Duke Jing's younger sister

Chapter 222 Mu Qizhi

A woman who has lived in the deep palace for many years naturally understands the deep meaning of her words.

As expected, Concubine Zhao frowned slightly, looked at her strangely, and then smiled again.

"If you like it, just follow me to the palace to take it away. It's not a precious thing, so I'll give it to you as a reward."

Although Concubine Zhao agreed to talk to Jiang Li, she did not look at her with high regard.

The voice was cold and there was a hint of contempt in his eyes.

The Second Prince had proposed to marry Jiang Li some time ago but was unsuccessful, so Concubine Zhao naturally would not blame Emperor Hongyang.

I can only keep a note of Jiang Li and Xiao Wencong in my heart.

In addition, Shen Beiqi repeatedly refused to support the second prince, and Concubine Zhao would not give his sister a good look.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, knelt down and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Han Yunning looked at the two of them and felt that something was wrong.

She waved, and Ping'er understood and walked forward, putting her ear close to her.

Ping'er received the instructions and left quickly.

Although Concubine Zhao is not as prosperous as she used to be, she was once glorious, and all the furnishings in the palace are elaborate and gorgeous.

Even the small bronze mirror on the dressing table is inlaid with emerald green cat's eye stones.

At this moment, she was sitting in front of a bronze mirror, using black ink to draw her long curved eyebrows, which were a little lighter.

"Go ahead." Concubine Zhao said in a melodious voice, "What do you want to tell me?"

"Your Majesty, I want to cooperate with you." Jiang Li went straight to the point.

The action of drawing eyebrows did not pause for the slightest. Concubine Zhao smiled casually and glanced at the slender and petite figure behind her in the mirror.

"Why should I cooperate with you?"

"Because..." Jiang Li said, "our enemy is the same person."

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, just like her and Concubine Zhao.

Joining forces to deal with Han Yunning is the best option.

Concubine Zhao had been favored in the palace for many years, and it was definitely not just because of the support of the Yang family.

So, she would definitely not refuse.

Jiang Li had a vague feeling that allowing Han Yunning to stay with Emperor Hongyang was definitely not a good thing.

Concubine Zhao stood up, her long skirt dragging on the smooth bluestone floor.

She looked at Jiang Li for a moment, as if she had never known her before.

"I never thought that my stubborn and self-satisfied elder sister could raise a daughter like you?"

Concubine Zhao smiled and said, "Tell me, how can we cooperate?"

……

In Xiyun Pavilion, Han Yunning sat in front of the bronze mirror, allowing the maid to serve her and remove the hairpins from her hair.

Ping'er hurried in and reported, "Master, I found out."

Han Yunning looked at her through the bronze mirror and waved gently.

After several serving maids bowed silently, they filed out.

"After you leave tonight..."

Ping'er hesitated and said, "Jiang Li and the Prince Consort left from there."

Han Yunning's eyelids twitched suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to his mind.

She swung her wide sleeves vigorously, sweeping all the jewelry on the dressing table to the ground, and shouted angrily: "Waste!"

All kinds of exquisite hairpins fell to the ground, making crisp tinkling sounds.

She stood up suddenly, grabbed Ping'er's collar, and asked sternly: "Didn't I tell you to guard it and not let anyone pass? How come they are there?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down..."

Ping'er replied tremblingly, "We did guard well, and we really didn't see Jiang Li and the Prince Consort go over. They must have been there before you arrived, so we didn't notice them."

Ping'er thought to herself that the rumors about her master and the prince had already spread among the palace people.

However, because this matter is of great importance, no matter whether it is true or false, no one dares to discuss it openly in order to save their own lives.

Therefore, the masters in the palace knew nothing about this.

Han Yunning's face suddenly turned pale, and his fingers nervously rubbed the smooth sleeves of his red silk gown, his heart beating fast.

Given the current situation, it is impossible to be sure whether they have seen or heard it.

If you haven't seen it, that's fine.

But if Jiang Li saw it, I'm afraid she would be used to settle accounts with all the new and old grudges.

This feeling of being on edge, as if someone is pointing a sword at her all the time, which may pierce her heart at any time and push her into eternal damnation, is really annoying!

She sat down, holding the table. After a long silence, a strange and gloomy look flashed across her bright peach eyes.

At this point, there is nothing she can't give up!

.....

After returning to Yiranju, Jiang Li washed up, put on her middle clothes, and got into the soft bedding.

She looked at the ceiling of the green tent, still thinking carefully in her mind.

Han Yunning has an affair with the prince, so whose child is she pregnant with?

Could it be... the prince's?

No matter who it belongs to, as long as this matter is revealed in front of everyone, Han Yunning will definitely die.

Jiang Li turned over, feeling somewhat uneasy for some reason.

The night wind is cool and the shadows of the trees are swaying outside the window.

There was a crescent moon hanging in the sky. The sparse moonlight filtered through the screen window, casting the shadows of the trees onto the bluestone slabs on the floor of the house.

Suddenly, she thought of Shen Beiqi.

She pulled out a book from under her pillow.

Tucked inside the book was a bunch of flower branches that were so flattened and yellowed that their original appearance could no longer be seen.

This is the Lixing grass that he once sent in a letter.

Now there are only a few dead leaves left, and bare branches after the flowers have fallen.

She held the dead branch high up, and in the moonlight, she thought of the man she had met.

I don’t know how he is doing now?

At this time, Shen Beiqi was sitting in the tent, holding tightly in his hand the battle report that had just been delivered.

Luo Jue strode into the tent, holding a letter sent from Jiangdu City in his hand.

"Hengzhi, this is the letter His Majesty just sent."

Shen Beiqi took the letter, unfolded it, glanced at it quickly and put it down.

"See so fast?"

Luo Jue picked up the paper from the table in surprise, and after reading it, he complained,

"Your Majesty, why are you so anxious? Luzhou has just been captured, and the later supplies have not yet arrived, but you are eager to urge us to continue the attack?"

They really don't treat these soldiers and generals as human beings!

Shen Beiqi asked: "How is Liu Quan?"

"What else can I do?"

Luo Jue sat down on the chair and crossed his legs casually.

"My hands and feet are tied, and I don't have to do anything but lie down every day. Someone takes care of my eating, drinking, defecating and urinating. I don't even have to walk. My life is more comfortable than that of a god."

"Just follow his habit and send a letter back every seven days."

Shen Beiqi placed the letter on the flame. The orange flame licked the letter paper, and in a moment it turned into a pool of black ashes.

"Counting the days, it's time for us to return." He held the battle report in his hand, "Give the order to return to the capital in three days."

Luo Jue looked at him with a deep look in his eyes, and said seriously, "Have you thought about it? Do you really want to do this?"

Shen Beiqi was stunned for a moment.

Then he stood up from the desk and slowly walked to the wooden shelf in the tent, on which was a celadon vase.

The glass star grass in the bottle has turned slightly yellow.

"Seriously!" His tone was unusually firm.

Luo Jue was about to ask a few more questions when he caught a glimpse of Old Yuan, the cook in the kitchen, walking in slowly with a plate in his hand and a slight limp on his right foot.

Lao Yuan was from a nearby village and was previously a member of the Beilin Army.

But later he injured his legs and could no longer go to the battlefield, so Shen Beiqi kept him in the kitchen to help out and cook for the soldiers.

He looked to be about thirty years old, and his skin was tanned due to being in the North for many years.

The grey shirt he was wearing was a little old, but it was washed very clean.

He wore a white bib around his waist and two white cuffs on his cuffs.

On the brown wooden plate, there was a bowl of clear soup noodles.

There are two eggs on the surface, and some green onions are sprinkled on it as garnish, which smells fragrant.

"My Lord, you haven't eaten yet tonight, so this is specially made for you."

Old Yuan smiled and placed the noodles on the dining table in the middle.

Luo Jue interrupted: "Isn't there a share for me?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Old Yuan showed an honest smile, "There's more in the pot. Lord Luo wants to eat, just go and get a bowl."

Old Yuan watched Luo Jue leave before turning around.

The young man stood quietly in front of the wooden shelf, his fingers gently stroking the glass star grass in the porcelain vase.

Because the flowers and leaves have dried up, they fall like snowflakes if touched.

"The Duke seems to be particularly fond of Mu Qizhi?"