“Your Grace, why don’t you listen to the secret that Miss Mingzhu said?” After Mrs. Zhou took Qiu Mingzhu to Princess Yang, Su He made a rose dew and handed it to Qiu Yelan. She asked curiously, “I think she should really know what the secret was…”
“But must it have anything to do with us?” Qiu Yelan smiled slightly and took a sip of rose dew. “The first thing we are asking for is self-protection and then to live without acting according to where the wind blows. Then there are other things we ought to do… Knowing too many secrets too early is not a good thing! ”
She thought, “There was a chuckle out of the window just now. I’m not sure whether she is a servant of Princess Yang or Madame Lu. She followed the Qiu Mingzhu all the way, and maybe is lying in the back window and eavesdropping.”
Su He did not fully understand and nodded, “So Miss Mingzhu didn’t tell you because of her goodwill! She is so!”
“Aunt Yang and Madame Lu will control her. We don’t need to think about it.” Qiu Yelan looked at the back window meaningfully and patted her, “It’s too late. Let’s settle down!”
At this time, the wind and snow were heavy. Even when it was late at night, Qiu Yelan was not sure whether the person who was eavesdropping left. Anyway, the matter that Qiu Hongzhi fell into the water couldn’t be ended in a short period of time. So Qiu Yelan believed that she should be careful and talk about this tomorrow.
She called Su He to make the bed and asked her to the outer room to wait for Mrs. Zhou to come back.
Originally, one of them had to sleep on the footrest of her bed to safeguard her. But Qiu Yelan formed a habit of being sleepless if there was someone nearby in the last phase. So, she changed this rule after she came back from Mount Dizi.
After Su He left, Qiu Yelan was about to fall asleep when the rear window was tapped rhythmically.
“Huh?” Qiu Yelan frowned, thinking for a while and groaned, “Who is it?!”
“I’m Jiang Yashuang.” A young boy who also deliberately lowered his voice spoke from the rear window. He was gentle and elegant. “I come here to apologize, Your Grace. I’m wondering if it’s suitable for you to have a talk with me at the rear window.”
“Is him General Jiang that Commandery Princess Ningtai failed to hook up with? Is he the grandson of Marquess Qin, the son of Great General of North, the nephew of Empress Jiang and the cousin of Princess Yongfu?”
Qiu Yelan narrowed her eyes, “Only fool would be inconvenient!”
She didn’t hesitate, “Wait a minute! I’m coming!”
Wrapped a fur coat casually, she hurried to the paper screen. After opening the rear window, she found there was only cold wind instead of snow that she expected. A boy in white fox fur saw her appearing at the window. He took off his hood, revealed his handsome face, and smiled at her kindly.
He used an emerald bamboo hair clasp to hold long black hair, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on his fur coat. He stood in front of the rear window like a javelin, blocking most of the snow for her.
“Ge…General Jiang?” With a glanced of him, Qiu Yelan had already known that the chuckle she had just heard was supposed to be made by him, and she was a little bit surprised, “I suppose that you and your sister did not mean to do that. It already happened. Why do you take it so seriously?”
Jiang Yashuang made a bow outside the window, and smiled softly, “Yongfu made mischief, and I really offended you that night. How can you forgive us so easy?” Then he took a small box from his sleeve, and passed it through the window, “This is the Yulu Ointment made secretly in the palace, which can make the skin soft and fair and is able to remove scars. I hope you can accept it!”
“I really need it, so I accept it!” Qiu Yelan took it immediately after thinking briefly.
“Originally Yongfu and I planned to call on you, but there must be something wrong with the person who sent Nianxue back according to servants in this mansion. In addition, it was inconvenient for you to attend New Year’s Eve banquet.” Jiang Yashuang did not leave, but continued softly, “So I come here tonight and hope for your forgiveness.” Then he made another bow.
Qiu Yelan secretly sighed that everyone in the Jiang Family was polite and gentle‒”If he were one of Qiu Mengmin’s two sons, he would not apologize if he had an opportunity to share a bed with a girl. Probably they would frame me seducing him.
She smiled, “Thank you for coming, but in fact, I have forgotten those things.”
Jiang Yashuang chuckled and said, “Your Grace is broad-minded, and I am totally grateful!” He groaned, “I took the liberty of prying into your information. And my sister planned to ask her mother to mention you at New Year’s Eve banquet, so I’m wondering whether you are willing or not? ”
“Princess is kind, but I’m afraid… I’m ashamed of it!” Qiu Yelan was shocked after hearing his words and shook his head immediately, “I said that now that things have passed. I have already forgotten them. In addition, I have already accepted the Yulu Ointment tonight. How dare I bother you again? ”
Before Jiang Yashuang saying something, she said, “You have come out for a long time. You’d better go back early. Staying in that the deep snow at night is not good for your health!” She nodded and just closed the window in front of him!
Jiang Yashuang stared at the closed rear window for a moment. There was a meaningful smile on his lips, and he brushed off the snow on his shoulders. And then he left.
A moment later, in the Jiang’s residence adjacent to Prince’s Mansion of Xihe, a beautiful twelve or thirteen-year-old girl pouted and commented, “It is no wonder that Commandery Princess Ningyi was bullied by everyone in Prince’s Mansion of Xihe. She is so timid that she doesn’t even dare to push herself forward with my support! I won’t care about her next time, because she was wasting my kindness! ”
Jiang Yashuang, who just returned, leisurely picked up the warmer and poured himself a bowl of hot tea. And he smiled lightly, “You are wrong. If I were her, I would refuse, too!”
Princess Yongfu was surprised, “Why?”
“Because you want your mother to mention her in public instead of yourself.” Jiang Yashuang said faintly, “Your mother is the empress! Her private sentence will be considered and speculated by countless people. Not to mention she mentions someone in public who has never been mentioned on New Year’s Eve banquet before.”
“You just know that if your mother mentions her, all the people in Prince’s Mansion of Xihe do not dare to neglect her. But you ignore some other things.” Jiang Yashuang shook his head and said, “Did you forget Deng Yi, the fiancé of Commandery Princess Ningyi? He is the grandnephew of Empress Dowager! What would Empress Dowager think if your mother mentions Commandery Princess Ningyi? How could she be eligible to participate in the fight between two empresses? Of course, she would rather give up this opportunity, in this case, rather than being suspected that she supports your mother and being killed! ”
Princess Yongfu thought for a moment and said, “I know. Then I will go back and tell my mother. I’ll stop her from mentioning Ningyi.”
“Actually!” Jiang Yashuang smiled deeply and said, “There is another way if you want to help her…”