northernbook Chapter 450: The Best Husband
Chapter 450: The Best Husband
Is there something wrong with where they are sitting?
But Zhuang Lijuan was, after all, a member of the Empress Dowager's family, so it was normal for her to sit in a more intimate place.
Lin Rusi was still a little confused and wanted to tidy up Changning's bedding when a sentence suddenly came to mind.
A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl.
Even the Empress Dowager should abide by certain rules, such as the tacit rule that daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law should sit on the left.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Zhuang Lijuan sitting there and found that she hadn't noticed anything amiss; in fact, she seemed to be wearing an even more smug smile.
Their eyes met, and Lin Rusi didn't say anything, but simply straightened her back slightly, revealing an aura she didn't usually use.
Of course, such a gesture is not very obvious; it's just something that makes people unable to help but look.
Changning, who was in his arms, was the first to reach out and hug the person.
However, his small hands were too short, only able to grasp a wisp of clothing, causing Lin Rusi to look down at him.
“You always like to join in the fun, but not today. Stay here and keep your grandmother company.”
"what!"
He agreed quickly.
Lin Rusi tapped Changning's nose with her finger and received another kiss full of saliva.
She casually took out a handkerchief to wipe him clean, then wiped the corners of his mouth before looking at the Empress Dowager who was still talking to Zhuang Lijuan.
Seeing that she didn't seem to care about his actions, he felt much more at ease.
After all, Lin Rusi's understanding of the Empress Dowager was limited to what others said, and her actions were always embellished, so she couldn't believe everything she heard.
But constantly teasing the children would inevitably make noise, so she could only glance down at the ladies below.
Apart from the lady who had been too obvious in her gaze towards Lin Rusi, the others didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone, for fear of accidentally causing trouble.
Besides, she had already done a lot of things, which was enough to intimidate her subordinates, so who would want to make a fool of themselves?
With nothing to do, Lin Rusi had no choice but to turn her gaze to the Empress Dowager, who was leaving her standing there.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has been looking at you. Is it because you were talking to me that she has been neglecting her?"
"How could that be? I've heard the Emperor say that the Crown Princess is approachable and wouldn't fuss over such a small matter, would she?"
If Lin Rusi were to shake her head now that things have come to this point, Zhuang Lijuan would only spread rumors about her.
He nodded helplessly to the Empress Dowager, his already smiling face beaming even brighter.
"I was just curious about what the Empress Dowager and Juan'er were talking about. After all, I haven't spent as much time with you as she has, so I thought I could find out your preferences from their conversation."
"I'm already this old, I don't care about liking or disliking anything. As long as you have sincerity, I will remember it."
Lin Rusi knew this was just a polite remark, but she couldn't show any strangeness on her face, so she smiled and agreed.
At this moment, Changning, who had been well-behaved all along, seemed to feel ignored and actually used her little hands to support her body.
With the person right in her arms, Lin Rusi naturally noticed immediately. She supported the head, which was no bigger than the palm of her hand, and helped the person stand up with difficulty to look around.
He had never seen anything like this before, and his eyes were full of curiosity. However, instead of grabbing the things in his arms, he used his unruly fingers to touch them and push them around.
Although the child had little strength, the pastries and tea on the table still suffered, being crushed one by one and falling into the teacup.
"Changning, you can't do that, these are all food."
He didn't understand what was being said, but he still instinctively wanted to put those sweet-smelling fingers into his mouth.
Knowing that the wet nurse had just said that she shouldn't eat too many different kinds of food, how could Lin Rusi let him put his hands, which were covered in pastries, into his mouth?
She took the handkerchief from the nanny and quickly wiped her little hands clean.
Changning stared blankly at her restored hand, then glanced at the crushed pastries on the table. Only after confirming that this was not a dream did she glare at Lin Rusi with accusatory eyes.
"You're still too young to eat just anything. Next year, whatever you want to eat, Mom will let you try it."
It's only allowed to have a taste, otherwise she'll eat so much that she'll become a little ball of flesh and I won't be able to carry her anymore.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to hand it over to Li Jingyang, but we need to worry about his patience.
After all, he had tried to kick his son out of the house more than once.
Lin Rusi tore a piece of milk cake into strips and put it into his toothless mouth.
Changning seemed to have been eating since birth; her lips moved constantly, and she managed to eat the entire strip within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
"The way he eats is more and more like the Emperor. You know, he used to be very greedy. Several times when he had to study, he would take the eunuchs to the imperial kitchen to get pastries."
"I've never heard of such a feat before, Your Majesty."
"There is so much you don't know. It's just a pity that you were too young and ignorant back then. Once you understand the meaning of the book, you will no longer run away. You will study hard every day to learn how to govern the country."
The Empress Dowager looked towards the direction of the Imperial Study with a reminiscing expression.
Sitting on the other side, Zhuang Lijuan didn't want Lin Rusi to get lost in memories, so she couldn't help but remind her of everything that had happened that day when Lin Rusi couldn't see her.
Seeing her so impatient, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but sigh and skillfully took Changning into her arms.
"The child is so young, yet I can already see his future heroic figure."
"You have a good eye; you could spot Jingyang at a glance. If Juan'er could be like you, I wouldn't have to worry so much."
For some reason, upon hearing this, Lin Rusi couldn't help but look at Zhuang Lijuan.
Seeing that she was staring straight at them, they quickly looked away and turned back to the Empress Dowager.
“Juan’er grew up listening to stories about the Empress Dowager, so it’s indeed a bit difficult for her to marry a husband she likes.”
"Yes, she's too picky. I've shown her a few, but she either thinks they're not good at literature or they can't fight. There aren't that many people in the world who are both literate and skilled in martial arts."
When Lin Rusi met the Empress Dowager's expectant gaze, she knew she couldn't escape.
He wanted to agree slightly, and then find an excuse to decline later, but the Empress Dowager disagreed and spoke again.
"You absolutely must help me find her a good husband, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to find Juan'er the best husband in the world."
Everyone ignored a single word Lin Rusi said, assuming she was referring to the best husband.
And in this whole world, there is only one person who is the most compatible with Zhuang Lijuan in terms of both age and background.
Their gazes all involuntarily fell on Lin Rusi, as if trying to ascertain the meaning behind her words.
But she had no time to pay attention to the other party, her eyes revealing the utmost sincerity as she looked at the Empress Dowager.
The two stared at each other for a long time before she finally looked away and smiled at Zhuang Lijuan, whom she cherished even more.
Lin Rusi took advantage of the free time to pretend to tease Changning, which allowed her to catch her breath slightly.