Under the bright lights, Cheng Yujin looked at the person in front of her, not knowing whether this was the will of the heavens or man-made.
Lin Qingyuan actually saw Cheng Yujin from afar. She was wearing a white cloak, standing in front of a lantern stall, looking at the lanterns. Although he could only see the back and could not see her face, she looked very familiar. Lin Qingyuan inexplicably felt that it was Cheng Yujin.
Lin Qingyuan tentatively called out. Today was the Spring Lantern Festival, crooks were mixed in with honest folk, and there was an endless stream of people. He was not sure if Cheng Yujin was willing to see him in this kind of situation. Unexpectedly, Cheng Yujin actually turned around.
Lin Qingyuan immediately became energetic, pushing through the crowd to Cheng Yujin's side, and said with a smile, "I didn't dare to be sure just now, but I didn't expect it to really be Miss Cheng."
Cheng Yujin did not smile, nor did she move. She just stood there quietly, watching Lin Qingyuan struggle to cross the street and squeeze in front of her. In the end, Cheng Yujin smiled and said, "I thought the lanterns here were interesting, so I came to take a look. There were too many people just now, so I didn't see Editor Lin. Please forgive me. "
Lin Qingyuan heard and quickly waved his hand, "It's normal that you didn't see me. There are so many people on the street, how can you see everyone? Miss Cheng, you're too polite. There's no need for this between us. "
Hearing this, Cheng Yujin's heart, which had been suppressed for the whole night, finally relaxed a little. The string in her heart relaxed, and her expression also became lighter. When others saw this change, they also felt inexplicably happy.
Lin Qingyuan had always been casual. He did not have many relatives in the capital, and came out to see the lanterns purely to join in the fun. Now that he met Cheng Yujin, he thought that it was rare to meet an acquaintance, so why not go and see the lanterns together. Lin Qingyuan thought this and said, "Miss Cheng, do you have any plans next? I see a lantern riddle up ahead. Why don't we go and have a look? "
When Dugeaux and Lian Qiao heard Lin Qingyuan's words, their expressions changed slightly. There were many nobles in the capital, and there were also many rules. For a man to say such words was extremely rash.
Cheng Yujin didn't really care. If another man said such words, it would undoubtedly be offensive, but Lin Qingyuan wasn't from the capital, so it was normal for him to not be familiar with the capital's etiquette. Besides, Lin Qingyuan had always been a generous and eclectic person. Cheng Yujin smiled and didn't care about these overstepping boundaries. "Okay, thank you, Editor Lin."
When Lin Qingyuan heard this, he was overjoyed and volunteered to lead the way. Cheng Yujin looked back and saw Princess Qingfu and Madame Zhai standing together. The two of them were talking about something, and Princess Qingfu's expression gradually became cold. On the other hand, the Nguyễn Clan was surprised and secretly delighted. She tried hard to suppress the smile on her face.
Cheng Yujin obviously couldn't hear what they were talking about from so far away. But when she saw Qingfu's expression, she was surprised and unhappy, but she didn't flick her sleeves in anger. It was clear that although Madame Zhai's words made her unhappy, they didn't cross the line. In other words, it wasn't very likely that the engagement was canceled.
Even if Princess Qingfu didn't have feelings for Cheng Yujin, she was still her mother in name. If the engagement was canceled in front of her again and again, Princess Qingfu would have exploded long ago. How could she stand on the street and listen to Madame Zhai talk?
If the engagement wasn't canceled, could it be the wedding or the betrothal gifts? Zhai Yanlin was remarried. According to the rules of etiquette, the second wife had to present her as a concubine in front of the first wife. The second wife couldn't surpass the first wife in any aspect, and the betrothal gifts were most likely lower than the first wife's. Perhaps the Huo family took this rule into consideration and came to negotiate with the Marquis of Yichun.
Cheng Yujin couldn't describe what she was feeling. She stared blankly at the lights in front of her for a while, then laughed at herself. When did she become like this? She actually relied on others.
No one in the world cared more about these things than she did. Although Cheng Yuanjing said he would help, he was busy with work and couldn't take care of everything. At the end of the day, she still had to rely on herself.
It was better to rely on oneself than to seek help from Buddha. This was a principle she understood when she was seven years old. How could she still be so muddle-headed now?
Lin Qingyuan walked for a while and didn't respond when he spoke to the person behind him. When he turned around, he saw that Cheng Yujin was still standing in the same spot and staring intently at a lantern. Lin Qingyuan was puzzled and had no choice but to turn back. "Miss Cheng, what's wrong?"
Cheng Yujin snapped out of her thoughts and realized that she stood Lin Qingyuan up. She lowered her head and coughed. "Nothing. I saw the strangeness of this lantern and unknowingly became so engrossed that I didn't follow Editor Lin."
Lin Qingyuan immediately waved his hand when he heard that it was because of the lantern. "It's fine. Miss Cheng doesn't need to apologize to me. I took Miss Cheng out to play, not for her to apologize. It's fine as long as she's happy. "
Cheng Yujin's heart warmed when she heard these words. Lin Qingyuan was a very upright and magnanimous person. He had Xu Zhixian's pure heart and was more opinionated and capable than Xu Zhixian. If she married this kind of person, she would definitely have a comfortable life in the future.
Cheng Yujin lowered her eyes to hide her thoughts. "Thank you, Editor Lin."
Lin Qingyuan saw that Cheng Yujin had stopped in front of a lantern and really thought that she had been looking at the lantern. He said, "If she likes lanterns, there are many novel lanterns in front. She might as well go ahead and take a look."
"Okay." Cheng Yujin nodded. People came and went on the street. Cheng Yujin turned around to take a look and saw that Princess Qingfu and the others were still focused on their conversation and didn't pay attention to their surroundings. Just at this time, a carriage passed by in the middle of the road. When the carriage passed by, Cheng Yujin also disappeared from her previous position.
Her figure suddenly disappeared. Zhai Yanlin frowned and immediately took a few steps forward. However, the entire city was mobilized for the Lantern Festival and there were too many people on the street. Zhai Yanlin looked around for a long time, but couldn't find Cheng Yujin's figure.
Zhai Yanlin frowned. Today, the good and the bad were mixed together. Cheng Yujin only brought two servant girls with her. It was too dangerous for her to be separated from the crowd. He originally wanted to immediately rush in the direction that Cheng Yujin disappeared. However, after taking two steps, he remembered what happened a few days ago.
He was used to gathering with his colleagues and friends, but when he was drunk and went out alone to sober up, he was stopped by an unfamiliar face. Zhai Yanlin was experienced and knowledgeable. When he heard the other person's voice, he recognized that it was a eunuch. There was only one place in the world that had eunuchs. Di Yanlin was half sober from his drunken stupor. However, the eunuch put on a fake smile and said some ambiguous words, implying that he should not have any ideas that he should not have. There were some blessings that he could not enjoy.
Zhai Yanlin completely sobered up.
Zhai Yanlin stood in the cold wind for a long time. His face turned from red to white. He repeatedly thought about the eunuch's words. Don't have any ideas that you shouldn't have. During this time, he hadn't done anything out of line. The only difference was that he was planning to remarry.
When Zhai Yanlin thought of this, he couldn't believe it. Cheng Yujin, the Palace had taken an interest in her?
How was this possible?
Zhai Yanlin wasn't in the mood to drink. He sent a waiter to the table to inform him and then returned to the fu. When he returned home, Zhai Yanlin's expression was very ugly. He thought about it for a long time. In the end, he communicated with Old Lady Zhai and told his mother to put the Cheng Family's marriage aside for the time being.
When Old Lady Zhai heard that it was a eunuch who came to remind Zhai Yanlin, she was scared out of her wits. How could she let it go? She immediately told Madame Zhai to cancel the marriage. However, they didn't dare to offend the Cheng Family. They could only politely, almost begging, say that the matter they had mentioned earlier had never happened.
There were still princes in the Palace who had yet to marry. Even if Old Lady Zhai had the guts, she wouldn't dare to fight with the Imperial Family.
It just so happened that they had arranged to meet during the Lantern Festival. Originally, the elders of the two families wanted to create an opportunity for the newlyweds to get to know each other. Actually, to put it bluntly, it was Zhai Yanlin's own selfish motives. However, now that they had been warned by the Palace, the Duke House of Cai didn't dare to have any ideas. Old Lady Zhai was old and it wasn't suitable for her to squeeze with the crowd on the streets. As such, they asked Madame Zhai to go out and talk to the Cheng Family nicely.
Anyway, they weren't officially engaged. It was just that the elders of both parties had secretly exchanged messages. As long as the Cheng Family and the Zhai Family didn't say anything, no one would know about it. It was good for Miss Cheng's reputation and the Zhai Family's future.
Madame Zhai went out with a bitter face. Under such circumstances, Zhai Yanlin was obviously not suitable to meet Cheng Yujin. However, he still felt indignant. He followed Madame Zhai's horse carriage from afar. Separated by the bustling crowd, he watched as Cheng Yujin came down from the horse carriage.
She had dressed up meticulously today. Although she was wearing plain clothes because of her filial piety, she was wearing a pure white cloak. Under the lights, the light and shadow intertwined. It was as if the stars in the sky had fallen on her alone.
Zhai Yanlin looked at her from afar. It was as if a lifetime had passed. His hands in his sleeves were tightly clenched into fists. His heart was filled with unwillingness, shock, indignation, and so on. His chest was filled to the brim.
Previously, at the Xiangji Temple, Cheng Yujin had severely damaged his self-esteem. This was the first time in Zhai Yanlin's life that someone dared to speak to him in such a manner. All the women flattered and worshipped him. However, he was worthless to Cheng Yujin.
Zhai Yanlin's ferocious nature was aroused. He wanted to take this woman for himself even more. How could there be so much logic in this world? Just because Cheng Yujin was unwilling, did she not have to marry him?
That would be looking down on the Duke House of Cai too much.
Zhai Yanlin took advantage of his selfishness and forcefully tore open the window paper. During this period of time, he was flushed with success. He had been thinking about what expression Cheng Yujin would have when she found out that everything was a foregone conclusion. When she married into the Duke House of Cai and became his wife, would she soften her stance and beg him?
Zhai Yanlin's blood was boiling just thinking about it. The meeting during the Lantern Festival was also specially arranged by Zhai Yanlin. He wanted to see what expression Cheng Yujin would have when she faced him.
However, the words of the eunuch poured a basin of cold water on Zhai Yanlin's head without mercy. He was the one who arranged the meeting, but in the end, he did not dare to show up. Like a lowly and ridiculous mouse, he only dared to hide in the crowd and peek at the situation of the Cheng Family.
Everything was as Zhai Yanlin had imagined. Cheng Yujin was bright and dazzling. She was so beautiful that people could not take their eyes off her. However, Zhai Yanlin did not expect that he did not even have the qualifications to see Cheng Yujin.
Zhai Yanlin watched Cheng Yujin take her maids to see the lanterns. She stopped in front of a small stall for a long time and did not buy anything. Many people on the road were looking at her, but Cheng Yujin did not notice at all. In the end, a man squeezed to her side in surprise. The two of them said something, and Cheng Yujin disappeared.
It was not difficult for Zhai Yanlin to guess. Most likely, this man took Cheng Yujin to see the lanterns.
He was angry, resentful, and mixed with jealousy that he did not dare to show to others. However, in the end, Zhai Yanlin could only use force to break the lamp in his hand and angrily turn to leave.
Just like when they came, no one knew, and no one cared.
Madame Zhai did not know that her brother-in-law was watching not far away. Zhai Yanlin was uncomfortable, and Madame Zhai was also uncomfortable at this moment.
It was the Duke House of Cai who first proposed the marriage. In the end, not long after, the Cheng Family said that it was all a misunderstanding. They asked the Marquis of Yichun to be magnanimous and pretend that nothing happened.
To hell with magnanimous. How could Princess Qingfu take this kind of insult?
Madame Zhai's mouth was bitter, but she did not dare to offend the Cheng Family. She could only soften her stance and put in a good word for them. Princess Qingfu was also confused by the Zhai Family's actions. When they said that they wanted to cancel the marriage, the Zhai Family's attitude was very polite and could even be said to be fawning. However, when they said that they wanted to continue being friends, Madame Zhai said that she did not dare to associate with them. It was as if there would be trouble if she did not express her stance.
What exactly was going on?
Princess Qingfu and Madame Zhai were bickering with each other. They did not notice that Cheng Yujin had disappeared.
Cheng Yujin followed Lin Qingyuan to guess the riddles. After all, Lin Qingyuan came from a scholarly family. He was a top scholar. Along the way, he was very good at quoting classics and classics. Cheng Yujin listened to him and gradually relaxed, revealing a genuine smile.
Many people gathered in front of a lantern stall. This stall's lantern was big and beautiful. It was obvious that it was not cheap. There was a string in front of the lantern, which was decorated with lanterns. However, each lantern had a riddle. If one guessed correctly, the lantern could be taken away. The stall owner had made such a big fuss. Naturally, he would not lose money for nothing. Every riddle was very difficult. If one could not guess it, one could directly go to the stall to buy a lantern.
Cheng Yujin was amazed by the wisdom of the people's management. She originally wanted to stay away from Qingfu and the rest. However, now that there were so many riddles, she was also interested and carefully studied them one by one.
As she looked, she chatted with Lin Qingyuan. The two of them talked happily and harmoniously. Cheng Yujin became more and more relaxed. Lin Qingyuan told an allusion. She was amused and laughed. The corners of her eyes and the tips of her eyebrows were smiling.
Liu Yi stood in a secluded place. He felt that the wind tonight was getting colder. He silently rubbed his arms. Under everyone's pleading gaze, he braced himself and took a step forward. He carefully asked, "Your Highness, His Majesty is still waiting. What do you think …"
Cheng Yuanjing stood with his hands behind his back. Across the river, he silently looked at the scene on the other side.
There was a very large shed on the other side of the river. Right now, there were many people guessing the riddles. Liu Yi really wanted to bite off his own tongue. Everything was clearly fine. Why did he have to talk nonsense and point at the lantern shed for His Highness the Crown Prince to watch?
Now it was great. He was going to be the center of attention. Liu Yi always felt that his head could not be kept. Today was the Lantern Festival. The Emperor was having fun with the people. He personally went to the lantern tower to encourage the people. Of course, having fun with the people was only one of the reasons. The bigger reason was that the Emperor wanted to take advantage of the crowd to secretly meet Cheng Yuanjing.
Cheng Yuanjing and Liu Yi's group were on their way to see the Emperor. Unfortunately, they happened to see something that they shouldn't have seen. And this mess was pointed out by Liu Yi.
Liu Yi regretted it so much that his intestines were broken. The heavens could be his witness. At that time, he really only wanted to please his master and let the people live and work in peace. Wasn't it because his master was good at governing the country? Who knew that the eldest daughter of the Cheng Family would also be guessing the riddles under the lantern shed.
Cheng Yuanjing watched for a while and calmed down. He decided to see the Emperor first before dealing with Cheng Yujin's matter. He turned around. There was no expression on his face, but the aura around him was frighteningly cold. Liu Yi and the others were relieved at first. Then, their hearts became even more anxious. They all lowered their heads and pretended to be mute and deaf. They quietly followed behind their master.
They walked for a while in fear. Suddenly, they heard a clamor behind them. Liu Yi didn't take it to heart. There were so many people during the Lantern Festival. Every year, there would be some accidents. But the clamor became louder and louder. It gradually turned into a panic.
Cheng Yuanjing turned around and found that the noise came from the direction where Cheng Yujin was. His face sank and he immediately rushed back.
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