Jiang Zhiyuan was slightly stunned and said nothing.
Jiang Yuxiang sighed softly. Zhiyuan grew up by her side, so how could she not understand this girl's temperament?
After staying in the Linwang Mansion for a few years, Zhiyuan has changed a lot, but...
Jiang Yuxiang was slightly worried. She didn't know whether this change was good or bad.
At this time, Zhiyuan turned his head to look at Jiang Yuxiang beside him, and was silent for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
"Just say whatever you want to say."
Jiang Yuxiang took her little hand and spoke softly.
Zhiyuan lowered her eyes for a moment, and after a long time she spoke: "Aunt, did you enter the palace today?"
"Um?"
Jiang Yuxiang looked at Zhiyuan and realized something: "I want to ask what my aunt did in the palace today?"
Zhiyuan looked away, said nothing, and shook her head slightly.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuxiang felt a little distressed. She squeezed her hand tightly and sighed, "Girl, you should be more careful."
Zhiyuan pursed her lips and said nothing.
"I went to the palace to see the Queen today."
Jiang Yuxiang paused and looked into Zhiyuan's eyes. "I also met the eldest princess."
As soon as Jiang Yuxiang finished speaking, she could clearly notice the strange look that flashed across Zhiyuan's face.
But then, everything was calm again.
Jiang Yuxiang sighed inwardly: "That guy told me that he would not marry the princess... It is not necessarily a good thing for the Lin family to marry that princess."
"You don't have to worry too much."
Zhiyuan's eyes froze slightly, and he was in a trance for a moment. After a long time, he nodded silently.
"Um."
Although her face showed no emotion, Jiang Yuxiang could still sense that Zhiyuan was feeling a bit lost. After sighing, he grabbed her hand again and said seriously, "Don't worry, if that boy dares to let you down, I will personally kill him for the sake of justice... I will never forgive him!"
“…”
The atmosphere in the capital was changing quietly.
Early in the morning, when Lin Jiangnian woke up, it was snowing heavily outside the window again.
The window was covered in snow, and the cold air seeped into the room through the window. Lin Jiangnian wrapped himself in a quilt, feeling the warmth of winter.
There was still a faint lingering scent of a young girl in the bedding, and warmth was rampant.
Lin Jiangnian lay on the bed for a long time without getting up, until there was a knock on the door and Jiang Yuxiang pushed the door open and walked in.
She was wearing a mink robe that wrapped her body tightly, and there were a few snowflakes faintly falling on her long black hair. The moment the door opened, a chill rushed into the room.
"Why haven't you woken up yet..."
Jiang Yuxiang, who had just stepped into the room, saw Lin Jiangnian still sitting on the bed. She had just said half of her words when she subconsciously sniffed the air in the room. Suddenly, she realized something and a blush appeared on her fair face. She immediately glared at him angrily: "Can't you restrain yourself a little?"
The familiar smell in the air, with a hint of lethargy, lingered, and was clearly...
Lin Jiangnian wrapped himself in bedding, sat on the bed, and sighed: "Auntie, can you knock on the door before coming in next time?"
"I knocked."
"I haven't agreed yet."
"Why don't you allow me to come in?"
Jiang Yuxiang approached the bedside with a sneer on her face: "You don't welcome me?"
"It's not that we are not welcome..."
Lin Jiangnian sighed: "It's just that your sudden intrusion is not very good..."
Jiang Yuxiang sneered: "What's wrong with that? Why? Are you worried about being caught by your aunt?"
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes fell on the bed behind Lin Jiangnian. Seeing the messy bed, she seemed to think of something, her face turned even redder, and she spat lightly.
Lin Jiangnian had originally wanted to say that men and women shouldn't touch each other, but if his aunt barged in one day and he wasn't dressed, it would be awkward. Although Jiang Yuxiang was nominally his aunt, they weren't related by blood, not to mention that they were almost the same age...
Although Jiang Yuxiang always acted like an elder in front of Lin Jiangnian, it was difficult for Lin Jiangnian to treat this woman who was only a few years older than him as his aunt.
Can't do it!
However, seeing Jiang Yuxiang's aggressive attitude, Lin Jiangnian still held back... It's better to have less trouble than more.
Be sure to lock the door next time!
Seeing that Lin Jiangnian didn't say anything, Jiang Yuxiang assumed that he was guilty. She snorted softly and tapped Lin Jiangnian's head unhappily: "Didn't you listen to a word I said last time? I told you to be more restrained in the mansion, but you really didn't show any courtesy at all!"
Lin Jiangnian blinked: "Aunt, what do you mean?"
Seeing that Lin Jiangnian was still pretending to be stupid in front of her, Jiang Yuxiang was very angry. She immediately reached out and grabbed his ear, saying unhappily: "Still pretending to be stupid with me? I told you to pretend, keep pretending..."
Lin Jiangnian was grabbed by the ears and immediately cooperated by baring his teeth.
"Don't, don't pinch me... I'm wrong, I'm wrong, I won't do it again..."
Jiang Yuxiang didn't use much force, but seeing Lin Jiangnian's exaggerated and artificial posture, she felt a little strange in her heart. She used some force angrily, then let him go and glanced at the room again.
"Is it the maidservant named Xiaozhu beside you?"
Lin Jiangnian still blinked: "What is my aunt talking about?"
"Still pretending to me!"
Jiang Yuxiang sneered: "I've long seen that you have a special relationship with that maid... How old is she? How could you have the heart to do that to her?!"
Lin Jiangnian really wanted to explain that Xiaozhu was actually not a child anymore...
Jiang Yuxiang was obviously very displeased with Lin Jiangnian's behavior and would teach him a lesson whenever he caught him. Lin Jiangnian naturally took the scolding obediently, looking as if he had taken it to heart.
After scolding Lin Jiangnian, Jiang Yuxiang glared at him and said, "You'd better take it easy. If you're discovered by Zhiyuan, I can't save you."
"Don't think Zhiyuan is easy to bully. If she really gets serious, even I can't do anything about it."
"Not really..."
"Not really?"
Jiang Yuxiang stood beside the bed, crossed her arms, and sneered.
"If Zhiyuan really makes a fuss, I'll see what you'll do then!"
“…”
The courtyard next door.
In the quiet room, Xiao Zhu sat cautiously on the edge of the bed, biting her lower lip. There was a hint of spring between her delicate and tender eyebrows, adding a bit of the charm of a young girl who had just grown up.
It looks so tempting that one can't help but want to take a bite.
At this time, Xiaozhu was wearing a green skirt, and her delicate body was faintly visible.
As if she remembered something, her pretty face flushed and a shy expression lingered for a long time.
It seemed that something was accidentally touched, and Xiao Zhu couldn't help but take a breath. Thinking of what happened last night, he couldn't help but blush and his heart beat fast, and his breathing became rapid.
Her delicate body seemed to soften a little.
"Your Highness, you are a bad guy!"
Xiao Zhu's resentful voice was heard in the cold room.
At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door, which scared Xiao Zhu.
"Who, who?"
"I."
A cold voice came from outside the door.
Paper, Sister Kite?!
Hearing the sound outside the door, Xiao Zhu suddenly panicked. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like she had done something wrong to Sister Zhiyuan.
Xiao Zhu was very nervous. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "Come in, come in!"
“Squeak!”
The door opened and Zhiyuan slowly walked into the room.
As a gust of cold wind blew in, Leng Xiaozhu shivered slightly and looked towards the door with a guilty look.
Sister Zhiyuan was wearing white today, making the already cold weather seem even colder. The icy air made Xiaozhu feel uneasy.
Zhiyuan walked slowly into the room and her eyes fell on Xiaozhu who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Sister Zhiyuan..."
Xiao Zhu's voice was very soft, and he felt inexplicably guilty: "Yes, do you have any instructions?"
Zhiyuan stepped into the room, stopped, and her cold and beautiful eyes fell on Xiaozhu. She looked at him for a few seconds, then slowly retracted her eyes.
"fine."
Her voice was neither cold nor indifferent, without any emotion in it.
"oh oh……"
Xiao Zhu lowered her head, her heart becoming increasingly flustered. Seeing Sister Zhiyuan standing still in the room, she hurriedly stood up in a panic and walked to the table nearby.
"Sister Zhiyuan, please sit down!"
While inviting Zhiyuan to sit down, Xiaozhu diligently poured tea for Sister Zhiyuan.
Zhiyuan said nothing, his eyes fixed on Xiaozhu's busy figure. He saw that she looked a little uncomfortable, but she was trying to be calm. He stared at her for a long time without saying anything.
Xiao Zhu carefully poured a cup of hot tea for Sister Zhiyuan and handed it to Zhiyuan: "Sister Zhiyuan, have some tea!"
Zhiyuan remained silent, glancing at Xiaozhu. She looked uneasy, her delicate face brimming with unease. Although she concealed it well, her uneasiness was still palpable.
Zhiyuan was silent for a moment, then took the tea from Xiaozhu's hand. He took a sip of the tea and remained silent.
Xiao Zhu stood aside, feeling increasingly uneasy. "Is there something wrong, Sister Zhiyuan?"
Why did you suddenly come to find her?
Why do I feel guilty?
Xiao Zhu lowered her head, her hands intertwined, feeling nervous. The cold and quiet room was particularly deserted.
It's also extremely depressing.
It was not until a long time later that Zhiyuan suddenly spoke.
"Xiaozhu."
"Um?"
Xiao Zhu raised his eyes.
"You last night..."
Zhiyuan paused for a moment, his tone still without any emotion, as if asking casually.
"Where did you go?"
Xiao Zhu trembled all over, his mind went blank, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Sister Zhiyuan, did you find out?!
…
early morning.
Lin Jiangnian stood up and opened the door. Outside the door, a cold wind was blowing wildly in the courtyard, and snowflakes were dancing.
Snow was flying all over the sky, falling down in a hurry.
The yard was covered in white, with frost and snow everywhere.
It snowed all night long, and the weather grew colder. The eaves and roof corners were covered with snow and frost.
Between heaven and earth, there is a sea of snow.
For people in the north, heavy snow is common every year and is not surprising. But for people in the south, it is rare to see snow for several years.
Many of the people accompanying Lin Jiangnian into the capital were seeing snow for the first time in their lives. Several maids' eyes sparkled with excitement.
On a snowy day, the city was much quieter.
However, the Jiang Mansion has been bustling these past two days!
Since a few days ago, there have been many strange and furtive figures outside the Jiang Mansion, staring at the outside of the Jiang Mansion openly or secretly.
The purpose of these people is self-evident.
Starting from these two days, many more people came to visit the Jiang Mansion.
Although Jiang Ningkang is a member of one of the six ministries in Beijing, he is rarely involved in the struggles in Beijing. He rarely has any business dealings with people in Beijing. On weekdays, the Jiang Mansion is also quite deserted.
But starting from the past two days, people from various noble families in the capital kept coming to visit for various reasons, including many officials in the court.
When Jiang Yuxiang told Lin Jiangnian about this, he was not surprised at all.
"Aren't you worried at all?" Jiang Yuxiang looked at Lin Jiangnian.
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyebrows and asked nonchalantly, "Why should I worry?"
Jiang Yuxiang's expression was slightly solemn: "They all came to the Jiang Mansion to inquire about your whereabouts!"
These people nominally came to visit Jiang Ningkang, but their overt and covert words and actions were all aimed at finding out about Lin Jiangnian.
Even some people who are close to Jiang Ningkang have explicitly asked about Lin Jiangnian's whereabouts.
However, Jiang Ningkang was well prepared. When faced with these people's attempts to test him, he answered without a single mistake. He did not give them a definite answer, nor did he reveal any information about Lin Jiangnian.
All the visitors left disappointed.
But I think it can’t be concealed for much longer!
"You should make plans early."
Jiang Yuxiang looked at Lin Jiangnian, sighed and spoke.
Lin Jiangnian walked slowly into the yard, letting the snowflakes from the sky fall on his clothes. He stepped into the yard, leaving a row of footprints in the snow.
He glanced sideways, chuckled, and asked, "Aunt, what do you mean?"
"As the crown prince of Prince Lin, your every word and action in the capital represents your Lin family. No matter what, you cannot let others look down on you!"
Lin Jiang smiled young: "Of course."
"Now, it's time to let them know you exist!"
Jiang Yuxiang's expression was slightly solemn, and his eyes were a little colder. "You almost died outside the city this time. You should settle this account with them!"
Lin Jiangnian turned around and looked at Jiang Yuxiang's fair and pretty face. She was wrapped in a long robe. The woman's charm was natural, and her figure was graceful, mature and elegant.
Her eyes were fixed on Lin Jiangnian, with a hint of coldness in her eyes.
Lin Jiangnian was startled and chuckled: "Aunt, what are your plans?"
Jiang Yuxiang was silent for a moment before she spoke: "Tomorrow, there will be a grand wedding banquet in the capital."
"The son of the current Minister of Personnel, Lü Xuan, will marry the daughter of the Tao family in the capital. When the Minister's son gets married, all the prominent figures in the capital will attend, and there will be a grand banquet."
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes slightly: "Auntie means..."
"I'm invited to a wedding tomorrow, you come with me."
Jiang Yuxiang said slowly: "This is a good opportunity for you to show yourself!"
Lin Jiangnian was surprised and chuckled, "I wasn't invited to their wedding. It's not appropriate for me to go, right?"
"Why not?"
Jiang Yuxiang glanced at him and said, "You are also a member of my Jiang family, why can't you go?"
"Besides, who would dare to stop you, the Prince of Lin, from attending the wedding?"
It seems to be the same truth?
"Aunt, you've already planned this, right?"
Jiang Yuxiang remained noncommittal and said calmly, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Third Prince will most likely be present tomorrow."
Hearing this, Lin Jiangnian was slightly stunned.
Then, an inexplicable sneer appeared on his face.
"He's going too?"
"That's a good feeling..."
“…”