CH 52

Yuan Ci Xian really didn’t want to stay inside to be involve with Jiang Bi Rou’s performance anymore, even glancing at it made her eyes hurt. But Lu Shi Qing’s words didn’t make sense, it was as if she had been brought into his Lu family for life.

Her surname is Yuan, ok?

She lowered her eyes to look at the hands on her shoulders and the blue crane cloak wrapped around her body, then remember yesterday’s annoyance, she raised her chin and said, “Who allowed you to take me away?”

“Who didn’t allow it?” Lu Shi Qing asked rhetorically as he looked at the back where there was no gun smoke nor any enemy.

Yuan Ci Xian followed his gaze and looked back, and said fiercely: “When my brother is done, you won’t be able to laugh.” While she was talking, she was carried out of the West Courtyard by Lu Shi Qing, then asked strangely, “Where are we going?”

“I will rearrange your accommodation.” He replied, “The room where Jiang shi lies down needs to be cleaned carefully, the mattresses must be burned, and the threshold must be repaired.”

Yuan Ci Xian felt gratified when she heard this, and forgot to confront him for a while, she gritted her teeth and said, “The washbasin has to be smashed, the towels have to be shredded, and the teacup has to be taken back to the furnace to be remold.”

Lu Shi Qing looked down at her angry expression, made a note of it secretly, and said “If you said earlier that it was because of her that you take shelter with me, I wouldn’t let her to enter the mansion and add bad luck today.”

Seeing blood was indeed bad luck, Yuan Ci Xian was a little embarrassed when she heard this, especially feeling ashamed of Xuan shi, who always treated her with sincerity. She thought for a while and said: “I’ll go back and make amends to the old lady, and then invite someone to go to the house to perform exorcism…” She sighed at this point, “I pity my unborn nephew.”

Although the child really couldn’t be saved, she still felt a little uncomfortable as an aunt.

Seeing her sullen look, Lu Shi Qing asked, “Why, you like children so much?”

Yuan Ci Xian was absent-minded, nodded but then shook her head and said, “I like other people’s children.”

He choked, raised his eyebrows and said, “What’s the reason?”

“Look at my sister-in-law, giving birth is too painful. I’ll just play with other people’s children.”

It turned out this matter casted a shadow on her.

Lu Shi Qing was even more annoyed with Jiang Bi Rou. He was thinking about Yuan Ci Xian’s words and was about to tell her that having a child wouldn’t be that scary, but suddenly heard her asking: “Are you familiar with Minister Jiang? Is he powerful?”

The one she asked was Jiang Bi Rou’s second uncle Jiang Min, Minister of Dali Temple in the court.

“So-so.” Lu Shi Qing answered two questions with one word, and then asked, “Why are you asking?”

Yuan Ci Xian naturally didn’t intend to tell him the content of her dream, only said: “Of course it’s because I “bullied” my sister-in-law, I’m afraid I’m going to be retaliated by Minister Jiang. How about it, can you afford to provoke this person? His rank is higher than yours.”

Lu Shi Qing sneered: “There are still anyone in Chang’an that I can’t afford to provoke?”

Saying it nicely, his arrogant attitude was called confidence, saying it unpleasantly it’s called cocky.

But Yuan Ci Xian suddenly discovered that his cocky attitude was very charming. Only such cockiness could be qualified to be her backer.

She rubbed her hands together and said, “Then I’m relieved.”

Lu Shi Qing glanced at her, “What are you relieved about? I only said that I can afford it, but I didn’t say I would provoke him for you.”

She got angry: “Why can’t you provoke him for me? Everyone in Great Zhou knows about our relationship. If he bullies me, then he doesn’t put you in his eyes, even breaking the ground where Taisui live. Can you bear this kind of thing?”

Lu Shi Qing nodded: “Forbearance, let the weather be calm.”

Yuan Ci Xian pushed his hand away angrily, stopped walking and said, “Then if there’s a knife over my head, don’t you feel distress?”

The cloak on her shoulders which originally loose was now slipping down. Lu Shi Qing sighed and said, “I’ll think about it.” Then he walked around to her front, slowly helped her fasten the tie, then pointed his chin forward, “We’re here.”

Yuan Ci Xian secretly slandered him inside, raised her head, looked at the courtyard in front of her, and said, “Isn’t this a trap?” After saying that, she waved her hand to signal that she made a slip of tongue, and changed her words, “I mean, isn’t this Dongkua Courtyard?”

Yes, this was the Dongkua Courtyard which was separated from Lu Shi Qing by only a wall, the “trap” that Xuan shi was talking about.

Is she finally going to win?

Lu Shi Qing explained: “The feng shui here is good, hopefully you won’t get me into trouble again.”

Yuan Ci Xian scoffed at him: “No need. Brother will take me home later, and it just so happens that my sister-in-law’s trouble is almost settled, so I won’t…”

“Won’t go back.” He interrupted her.

Yuan Ci Xian suddenly clam up, she raised her ears, and said to him, “Say it again?”

Lu Shi Qing took her by the arm, led her into the main house in the courtyard, and ordered his servants to move the heater and tidy up the mattress. He then sat down with her at the table and said, “Your sister-in-law’s matter is not settled yet.”

Yuan Ci Xian pouted. Of course, she knew that it was not completely settled right now. Even if after this incident her brother could see Jiang Bi Rou’s real face, it was impossible to draw up a divorce letter when she just had a miscarriage and had a weak body. A good old man like him couldn’t do such a cold and immoral thing.

In fact, although Yuan Ci Xian was not as soft-hearted as her brother, she originally wanted to give a leeway for Jiang Bi Rou. After all, it was Jiang Bi Can who came up with the idea, and in the final analysis her sister-in-law was also a pitiful person. She didn’t want the matter to go to the extreme, so she retreated to Lu Mansion. Even on the steps, she gave her one last chance. Who knew that Jiang Bi Rou really had an iron heart and would not repent. Coupled with all kinds of reminders in the dream, in the end she had to be ruthless.

After all, this person might stab the Yuan family at any time.

But what Lu Shi Qing said was right, the current fire was not enough. Yuan Ci Xian couldn’t come up with any evidence to prove her fake fall, Yuan Yu would believe her as a younger sister, but outsiders might not, and people would always sympathize with the “victim”. When this matter spread, the Yuan family might not have the upper hand. The Jiang family might even use this to add fuel to discredit her brother in the court.

Yuan Ci Xian sat in front of him with her cheek propped up, and said: “I know, that’s why I have to go back to the house, so as not to cause more trouble.”

Lu Shi Qing twitched the corner of his mouth: “Staring at her every day, won’t you get mad? A calculating person can also be calculated, she can frame you, why can’t you frame her?”

Yuan Ci Xian’s eyes flashed, she liked this idea a bit.

Lu Shi Qing took out a letter from his sleeve: “In a while give this to your brother, and tell him to put it where Jiang shi can find it, and the rest, you brother and sister don’t have to care.”

Yuan Ci Xian immediately figured out the purpose of the letter – Lu Shi Qing wanted to let Jiang Bi Rou get some false news that would affect everything else. If she had some bottom line, she wouldn’t secretly report this news to the Jiang family, if it was otherwise, she would only brought disaster unto herself.

Indeed, to completely uproot Jiang Bi Rou and even the Jiang family without leaving future troubles, the battlefield was not in the inner house, but in the court.

After thinking about this, Yuan Ci Xian was moved: “You have already prepared to help me deal with the Jiang family?”

Lu Shi Qing met Zheng Zhuo this morning and knew that Yuan Ci Xian asked him to pay attention to Jiang family’s affairs, so once he got Cao An’s news, he nervously rushed back to the mansion, fearing that Jiang Bi Rou would harm her. This letter was prepared in advance by him on the way back home.

But he didn’t admit it, only said: “Can be targeting Jiang family is good, but Minister Jiang is the person I want to deal with, so I just help you in passing. I originally haven’t thought about how to use this letter, so it’s also thanks to your Yuan family’s luck.”

Yuan Ci Xian curled her lips: “Oh, I heard that Minister Jiang has a good relationship with His Majesty, so are you competing with him for favor?”

“…”

Yuan Ci Xian said with a smile: “In that case, I’ll help you by telling you a secret.”

Lu Shi Qing raised his eyebrows slightly, motioning for her to speak.

“You might as well look it up, Minister Jiang may have hidden connection with Lingnan.”

“Lingnan?” Lu Shi Qing asked back.

She avoided the content of the dream and explained: “You know, I like to eavesdrops, and one time I heard my sister-in-law tell someone that the Jiang family seems to have some friendship with Lingnan.”

Lu Shi Qing frowned deeply for a while, and suddenly as if the clouds scattered and the mists dispersed, everything became clear: “So that’s the case.”

“Is there really a secret?”

He said “hmm”: “Yuan Ci Xian, your eavesdropping finally have some usefulness. I thank you on behalf of the court.”

“…”

That day, after Yuan Yu came out of the West Courtyard, he listened to Yuan Ci Xian talk about the letter, then he and she performed an earth-shattering “brother and sister split” drama in front of Jiang Bi Rou.

Afterwards, her brother and sister-in-law went back home, but she stayed, because Lu Shi Qing said that the letter would take effect in three to five days at the fastest, and ten days at the slowest.

As such a black-hearted and treacherous person, the conspiracy and tricks he played did not take effect immediately. Yuan Ci Xian felt that he did it on purpose.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and there was still no movement in the court, but she got to know Lu Mansion well, and got along more and more harmoniously with her future mother-in-law. Only the future sister-in-law still had a little grudge with her.

Yuan Ci Xian didn’t care about Lu Shuang Yu at first, after all, she would reach her marriageable age next year, so sooner or later she would be thrown out. But Lu Shi Qing had always been away from the house recently, and Yuan Ci Xian had nothing to do, so she followed her along to win her over.

One day before the winter solstice, the two gathered together to sorted out vegetables.

Naturally, it was not the job of delicate young ladies like them to sorted out vegetables, but Luoyang people had some special customs during the winter solstice. One of them was that the young lady who was waiting to get married had to personally wash their hand and make soup, which supposed to show her virtue and appealed to a good family to marry in the future.

At this age, Lu Shuang Yu was also considered waiting to get married, so Xuan shi asked her to practice a few days earlier, and gave her three big baskets of vegetables to sort out.

Yuan Ci Xian who was itchy with idleness accompanied her to work, and when sorting out vegetables was boring, she chatted with her: “Sister Shuang Yu, I have a question. I have been wondering for a long time, why is your brother so afraid of dogs?”

She just wanted some small talk. After all, Lu Shi Qing was tight-lipped and never said anything.

Lu Shuang Yu who also realized it, raised her chin and said, “This is our family’s secret, if I tell you, brother will scold me.”

“You really treat me like an outsider. Look, I’ve been living in your house for so long, and I’m probably not far away from becoming your sister-in-law, why are you so unfamiliar with me? Sooner or later, my surname will be Lu as well!”

“Then wait until your surname become Lu.” Lu Shuang Yu snorted, and continued to sort out vegetables with her head down.

Seeing her bored face, Yuan Ci Xian tempted: “At your speed, after sorting out these vegetables, it will be already dark. Tell me the secret, and I will help you sorting out a basket.”

She shook her head and said firmly: “No!”

Yuan Ci Xian stretched out two fingers: “Two baskets.”

Her expression was a little loose, but she still said unyieldingly: “No way!”

Yuan Ci Xian sighed, clenched her teeth, and stretched out three fingers. “Three baskets!”

Lu Shuang Yu was silent for a long time, then finally gritted her teeth: “Okay, deal!”