diskusbooks Chapter 200 Jingfu
Chapter 200 Jingfu
Xue Yunting comforted him, "We won't die."
Nianyao said, "This is Jingzhao Manor! Who can come to our rescue?"
The Jing family is the city. The three Jing brothers are all outside, and Liang Qingcheng and Duan Mingzhu's fate is currently unknown.
Xue Yunting fell silent. He pressed his palm against Su Wuming's chest, channeling some internal energy into him. Nianyao's head, which was resting on his shoulder, grew heavier and heavier until finally, her body swayed and she collapsed.
Xue Yunting sat firmly, but his gaze gradually became unfocused. Duan Mingzhu's face flickered before him like candlelight. He softly called out, "Mingzhu..."
Mingzhu, if I am gone, you must return to the Xue family in Qinzhou. My parents are very, very good people; they will take good care of you, just as I would.
But Mingzhu… we were destined to be together forever, yet countless calculations and manipulations have been mixed in. It's as if only in this way can they prove their worth, prove they deserve to be loved…
Duan Mingzhu and Liang Qingcheng were arranged by Jingfu to stay at Shanshanju. As its name suggests, the residence was backed by a mountain, making it very quiet and secluded, and it was far away from the West Building.
Holding Buzhi in her arms, Liang Qingcheng felt rather uneasy. Before, in Bianjing, she held a prestigious position and felt quite confident. Now, far from the capital, she didn't even have a maid.
Qin Jiu said her maid had been murdered. She vaguely remembered encountering men in black and having a fight, but she had no recollection of the outcome.
Duan Mingzhu sat leisurely in the courtyard, complaining about the tea brewed by the maid: "This Yunwu tea can't be brewed with boiling water, otherwise the tea leaves will be overcooked and the tea soup won't be bright enough. It needs to be cooled slightly to achieve a mellow and sweet taste. It should be brewed in a large-bellied purple clay teapot, and the tea leaves should only fill one-fifth of the pot's volume; otherwise, it will be too weak and too bitter..."
Duan Mingzhu may not look very old, but she has a commanding presence when she's scolding someone. The maidservant stood beside her, meek and submissive, not daring to utter a single word.
Jingfu gave the Second Madam a wink and was about to step back when he heard Duan Mingzhu say, "Second Young Master."
Jingfu bowed and asked, "What are your orders, young mistress?"
Duan Mingzhu took a cup, poured tea, and placed it opposite him: "Second Young Master, please sit down, have some tea, and have a chat?"
Jingfu asked cautiously, "What would you like to talk about, young mistress?"
Duan Mingzhu glanced at Liang Qingcheng: "Of course, we should talk about Grandma. Since we're new here, we should at least learn about what kind of person she was before paying our respects. Ninth Sister-in-law, right?"
Liang Qingcheng, holding Bu Zhi, sat down next to Duan Mingzhu and echoed, "Yes, yes, yes..."
Jingfu observed Duan Mingzhu and Liang Qingcheng, noting their refined demeanor and elegant bearing. Thinking that these pampered young ladies from wealthy families posed no threat, he sat down.
Jingfu first praised Qin Yuzhu, saying she was beautiful, intelligent, generous, kind, and gentle... Then he started talking about Qin Jiu and her aunt, which drove Qin Shi to commit suicide by hanging...
Jingfu spoke vividly, concluding, "The news of the princess marrying Qin Jiu has spread throughout the land. Princess, given your appearance and stature, how could you possibly marry such a person..."
Princess, I may be blunt, but I truly care about you. Even with a child, you can marry someone better. Your son is being raised by the Princess and the Duke, so you're not a burden. Marrying Qin Jiu would be a step down for a woman, and women who marry down are always at a disadvantage…
Liang Qingcheng quickly interrupted him: "Second Young Master is joking. No one in Bianjing would dare to marry someone like me. It would be a great honor for me to marry Qin Jiu."
He replied, "It's perfect that my mother married my father."
Jingfu said, "This child isn't shy at all; he calls me 'Dad' quite smoothly."
Confused and bewildered, he looked at Liang Qingcheng and then at Jingfu. Liang Qingcheng, rather embarrassed, stood up and said, "I don't know, Mother will take you to pick flowers..."
After watching Liang Qingcheng walk a little further away, Duan Mingzhu asked Jingfu, "When are Yun Ting and the others arriving?"
Jingfu said, "The young general has something to discuss with my father, so it will probably be a little later."
Duan Mingzhu said, "It doesn't matter if it's a little late, I'm just afraid they won't be able to come back."
Jingfu asked in astonishment, "What do you mean by this, young mistress?"
Duan Mingzhu smiled but remained silent. Jingfu thought for a moment and said to the servants standing beside him, "Take good care of the two ladies. I'll go to the front hall to check on things."
Duan Mingzhu touched the egg pouch hanging from her waist and suddenly realized that when she was a daughter, she used to daydream when she had nothing to do, but now when she has free time, she thinks about Xue Yunting.
Xue Yunting has indeed lost some weight. Is it because of her? Is being with her too much pressure? Did I scare him by losing my temper that day? Is my temper really that bad...?
If she really went back to Qinzhou with Xue Yunting, his parents probably wouldn't like her as a daughter-in-law, right? His younger brother and sister probably wouldn't like her as a sister-in-law either, right? Maybe it's better not to go; staying on Chongming Island is fine...
Once the matter at Jingzhao Manor is resolved, I'll return to Chongming Island; I can't go anywhere else. Running around like this anymore won't take my body...
Duan Mingzhu was lost in thought, completely forgetting where she was, until someone nudged her knee and called out, "Auntie, Auntie..."
Duan Mingzhu snapped out of her daze and asked gently, "I don't know what's wrong?"
Pointing to the sky, he said, "Mother said there's smoke over there; it means there's a fire."
Duan Mingzhu suddenly stood up and ran outside. The guards at the door were on high alert: "The eldest young master has ordered that the two ladies are of noble status and must rest here. Do not move around casually. We cannot bear the responsibility if anything happens to them."
The second wife followed and advised, "Please calm down, ladies. I'll send someone to find out what happened."
Duan Mingzhu leaned against the doorway, her eyes lowered, looking like a helpless little girl. Liang Qingcheng stood behind her, somewhat at a loss.
Jingfu returned quickly: "The kitchen was on my mother's orders to warm porridge for the ladies. There were few people around at this time, and they were careless and accidentally started a fire, but it has been put out now."
A kitchen fire is normal; it was put out so quickly, so it doesn't seem like a big deal. Liang Qingcheng was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard Duan Mingzhu's cold voice: "Where's Xue Yunting? Why isn't he back yet?"
Jingfu said, "The young general and Chief Xue are at Xuanyuan Palace, looking for any relics of the late emperor."
Duan Mingzhu asked, "Is there?"
Jingfu shrugged: "I don't know. That was the late emperor's former residence; we didn't dare go in."
Duan Mingzhu stared at Jingfu, trying to find some flaw in his statement. Jingfu scratched his head: "Young Madam, please wait a little longer. The Young General will come over when he's finished with his work."
Duan Mingzhu said, "I'm going to find him now."
Duan Mingzhu spoke with absolute certainty, and Jingfu and the guards were both stunned for a moment. In that instant, Duan Mingzhu left Shanshanju.
Jingfu was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stop her or not, and could only follow behind Duan Mingzhu. Duan Mingzhu's steps appeared hurried, but she actually walked very slowly. She was not tall, and after becoming pregnant, she had become extremely cautious, habitually taking small, slow steps.
Liang Qingcheng caught up with Duan Mingzhu in a few steps. Seeing that she was a little out of breath, she reminded her, "Mingzhu, why don't we ask the Second Young Master to find a carriage?"
It was quite a distance from Shanshan Residence to Xuanyuan Palace; they had come by carriage. Duan Mingzhu stopped, seemingly only then realizing what was happening: "Second Young Master, thank you for your trouble."