Outside the door, Yuanbao's scratching sound stopped and was replaced by a babyish whimper.
Although it is still a puppy, the way it holds its head high already looks like it is guarding the house.
Mrs. Zhou's ears twitched, and she listened carefully to the sobbing tone, and she knew that the master had returned home.
This little Dong was barking at the master alone. He didn't even bother to raise his eyelids, let alone utter a sound, when the maids and servants he didn't know passed by the courtyard.
Mrs. Zhou hurriedly raised the curtain and went out to greet him. It was dark at night, and she walked forward with a lantern. From a distance, she could see the tall figure of the old man approaching.
Wen Tang half leaned on the couch, waiting until he heard footsteps approaching outside. Seeing that they had reached the door, Wen Tang stood up. Baochun beside him went forward to help the old man undress and serve him tea.
Baochun stepped forward cautiously because the old man had a very cold expression and a heavy pressure that kept strangers away, making people afraid to act rashly.
Seeing that the little maid was frightened by his cold face, Wen Tang winked at Mrs. Zhou, who naturally understood and stepped forward to serve tea to the master.
Qin Gong sat down, took the teacup, and drank it all without saying a word. His Adam's apple rolled, and the tea seemed unable to quench the silent chill that enveloped him.
Every year after returning from the palace, Qin Gong's expression never brightened, becoming even more icy and hardened than usual. Wen Tang felt that he was particularly taciturn today. Ask him? He wouldn't answer. As usual, after bathing, he'd just say "lights out" and dismiss him.
His thoughts are harder to guess than those of a girl.
Wen Tang simply ignored his question and only picked up the topic that Mrs. Zhou had just raised. "Master, what rare gifts are your colleagues preparing for His Majesty's birthday? Please help me think of something valuable and thoughtful. I went to my father-in-law this afternoon, and he specifically instructed me that there are a few important things that must be delivered this year."
This was a serious matter to be discussed. Wen Tang waited for Qin Gong to speak, but unexpectedly he saw him frown suddenly, put down his tea bowl, and looked over at him.
Wen Tang couldn't help but raise his hand and touch his face when he was looked at by him.
Her face was clean, what was there that was worthy of his staring at?
"Just discuss it with mother." Qin Gong said.
Wen Tang nodded in agreement. It was the same in previous years. After all, she was young and it was inevitable that she would make mistakes in managing the household. Her mother-in-law came from a prominent family in the previous dynasty. She was well-versed in rules and regulations, interpersonal relationships, and general affairs of the house. There were definitely things worth her careful consideration.
Wen Tang had already bathed and had a light fragrance on his body. Qin Gong drank two bowls of tea in silence, then got up and went into the inner room to bathe.
When he got on the bed, Wen Tang rolled into the inner side nimbly and breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally gotten there first today, so he wouldn't be taken away by him again.
The old woman came in and extinguished the candle, leaving a hazy moonlight outside the window.
Wen Tang was lying on the side of the couch. He had just found a comfortable position and buried his cheek in the pillow when Qin Gong, who was standing beside the couch, suddenly asked,
"Why did you glare at me this morning?"
This question caught Wen Tang off guard. Qin Gong seldom asked questions, so this question really made Wen Tang stunned for a moment and think carefully.
This morning,
Stare at him.
When did she do it.
While she was racking her brains, Qin Gong next to her had already taken off his clothes and got into bed.
As soon as he got up, he felt that the bed was much more cramped.
He didn't ask any further questions, but changed the subject, "Why didn't you go to the poetry gathering this morning?"
This question perked up Wen Tang.
A few days ago, she told him she was going out today, using the excuse of accompanying the fourth girl to a poetry gathering. But today, he saw her not going.
"I know I have only a few drops of ink in my belly. What can I do with it? Recite poems with others? Or guess riddles? I will be laughed at and embarrassed."
She openly admitted that she was illiterate and frank, and then she clearly heard a low chuckle coming from the side.
Wen Tang blinked. Being educated, did that make him look like him?
Today, Qin Gong holds a high position of power. Outsiders only remember him for his powerful authority, ruthless methods, and the murderous aura that lingers around him.
But he was also a well-read young man from an aristocratic family. When Wen Tang met him for the first time, he was not wearing the solemn official robe. The moon-white brocade robe made his posture stand tall and straight, his eyebrows and eyes were gentle, and his speech and behavior were gentle and polite, showing the noble and elegant demeanor of a young man from an aristocratic family.
Then, when Wen Tang married into the family, she discovered his true face.
Wen Tang was still thinking when a pair of large hands with thin calluses reached out to him without any explanation.
Wen Tang was massaged for most of the night before it finally stopped.
Wen Tang woke up early in the morning, his head was blank and he couldn't muster any energy at all.
But the man standing beside the couch was tying his belt leisurely.
Wen Tang's face was still red, not because of embarrassment, but because of anger.
She almost couldn't breathe late last night and her voice became hoarse.
But she didn't know why, the more she begged him, the more excited he became. He had no place to use his energy, so he used it all on her.
Qin Gong over there was already dressed neatly. He picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. When he put down the tea bowl, his eyes passed by her. She was sitting with her quilt wrapped around her, her black hair disheveled, her little face still flushed, her eyes sparkling, and the look in her eyes was exactly the same as the one she gave him yesterday morning when she looked up at him.
He had misjudged her yesterday. That wasn't a glare, but rather a mixture of anger and resentment, urging him to accompany her to the poetry gathering. After all, she wasn't good at writing, but Qin Gong didn't think that mattered. He didn't need her to display her poetic talent or write brilliantly. He hadn't understood her yesterday and mistakenly thought she was being petty.
Wen Tang was originally glaring at him unhappily, but after seeing his dark and thoughtful eyes, her heart tightened inexplicably, and she subconsciously clutched the quilt around her. He nodded slightly to her, then turned around refreshed, lifted the curtain and went out.
Yuanbao, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, saw the door open and immediately
"Woof woof woof…"
The little tail is wagging happily.
It was too small and Qin Gong was very tall, so he lowered his head and Yuanbao jumped up.
"Woof."
Baochun hurried over, squatted down, and wanted to pick up the happy puppy and take it aside.
Yuanbao was very agile. He twisted his body to break free, caught up with Qin Gong, and chased after him, biting his heels.
Wen Tang rested for another half a minute before Mrs. Zhou came in to help her get up and wash up.
After packing up, she went to the old lady's courtyard to pay her respects as usual. As soon as she reached the gate, she saw Su Yi giving her a look. Su Yi's usually bright smile was dull today.
Since Qin Ruoyue and Madam Song are not here, then it is not about the Fourth Young Lady.
The fifth lady and Zhao were sitting on the side. When they saw Wen Tang coming in, Zhao turned her face away, but the fifth lady smiled at her apologetically.
Wen Tang withdrew his gaze and greeted the old lady and mother-in-law.
When the old lady saw Wen Tang, her first words were, "Move the cousin of Aunt Yun from the Second Master's courtyard to your courtyard and find her a place to live."
When Mrs. Zhou, who was following Wen Tang, heard this, she immediately looked at Su Yi, who was crying softly with her face covered. Su Yi was not wearing her usual pomegranate red clothes today, but a plain dress, and her face was not even made up.
Wen Tang walked over to Su Yi and was about to hand her a handkerchief when the old lady spoke in a cold voice, "How many years have you been married? You don't even have this little bit of tolerance! A few days ago, the Second Master had to follow you around to apologize and be humble, which would have been fine, but now you are jealous over some unfounded things. Fortunately, the doctor came in time, otherwise, the baby in Concubine Yun's belly would have been lost by you!"
"Her cousin comes to visit me every day to pay her respects, massage my shoulders and legs, and is incredibly well-behaved and sensible. How could you possibly have made such wild assumptions and created all this trouble?"
The old lady said this, her eyes glancing sharply at the Duke's wife beside her. "After all, she is from your mother's family. This temperament is inherited from the same lineage."
This was said without any politeness, and even the Duke's wife's past habit of being jealous was pointed out.
"The one in Madam Yun's belly is the blood of the Qin family! I won't tolerate you being so petty as to make up for it. If you lose the baby, who among you can give birth to more children to compensate for it?"
The old lady's gaze finally fell heavily on the crying Su Yi and Wen Tang.
Wen Tang knew the whole story. Last night, Su Yi had argued with the Second Master over the cousin that Concubine Yun had brought into the mansion. Concubine Yun had come to apologize, but ended up having a miscarriage. The old lady was already furious with Wen Tang and the Duke's wife over Qin Ruoyue's incident the previous day, and Su Yi's incident today only added fuel to the fire.
After leaving the old lady's yard and walking away, Wen Tang helped Su Yi, whose eyes were red from crying, to sit down in the pavilion by the water. She asked the maid to get some cooked eggs to make the second lady roll her eyes.
"The old lady is angry because of what happened to the fourth young lady yesterday. Don't be too sad."
Su Yi's voice was as low as a mosquito, "I'm sorry to bother you, sister-in-law, for trying to coax me now. I made the old lady ask you to take that person back. I'm sorry..."
Wen Tang patted her back gently and comforted her not to be too depressed. She was the niece of her mother-in-law and the legal wife of the second master. Even if she had no biological children, she was still the legal mother and would always have a place to stand.
"Yesterday... Second Master also said that I was being unreasonable and that I was harming her since her belly was so big."
When Wen Tang heard her calling him Second Master instead of Cousin, he knew that she was really angry this time.
"When the master comes back in the evening, I will ask him to talk to the second master and comfort him so that he won't get carried away." Wen Tang promised.
Wen Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief after sending Su Yi back to the courtyard. This morning, both she and her mother-in-law had been harshly criticized by the old lady. Her mother-in-law must have been quite furious, too.
Mrs. Zhou followed Wen Tang closely, and the maid from the old lady's courtyard had already brought over the cousin of Concubine Yun.
The young girl greeted Wen Tang politely, and on the surface, she seemed as well-behaved as the old lady had said. Mrs. Zhou's sharp eyes swept over her. Although she was dressed simply, the thin lilac-colored shirt she wore was tightly cinched around her waist, highlighting her figure.
Mrs. Zhou wanted to send her to the most remote corner without thinking, but it was the old lady who gave the order, so she sent her to live in the side room so that she could be kept under her nose and easier to manage.
After sending them away, Mrs. Zhou was still worried and pointed a maid to accompany them. How could she just push the second master's cousin from his aunt's family into the eldest grandmother's courtyard? The old lady's abacus beads were about to fall on my face. She sent this little girl here just to make the eldest master happy and marry her, and even talked about the issue of offspring.
Mrs. Zhou said, "This matter of the fourth young lady is a hot potato. You did good things, but the old lady treated you like a donkey's liver and lungs."
"It's better for us to stay out of this."
Wen Tang had things to do, so she went straight to her mother-in-law's house. Her mother-in-law looked fine, having been pricked by the old lady, but she had recovered and was waiting for her to discuss the emperor's birthday gift.
However, no matter what precious and rare things Wen Tang mentioned, his mother-in-law showed no interest and did not have the same enthusiasm as others to curry favor with the royal family.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law discussed for nearly an hour before they finally finalized it.
The Duke's wife said, "Tell Gong'er to be cautious in the palace and not to stand out."
Wen Tang nodded. His mother-in-law would always remind him of this at this time every year.
However, the grandeur of this year's Wanshou Festival far exceeded Wen Tang's expectations. Envoys and dignitaries from the capital gathered, creating a scene of universal celebration.
However, His Majesty did not give the important task of organizing such a grand ceremony to the Second Prince and his mother, the Imperial Concubine, who were in the limelight, nor to the usually reliable Concubine Shu, but wanted to give it to the minister Qin Gong.
The Duke of Guo told his wife about the matter. She flatly refused, her expression extremely agitated. The Duke of Guo did not argue with her, but just sat there, silent and silent. After a long sigh, he said, "It's been so many years, how about we fulfill his wish?" Unexpectedly, the moment these words came out, the Duke of Guo's wife was stunned, tears rolled down her face, and she shook her head and refused. Seeing her wife in such tears, the Duke of Guo could not bear to say anything more. His tall figure loomed over her, "Don't cry, I won't say anything more."
He clumsily and gently wiped the tears from his wife's face with his long fingers, hugged her tightly in his arms, and said with regret in his voice, "It's my fault. I said the wrong thing."
--
In the courtyard, under the tall locust tree, the evening breeze blows across the lotus pond, bringing the lotus fragrance.
Qin Gong strode along the bluestone road leading to the main courtyard. He was still wearing the official robe that symbolized power and killing, and the jade belt made his waist look narrow and strong.
His face was expressionless, and his deep brows and eyes looked even colder in the deepening dusk. His whole body seemed to be filled with the chill he had just brought out from the government office, which was out of tune with the warm breeze of the summer evening.
Mrs. Zhou was standing at the gate of the main courtyard, waiting for the master while dealing with the new cousin next to her.
My cousin asked softly, "Mother Zhou, where should I eat?"
"Someone will take it to you. You don't have to come to the main courtyard."
"I'm sorry, Aunt Zhou. When I was in my cousin's yard, I always went to my cousin's main room to eat. I'm not used to the new place yet. I'm sorry to bother you." The cousin lowered her head even more, revealing a part of her white neck.
"No trouble, I'll have someone bring the food to you right away. Go back to your room."
Qin Gong's tall figure was approaching, and Mrs. Zhou immediately left her cousin and went to meet him, "Master."
Qin Gong nodded slightly, and without stopping, he walked straight into the main courtyard, without even glancing at the slender figure standing next to him.
Mrs. Zhou sent someone to go in and serve the old man and the great-grandmother, then turned to the cousin who was still standing there in a daze and said, "Go back."
In the main room,
Qin Gong pushed the door open and walked in. Wen Tang stood up and walked forward. She had something to tell him.
However, as soon as she approached, he suddenly grabbed her with his hot hands and threw her into his cold and hard arms.
Qin Gong shouted from above, "Everyone get out."
The sound of footsteps outside the door curtain quickly receded.
Then, I heard his suddenly heavy breathing next to my ears, "Be good, I will go to the palace soon... Time is short, just bear with it."