Da Suining

Chapter 86
I wanted to read more for a while, but after running back and forth in the palace for half a day, I was very tired. Before Haishi, Xiang Suining put down the book and lay back on the bed.

Maybe it was because I was too tired during the day, so I lay on the bed and fell asleep without even having a dream.

Until he was awakened by a voice: "Come up quickly, I will let you up—"

Xiang Suining put on his clothes and sat up, Mingzhu had already turned on the lamp and came over.

"What time is it?"

"Girl, it's time to be ugly."

In the middle of the night, the sound was extremely abnormal.

Usually at night, after Haishi, apart from the sound of the watchman's clapper, other sounds are rarely heard. Occasionally, the animals in the stables neighed at night and were quickly coaxed by the grooms.

What is this noise?
Naturally, it was not sent out by the servants.

Her voice was shrill, like Miss Tang in the front yard.

The voice came from the side of the little garden.The small garden is very close to Xiang Suining's bedroom, and a few steps away from Mrs. Xiang's east courtyard.

At this hour, Mrs. Xiang should still be sound asleep, as the elderly could not stand the wind and grass, Xiang Suining decided to go to the small garden to have a look.

After putting on her clothes and shoes, she pushed open the door, and the cool night breeze rushed into her arms.

Mingzhu led the way with a lantern, and said: "Miss, be careful where you step, it's dark at night, don't be disturbed by small stones."

Pass through a hanging flower gate, and then pass through a winding path, and through the arch is a small garden.

This season is when the flowers bloom, and the flowers in the garden rush to bloom. Although they can't see them at night, they can still smell their fragrance.

The sound came from the lake in the small garden.

The lake in the small garden is not big, and the water is less than waist deep.In previous years, when the small garden was dry, the mothers-in-law cleaned up the nursery, and even used a wooden ladle with a handle to scoop up lake water and sprinkle it on the flowers and trees, which was cheap.

There was a person by the lake, because of the distance, it was not clear, but under the moonlight, a small silhouette could still be seen standing in the lake, with disheveled hair, standing in a stalemate.

There was another person standing on the shore, walking up and down, wanting to save people in the lake, but it was difficult to go down, so he just walked around the lake: "Come up quickly, if you have something to say, talk about it."

"If Mother doesn't agree to my business, I won't come up."

"Third Miss, you are confused." The people on the shore suppressed their voices again and again. In such a quiet night, when the moon is shining in the sky and the whole family is dreaming, she doesn't want to disturb too many people: "What's the use of the emperor liking the second girl?" , the decree has not yet come down, this matter is inconclusive, if you jump into the lake and drown, even if the emperor takes a fancy to you, it will be useless."

It turned out to be Tang Xiaoniang and Xiangyan.

The two of them stayed up in the middle of the night, entangled here.

In Xiang Suining's memory, Xiang Yan rarely gets near water.When she was about five years old, she saw women planting lotus roots in the lake. She saw a dragonfly on the water plants and wanted to reach out to catch it. When I slipped out, I didn't even drink a few sips of water, but I was frightened and suffered from sequelae, so I tried to avoid the water as much as possible.

Thinking about jumping into the lake, she also made a lot of determination.

"Come up quickly, the water is so cold, what if you slip into the middle of the lake? Are you going to let me call all the servants in the house to watch the fun in the middle of the night?"

Xiang Yan sobbed softly: "But mother"

"Mother knows what you're thinking. I'll talk to your father later to see if there is any room for maneuver in this matter. Isn't that okay? My little aunt."

After Tang Xiaoniang said so, Xiangyan stopped crying.

She turned around and walked towards the shore with her wet skirt, Tang Xiaoniang stretched out her arms to support her.

"Mom, I actually scared you, and I don't want to die." Xiangyan walked up step by step.

"My mother doesn't know you yet. What did you say that my mother didn't care about? Don't do stupid things again. It's not worth jumping into the lake to die. If it spreads, wouldn't it be embarrassing if you die?"

"Mom, I actually didn't want to jump. I came to the lake to scare you. I didn't want the lake to be slippery, and I couldn't see clearly at night. I accidentally slipped into it." Xiang Yan said as she said, laugh it out.

"Let's go back quickly. I don't know if anyone has been alarmed by this trouble. If someone sees it, it would be embarrassing." Tang Xiaoniang looked around to make sure there was no one there, so she breathed a sigh of relief.

Xiang Suining and Mingzhu hid behind a big rock, even breathing lightly.

Fortunately, it is a small garden, with stones and flowers everywhere, and it is night, so cats can hide wherever they hide.

Fortunately, the lantern was blown out, otherwise Tang Xiaoniang would become suspicious again due to the light.

"We'll go back after they leave later," Xiang Suining whispered.

Mingzhu nodded, and gently put the lantern on the flower stand.

"Yan'er, let's go." Tang Xiaoniang took two steps and felt that Xiangyan hadn't followed. Looking back, there was no Xiangyan, and Xiangyan slid into the water again. This time she slipped farther, maybe it was the lake. The mud was too deep, and her feet sank for a long time without getting up, so she couldn't call for help. The water covered her head. Her black hair was floating on the water, and her hands kept grabbing in the air.

"Second girl, third girl fell into the water." Mingzhu reminded.

"I know."

"What if the third girl can't come up? People will be drowned."

"No, the lake is not deep, so drink a few sips of water at most."

Xiang Yan had already drank seventy or eighty saliva, Tang Xiaoniang lost her daughter, saw her dress and hair floating on the water, shaking like a female ghost, she jumped into the lake anxiously, trying to help her up.

Xiang Yan seemed to see a life-saving straw, hugged Tang Xiaoniang's leg and pushed her down. Tang Xiaoniang sat in the water, drank a big mouthful of water, just stood up, and was pulled down by Xiang Yan again.

This is to murder my own mother.

Tang Xiaoniang slapped Xiang Yan's head twice: "Let go, how can I save you if you don't let go."

"Mom, I can't do it anymore." Xiang Yan threw Tang Xiaoniang to the ground.

In the chaotic water of the lake, Xiangyan has lost her direction. She feels like duckweed rippling with the water waves, and there is mud under her feet. The more she struggles, the deeper she sinks, and she can't stand up. The carp in the lake is as long as an arm. , now shuttles between her legs, like a snake, cold and slippery, she almost fainted from fright.

It's about this time, it doesn't matter whether she is a mother or an ancestor, whoever is caught hugs whose thigh.

Xiangyan held on to Tang Xiaoniang tightly, and refused to let go no matter what, perhaps because she was frightened, she couldn't stand still while floating in the lake.

I didn't want to alarm the people in the mansion, but if this continues, when the people in the mansion find out, will she and Xiangyan really be floating on the lake?
Compared with the two evils, whichever is the lesser, Tang Xiaoniang had no choice but to call for help.

Although there are many houses in the mansion, there are also many people in the end, and there are dozens of servants serving them. This place is not far from the stable, and the voice spreads quickly at night. Not long after Tang Xiaoniang called for help, two grooms ran away. When they arrived, the groom picked up Tang Xiaoniang and Xiangyan, and laid them flat by the lake to control the water.

After a while, more than a dozen mothers-in-law and maidservants also came to visit with lanterns.

More than a dozen lanterns illuminated Tang Xiaoniang and Xiangyan on the ground.

Their hair was disheveled, their dresses were loose, their fingernails were full of mud, their faces were as pale as paper, and their mouths were like small goldfish. It flowed down their necks, wet the ground, and covered their heads with mud.

Who has ever seen the two of them in such a mess.

The mother-in-law and servant girl frowned secretly holding the lantern.

Tang Xiaoniang and Xiangyan took a full stick of fragrant water before sitting up quietly, as if they had been casted by someone, they were so weak that they had to be supported by women to walk back.

Tang Xiaoniang naturally didn't want to make a big deal out of this matter, but with so many eyes staring at her, how could she hide it?
When I got up early, there was a woman who was cooking soup and murmured softly with a wooden spoon: "Oh, I don't know why the master can't think about it, and wants to take the third girl to jump into the lake."

The woman who was burning the fire didn't take it seriously: "How come you can't think about it and take the third girl to jump into the lake. Didn't you hear the master calling for help? If you can't think about it, you will die secretly. How can you call for help?"

It is true.

The woman who cut the radish stopped the knife: "I can't be sure, I was entangled by some ghost. In the middle of the night, it is the time when the yang energy is weak and the yin energy is rising. According to me, ask a witch to take a look." necessary."

Because of what happened last night, Xiang's family held a meeting.

Xiang Daying drank two cups of wine before going to bed, just pretending to be drunk.

Tang Xiaoniang fell into the lake and he couldn't save him. I was afraid that Tang Xiaoniang would settle the score, so it's better to talk less.

Xiang Sui Ning understood what was going on and didn't growl.

Mrs. Xiang leaned on a walking stick and asked them, "I couldn't sleep well last night. I guess it was you who caused the trouble. Why did you jump into the lake?"

"Father—" Xiang Yan rushed over to hold Xiang Daying's arm.

Xiang Daying hurriedly threw her away: "I hugged the wrong person, it was your grandmother who asked you."

"Grandmother—" Xiang Yan wanted to hug Mrs. Xiang's arms, but Mrs. Xiang turned around and sat back on the couch: "If you have something to say, move your hands."

"Last night, yes." Xiang Yan hesitated, not knowing how to start.

Wouldn't it be ridiculed if the truth was told?
But if you don't tell the truth, why jump into the lake?Sleepwalking into it?It's also impossible for the mother and daughter to sleepwalk together, accidentally falling into the garden while shopping?Who goes to the garden in the middle of the night?
This excuse is not easy to find.

Xiangyan faltered, and Tang Xiaoniang also faltered.

Mrs. Xiang is still waiting for an answer.

Tang Xiaoniang had no choice but to make up a lie: "I drank two cups of rice wine last night. I was a little drunk and couldn't sleep. I asked Yan'er to accompany me for a walk. Unexpectedly, it was dark and I fell into the lake."

It makes sense.

Tang Xiaoniang looked at Mrs. Xiang's face, but Mrs. Xiang didn't respond. She ate two pieces of snacks brought by Madam Su, drank another cup of tea, and asked Madam Su to take all the maids out.

The servants all retreated, so it was easier to talk.

"What was the fuss about last night?" Mrs. Xiang stroked the red beans in her hand: "That noise woke me up."

"Old lady... I really drank two cups of wine too much. Go to breathe, how could I think..."

"I'm afraid it's the third girl who's acting out of temper again?"

Tang Xiaoniang was astonished.

Bad news spreads thousands of miles, can it spread so fast?Does this old woman know?
I don't know how much Mrs. Xiang knows, so Tang Xiaoniang is not easy to pick up.

"Although the Second Prince Guo is an expensive prince, his reputation is not very good. According to my opinion, the girls in the mansion must never marry him. It's just that the emperor has this intention, which is very tricky."

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Xiang was sitting in the mansion and knew about these things.

Xiang Daying stared at Xiang Suining: "Why do you make your grandmother worry about everything?"

I'm going, Xiang Suining is not the only one in Xuanguo to talk, so how can we conclude that she said it?
Xiang Suining felt wronged.

Xiang Daying hated Xiang Suining, how could Mrs. Xiang spare him: "Everyone in the mansion knows, how can my old lady not know? Speaking of which, you have to have some backbone. If the emperor thinks, you just agree." What, it's okay to resist a little? Your father was considered a man of iron back then, how did he come to you, alas... I don't want Suining to marry some second prince."

"Since grandma doesn't want the second girl to marry, then let me marry." Xiangyan recommended herself: "I am willing."

"Third Miss, you should be more reserved." Madam Xiang frowned.

"Grandma, I really do."

"The third girl is willing?"

"willing."

"Do you know that Guo Cheng? Knowing what kind of character he is, you are willing to marry him?"

"I... I don't know him."

"Then why are you willing to marry?"

"Because... I want to share the worries for the second girl."

A basket of lies.

"Master, since Yan'er has such intentions, and the old lady looks down on the second prince, and Yan'er is willing to share the worries of the second girl, why don't you go and talk to the emperor and let him observe our third girl?"

How can the emperor's mind be changed casually by a courtier.

It's not about buying vegetables. If you don't want to buy carrots, you can replace them with bitter melon.

However, Xiangyan has taken a fancy to Guo Kai, what a crime, the incident of jumping into the lake may have happened because of this.

Xiang Daying had no choice but to say vaguely: "I will go to Eunuch Chang to find out the news. He has served the emperor all year round and understands the emperor's thoughts very well. I will talk about it when the emperor is in a good mood."

This matter is settled like this.

Xiang Suining also saw Eunuch Chang.

The cloth given by the emperor stayed in Liuyunfang, made a set of clothes and sent them over, and now there is a new style, Tong Siyue personally sent a new style for Prime Minister Suining to choose.

It was rare for her to think that Xiang Suining invited her to a tea house for tea, so it would be easy to talk.

"Now there is a white gauze, which is thinner than Yanyun gauze. After you choose the style, Liuyunfang cuts it out and adds another layer of white gauze. It will be soft and slippery." Tong Siyue pulled Xiang Suining's hand: "Why haven't I seen you these days, have you lost weight?"

"It's hot, I don't have much appetite." Xiang Suining sat down with her by the window, ordered a pot of Tieguanyin and poured her a cup. Before the tea was finished, he saw Eunuch Chang leading two slaves to the teahouse.

Eunuch Chang wears a tar-colored double-breasted gown, on which is embroidered a crane with white feathers and a red top.

Two house slaves waved palm-leaf fans for him along the road, causing his silver hair to fly straight.

As soon as he stepped into the teahouse, Eunuch Chang took a seat near the door and sat down, and the waiter quickly brought a pot of Biluochun over.

"Eunuch Chang, your clothes are really beautiful. Look at the embroidered crane with white feathers and red top, it looks as if it is about to fly. It's the first time I've seen such a good embroidery work." flatter.

Maybe it's not flattering, because in the eyes of the well-informed Tong Siyue, the clothes are also extremely delicate: "The red color on the top of the crane's head is so bright, it looks like it's made of natural plant thread. Plants are extremely rare, and the clothes are even rarer if there are at least one or twenty cranes. There are almost no such pigments in the folk, and in my opinion, it must be the clothes of the palace."

(End of this chapter)