In the dark secret room, not a single ray of light penetrated the room. The person lying on the ground didn't have a single piece of intact skin on his body. His hair had already condensed into clumps beside his cheeks, and his sunken eyes were wide open. He looked like a demon from hell, giving off a gloomy and terrifying feeling.
In the room filled with dirty water, there was a person sitting leisurely at the side drinking tea. His neatly trimmed fingers slowly brought the jade teacup to his lips. After taking a sip, the corner of his mouth revealed a perfect smile. "Good tea."
Putting down the teacup, he flicked his snow-white sleeves and slowly walked towards the man lying on the ground. He didn't seem to mind the dirty water staining his white robe.
"I've heard that Young Master Zhang is a tough nut to crack. Today, I see that it's true." The white and clean hand grabbed the hair of the man on the ground, forcing him to raise his head with difficulty. Even though he was extremely unwilling in his heart, being carried like this by the other party, he could only let out a 'ho ho' sound from his throat, unable to even utter a single word of insult.
Perhaps because the hair in his hand was too dirty, the white-robed man let go of the hair in his hand, allowing Young Master Zhang's face to fall into the dirty water. Two drops of dirty water even splashed onto his silver-white brocade.
In the blink of an eye, someone walked out from the dark corner and presented him with a white brocade handkerchief. He bent down and wiped the two drops of dirty water on his shoes.
He wiped his hands with the handkerchief and threw it to Young Master Zhang. He said calmly, "I don't like tough people, especially tough ones who send people to assassinate me." He lifted his foot and stepped on Young Master Zhang's head, forcing his entire face to the ground. His voice became a little cold. "Since you're so tough, then you'd better stay tough. When the time comes, don't cry and beg for mercy."
He took back his foot and put his hands behind his back. He turned and walked out of the secret room. When the door of the secret room opened and light shone into the room, he said with a smile, "You guys continue to serve Young Master Zhang well. Don't let him die."
The door of the secret room was closed again, and the room became dark again. Young Master Zhang closed his eyes in despair, opened his mouth and roared in a hoarse voice. However, as his tongue was cut off, he was destined to never be able to say a word again.
"You said that Jun Wang Fei is practicing in the courtyard?" Yan Jinqiu tidied his clothes in front of the bronze mirror. After hearing Mutong's report, he slightly raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Jun Wang Fei is indeed the daughter of a general. It's good for her to practice boxing to strengthen her body."
Mu Tong used a handkerchief to carefully wipe Yan Jin Qiu's hair that was still damp. He said with a smile, "Junw.a.n.g Ye, you are right. Junw.a.n.g Fei has not been able to go out these years to admire flowers because of her poor health. She can't even climb mountains. Practicing martial arts is a good way to train the body."
Hearing this, Yan Jinqiu curled the corner of his mouth and didn't say anything. Seeing this, Mutong didn't dare to say anything more. He wiped his hair even more carefully.
In the main room of the main courtyard of Jun Wang Mansion, Hua Xi Wan had just bathed. Her hair was loose, and she was half lying on the chaise lounge reading a popular ghost story. Green Bead beside her would occasionally feed her peeled fruit with a silver pick. Zi Shan sat on a small stool and gently tapped her leg with a sandalwood hammer. The room was filled with expensive silk incense. It was a luxurious and lazy scene, but because the person enjoying it was a beauty, it became a beautiful painting.
Bai Xia went forward and adjusted the soft cushion on Hua Xi Wan's back so that she could lie more comfortably. "Jun Wang Fei, Jun Wang Ye will be back soon. Do you want me to help you dress up?"
"Dress up?" Hua Xi Wan pulled her attention away from the ghost story. She reached out and brushed the hair beside her cheek. She covered the corner of her mouth and yawned lazily.
"I'm too lazy to bother. That's it."
Bai Xia glanced at the plain white plum blossom gauze dress she was wearing and the toes that were faintly visible under the dress. She retreated to one side and didn't say anything else.
After reading the entire ghost story, Hua Xi Wan was finally willing to move. She put on her shoes and socks and got off the chaise lounge. Looking at the darkening sky outside the window, she said to Green Bead, "Go and have the kitchen serve the meal."
"Jun Wang Fei, aren't we going to wait for Jun Wang Ye?" Green Bead asked. "Jun Wang Ye said that he would be back tonight."
"It's fine. Go and prepare." Hua Xi Wan waved her hand. "If he hasn't come back by now, he must have eaten at the Crown Prince's place." Previously, he had sent someone to say that the Crown Prince had asked him to stay. Now, he said that he was going back to the fu. Who knew if he wouldn't come back later? If that happened, she wouldn't have to eat tonight.
Green Bead bowed and retreated. Over the years, they had become familiar with Jun Wang Fei's temperament. They knew that she was too lazy to speak. As servant girls, they didn't want to annoy their master too much.
They didn't know if Yan Jinqiu entered the main courtyard right on time. He arrived just as the meal was placed on the table.
Hua Xi Wan glanced at him. He was still dressed like an elegant gentleman. The purple soft silk robe looked like a dandy on an ordinary person. However, on him, it looked like a noble.
In this ruthless world where one's appearance was important.
Hua Xi Wan looked away. As she washed her hands, she said, "Jinqiu came back just in time. Sit down and eat."
Hearing this, Yan Jinqiu followed beside Hua Xi Wan. He reached his hand into the copper basin that she used to wash her hands. He smiled and said, "You don't need to get another basin of water. This is fine."
Hua Xi Wan looked at the petals on the water that swayed as the two washed their hands. She silently took her hand out of the basin. After wiping her hands dry, she said, "Did something happen in the past two days? I saw that you were often not in the fu."
"Something did happen, but it's mostly taken care of. I was going to accompany you to Mount Tai's home to play for a day. We'll return to the fu at three in the afternoon." Yan Jinqiu wiped his hands and said apologetically, "Originally, I wanted to accompany you for the past three days. I didn't know that something would happen."
"Since there's a reason for it, Jinqiu, why do you have to be like this? At most, you can accompany me more in the future." Hua Xi Wan smiled carelessly. She picked up her chopsticks and didn't say anything else.
In this era, a woman had to leave her maiden home before sunset on the day of her return to her maiden home. Otherwise, it would be considered inauspicious. Yan Jinqiu said that he would accompany her back to her maiden home until after five in the afternoon. Even though it wasn't sunset yet, it wasn't far off. For him to go this far, even though she didn't know if it was an act or if it was true, it was rare.
After the two of them had dinner, the servants served the two of them to wash up and then left the room, leaving only a few people to keep watch at night.
The silhouette in front of the window swayed slightly. Gradually, the two shadows merged into one. Then, the candlelight in the room went out, and the entire room darkened.
The next morning, when Hua Xi Wan woke up, the sky was already brightening. Because today was the important day of her return to her maiden home, she tossed and turned in bed a few times before getting up. Among the rows of clothes, she chose a bright red wide-sleeved dress with a cinched waist. It wasn't for anything else, but because the embroidery on the dress was very beautiful.
When a married daughter returned to her maiden home, her parents would be worried about her life. They would look at her clothes, her complexion, her speech, and the attitude of the son-in-law. Even though she wasn't their real daughter, Nghi 'an Marquis' friendship with her was worthy of her treating them with sincerity.
Yan Jinqiu saw Hua Xi Wan sitting in front of the mirror and looking at her casual and meticulous dressing for the past two days. He suddenly remembered something his mother said to him when he was young.
Never underestimate a woman, no matter how virtuous, gentle, and harmless they usually are.
Perhaps it was because his mother was seriously ill when she said this, and he wanted to remember every aspect of his mother, so he remembered this sentence clearly. Or perhaps it was because he didn't understand the meaning of this sentence when he was young, so he unconsciously kept this sentence in his heart.
But no matter what the reason was, he still remembered this sentence clearly. He even remembered the expression on his mother's face when she said this sentence. It was as if she was moved and comforted at the same time.
After Hua Xi Wan finished dressing, Yan Jinqiu found that all the jewelry on her body was something he had prepared for her after she entered the wang fu. She didn't even have a single piece of dowry from Nghi 'an Marquis.
He thought for a moment and understood Hua Xi Wan's intentions. He stood and walked to Hua Xi Wan's side. From a box, he took out a fish pendant carved from suet jade and put it around Hua Xi Wan's neck. "This jade pendant matches your clothing very well."
Hua Xi Wan stroked the jade that felt very good to the touch. Looking at Yan Jinqiu's smiling face in the mirror, she ignored the hand on her shoulder and smiled faintly. "It does match."
In Nghi 'an Marquis, the matriarch, the first branch's Hua Hesheng and the Lu Clan, the second branch's Hua Zhiming and Jang, the third branch's Hua Zhi Xun and the Yao Clan were all waiting in the main hall. If Hua Xi Wan hadn't married into the imperial family, then there wouldn't be so many people waiting in the marquis fu today. But now, she was Junw.a.n.g Fei. The Hua Family, as her paternal family, needed to be present no matter if it was to support Hua Xi Wan or to give Xian Junw.a.n.g face.
Although the three brothers were all present and appeared to be friendly, only they knew what they were thinking.
Hua Zhiming and Hua Hesheng were brothers from the same mother. Naturally, he hoped that Hua Xi Wan would marry well. Thus, after arriving at the marquis fu, he would occasionally look outside the main hall. In contrast to his worries, Hua Zhi Xun appeared much calmer. From beginning to end, he only held a teacup and drank leisurely.
After the Lu Clan woke up in the morning, they hurriedly dressed and rushed to the main hall. Their hearts were in a mess. They didn't even have the mood to eat breakfast, much less think about what their two sisters-in-law were planning.
Just as the Lu Clan became more and more anxious, the messenger servant hurriedly ran in with a joyful expression. "Matriarch, Marquis, Madame, Jun Wang Ye and Jun Wang Fei have arrived."
The Lu Clan was delighted to hear this. They hurriedly stood up from their chairs and strode out of the main hall. They saw a group of servant girls escorting their daughter, who was dressed in luxurious clothes, towards them. Beside their daughter was the extraordinarily handsome Prince Xian.
The Yao Clan helped the matriarch to the door. When they saw Prince Xian accompanying Hua Xi Wan affectionately, they pursed their lips. She was just relying on her looks to keep her fresh for a few days. Let's see how long she can be smug for.
Seeing her like this, the matriarch reached out and pinched her. Then she stepped forward and said, "This old one greets Prince Xian."
After she married the Old Marquis, the Old Marquis had never asked her for the title of Imperial Lady. After the Old Marquis passed away, although she did not like to go out much, she still remembered the rules clearly.
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