What's more, it's a chaotic dream.
After closing her eyes, opening them again, and closing them again, over and over again, what was engraved in Xu Miao's mind were two pairs of eyes.
In Xun'er's eyes, there was a trace of reluctance but giving up.
A Jian's eyes were restrained but filled with tears.
Dreams are fake, and they cannot represent anything, but how can such a thrilling dream keep people's hearts from rising and falling?
It’s not strange for her to have such a dream and go crazy...
After a long time, Xu Miao fell asleep again.
In the second half of the night, I still didn’t sleep well.
When she woke up the next day, she felt depressed and had a dull pain in her temples.
Liu Jing called Liu Xun over and scolded him in a deep voice in front of Xu Miao.
"Look, your mother didn't sleep well all night because of all the troubles you did!" Liu Jing said, "Are you worthy of her?"
Liu Xun shrank his neck.
His father had just told him that this scolding would definitely be inevitable.
He was just confused. He had clearly deceived his mother, but who was stirring up trouble?
"Mother," Liu Xun whispered, "I did something wrong, and I already know it was wrong.
I didn't study well outside, and I wasn't very good at studying, so I ended up hanging out with Yue Niang.
After returning to Beijing, I wanted to have a reputation as a scholar, so I would make mistakes again and again. I would lose everything by stealing the chicken, and not only did I not get a literary name, but I also..."
Xu Miao looked at him and asked, "How do you plan to settle that Yue Niang?"
"She treats me wholeheartedly, I..." Liu Xun hesitated.
"She is wrong, and you are even more wrong!" Xu Miao said, "I can only rely on you for the rest of my life. There is no reason to let it go casually. Since the Yunyang uncle's house also knows about it, wait until your wife comes in.
After that, you have a good discussion with her.
Either he could be brought into the house, or he could collect a lot of money and make good arrangements to live there, or he could still live outside.
After all, everyone has to nod and don’t let other troubles happen again.
Especially, you can’t let your father and I become grandparents out of nowhere!”
Liu Xun nodded hurriedly.
Seeing that he was acting like a chicken, Liu Jing snorted and said to Xu Miao: "He still has to study.
It would be humiliating to be admitted to the Imperial College with such ability, and it would be extremely rare to be able to reform and be accepted by an academy.
After the new year, I will hire a good teacher and teach carefully for a year and a half. When I have some ink in my stomach, I will take the college entrance examination."
Liu Xun rolled his eyes.
Which entrance exam is easier to take?
Even if he passed the exam, his reputation for cheating was still on his head, and no serious academy wanted to admit him.
But these were his father's words to comfort his mother. Liu Xun could not bring trouble, so he just nodded his head.
"I will study hard." Liu Xun said, raising his hands as if he was going to swear to the sky.
But before the oath was uttered, his shoulder was injured first. He bared his teeth and sucked in air.
Seeing this, Xu Miao hurriedly asked: "Have you brought the medicinal oil? Apply the medicinal oil first."
Liu Xun honestly took off half of his clothes.
Xu Miao carefully applied medicine to him.
Liu Jing sat aside and frowned: "Look at you, you are such an adult and your mother has to worry about even this little thing.
Your body, hair, and skin are all affected by your parents. If you get a little bruise, your mother will feel very distressed!
Be careful with your words and deeds in the future, and don't get into trouble with others after eating too much and drinking too much.
If you lose the fight and you are injured, even if you win the fight and they complain to the yamen, will your face be bright or not?"
Liu Xun remained silent.
After all, he came here to be scolded this morning.
The father scolds the mother and it’s all the same.
Besides, didn’t he come prepared?
If my father is just pretending, my mother will feel really distressed. His shoulder injury has not healed, which is the biggest magic weapon.
Alas!
No wonder Xu Jian took advantage of his leg injury!
When nothing happens, I see him walking smoothly. When something happens, I feel pain, coldness, and discomfort.
Just because of that injury, even the prince was defeated.
Tsk tsk!
Liu Jing trained for a long time, and then said to Xu Miao: "Madam, I have also made an appointment with two young ministers to discuss something, so I have to go first."
Xu Miao nodded.
She heard Liu Jing mention a few words years ago.
It is said that in February, the envoy from Gu Yue will arrive in Beijing.
Guyue is located outside the customs and is the only way for a large number of business travelers to travel westward.
The imperial court attaches great importance to its relationship with Gu Yue, not only for doing business, but also because it does not want Gu Yue to fall to Xiliang.
In order to receive the envoys, Honglu Temple has been preparing since the beginning of the year. Although they do not go to the Yamen during the New Year Festival, the officials are not idle either. They are almost done visiting relatives and friends. They have to pick up serious matters to avoid opening up
I was in a hurry after printing.
"Official matters are important," Xu Miao said, "Don't ask the two young ministers to wait."
After Liu Jing recited a few more words from Liu Xun, he hurried out.
Gu Yue's affairs are the top priority. Reception, banquet, receiving gifts, and returning gifts must not be careless at all.
Originally, the Ministry of Rites was also responsible for sharing this matter, but the focus of the Ministry of Rites at the moment was on Enke. Liu Jing had proposed to the Ministry of Rites a few years ago that, besides performing their own duties, Honglu Temple should provide more efforts, with the Ministry of Rites assisting.
Now that I have taken on the responsibility, I can’t go on a business trip.
The better things are done, the greater his credit. If the court wants to go further, it depends on these large and small credits and hard work.
Speaking of which, although the old Mr. Guo did not clear the way for him in the officialdom, Xu Miao was considerate.
There is no quarrel or fuss, and she will not let her husband go home to eat or sleep because he is too busy in the yamen. On the contrary, she appreciates his diligence and hard work, so that he has no worries.
Madam is a good helper.
It’s Xun’er, let him cause trouble for you!
Things are going wrong outside, and my wife has been alarmed.
He Liu Jing studies and uses his brain to climb up the ladder, and he is good at everything, but why is it that Xun'er is not as capable as him!
On the contrary, it was Xu Jian who was raised by the old man and was called a "little person".
In the house, Xu Miao was holding acacia and washing the medicated oil on her hands.
"Xun'er," she called, "what your father and I are talking about is all for your own good, so you have to listen."
Liu Xun nodded naturally.
Xu Miao said again: "You don't have anything else to hide from me anymore, right?"
Liu Xun was stunned for a moment, and when he saw his mother's gloomy look, he subconsciously avoided it, and then he stiffened his neck and said, "No more, really no more."
Xu Miao saw his reaction in her eyes and did not ask again: "Go back to the room and read a book. I didn't sleep well last night. I will go back to bed later."
These words fell into Liu Xun's ears, and they were really touching.
He doesn't want to be asked by his mother again.
If he says something wrong again, how will he explain it to his father?
"Then you have a good rest, I'll go back first." After Liu Xun finished speaking, he ran away in a hurry.
Xu Miao looked at the swaying curtain, and then looked away for a long time and looked at the basin in front of her.
The water inside was murky and could not reflect her appearance, but it reminded her of the eyes in her dream.
Xun'er couldn't bear to give up again.
Xun'er just avoided her sight.
The movements of that side of the head are exactly the same.
"Mom," Xu Miao called Aunt Xia, "he said that he had nothing to hide from me..."
Grandma Xia’s heart ached.
Both she and the madam knew that the prince's injury was caused by the prince's kick, and it was not caused by a fight with a candidate who had eaten too much and drank too much.
The lady was so sincere in trying to reason with the young master, but the young master still kept it secret.
"Mom," Xu Miao said again, "I thought a lot in the middle of the night, but you didn't know. What about Aunt Yu? What about those maids? Did they not know, or did they just obey the master and hide it from us?"<
/p>
Aunt Xia: "This..."
Xu Miao said: "Mom, you have nothing else to hide from me, right?"
It’s not a question or a blame.
Even, Aunt Xia heard some prayers from it.
Being hidden by everyone around her, even with good intentions, will make my wife feel sad, unsure of herself, and want others to affirm her.
Thinking of this, Grandma Xia's eyes turned red.
"There is one more thing," she choked, "I also heard this from outside yesterday. I was afraid that you would not be able to hear so many worries at the moment, so I didn't tell you immediately. The young master and the girl from the Zheng family fell into the water. The master once said...
”
Xu Miao didn't move at all.
He pressed his hands tightly into the basin, and thanks to the stability of the stand, it didn't fall over.
"I thought that the marriage had not yet been granted at that time, and the master must not have known that the Duke of the country and the princess were planning to get married. Unexpectedly, the floods washed away the Dragon King Temple, and we finally became a family," said Aunt Xia, "
The Duke is probably..."
Xu Miao shook her head.
She knew that the marriage had not been granted at that time, but she just didn't understand. Why did the master find such excuses for Xun'er?
It’s easy to get involved with an unrelated princess!
Or should I say, the master is telling the truth, Xun'er treats the princess seriously...
The princess is really good-looking.
Such an outstanding girl, it is normal for someone to like her.
As long as you don't say it out loud, there shouldn't be the slightest bit of cross-border in your behavior and tone when meeting in the future, and if you keep it in your heart, no one will be embarrassed.
I just shouted out.
But the Holy Father also recommended the marriage between the princess and A Jian.
Thinking of how she told the princess yesterday to "sit down and have a reunion dinner together", Xu Miao felt very pricked in her heart.
Thanks to the princess's kindness, dignity, and good temper.
Otherwise, it would be reasonable to fall out and leave.
