Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 134 Warm House Wine

The door opened, and behind it, two rows of servants bowed and saluted at the same time.

"The master is back."

Gu Jingnian just said "hmm" and regarded them all as spies monitoring him.

Qin'er was very satisfied with this house, and thought that its taste was barely comparable to that of Zhu Danqing, but it was a pity that some calligraphy and paintings by famous masters were missing.

She walked around and saw a bow in the backyard. She picked it up and looked at it, and she couldn't let it go.

"Like it?"

Someone behind her asked a question, and Qin'er turned around and saw Gu Jingnian standing there.

"For you." Gu Jingnian said.

For him, using a bow and arrow no longer makes much sense.

Qin Er couldn't help but raise her head and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will shoot you?"

Gu Jingnian was too lazy to answer such boring questions and turned away.

Just as everyone had settled down, Yin Shu arrived.

She had not been sleeping well recently and gradually developed a routine of going to bed late and getting up late like Gu Jingnian. Unexpectedly, when she woke up today, she found that Gu Jingnian had already gotten up early and moved.

She came in a hurry, but she didn't come on horseback as usual.

"You...Uncle Gu, why did you move away without telling me?"

Gu Jingnian did not answer immediately, but glanced at the servants who were still working around him.

From a subtle movement, Yin Shu immediately understood the reason. The imperial court wanted to monitor Gu Jingnian, the hostage, as soon as possible, and the Eastern Palace also wanted to force Gu Jingnian to reduce his contacts with Prince Xin's Mansion.

"Princess, let's talk this way."

When the two of them walked to a deserted place, Gu Jingnian said, "I am sorry to Prince Xin. I failed to help Prince Xin avenge his previous humiliation, and I also let the criminal go."

"That has nothing to do with you." Yin Shu said, "It must be the East Palace who did it on purpose."

"Shhh, walls have ears."

"I'm not afraid." Yin Shu said, "You are very talented and loyal to Dayong. You shouldn't be trapped here as a hostage."

If Gu Jingnian finds Ying Yao and Huang Hu, he will naturally not stay in Yongjing, and it will be convenient for him to take Feng Niang away.

Unfortunately, when he wanted to get close to the Eastern Palace to investigate, the other party was hot and cold. Instead, the father and daughter from Prince Xin's Mansion kept sticking to him, but to him, they were no longer of much use.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

"Let my father ask the Emperor to let you go back to the frontier to serve?"

Yin Shu said this because she believed that her goal was to stop her father from remarrying, but she regretted it as soon as she said it, and she didn't understand how she felt in her heart.

At this moment, a maid came running over.

"Princess, Prince Xin is here... and he brought that lady with him."

Yin Yuben was supposed to be searching for the rebels, but he also asked Feng Niang to go watch the lanterns last night. Unexpectedly, Feng Niang did not come, so he had to wait in the Crescent Moon River for the whole night.

After he came back, he heard that Gu Jingnian had moved away. As their sworn brothers, he had to send a gift for warming up the house and also come over for a drink. So he sent someone to tell Feng Niang that he might not be free today. Unexpectedly, Feng Niang said, "I was not feeling well yesterday and broke the appointment. I should apologize in person." She expressed her willingness to come with Yin Yucheng for a drink to warm up the house and meet his sworn brother.

"Haha, come here, brother. Let me introduce you to my future princess."

"I've met my sister-in-law."

As soon as Gu Jingnian bowed, Feng Niang's smile faded a little, and she glared at him with slightly annoyed eyes, saying lightly: "You haven't married yet, so there's no rush to call me sister-in-law."

Yin Yucheng became anxious when he heard this. Just as he was about to speak, he saw a tender hand in front of him.

Feng Niang raised her finger to stop his nonsense and her eyes fell on Yin Shu who was beside Gu Jingnian.

Women are best able to notice changes in other women.

Yin Shu was not wearing a formal suit today, but a lotus-colored long skirt. What was slightly visible under the skirt was not deerskin boots, but a pair of light apricot embroidered shoes.

She no longer tied her hair up, but instead wore it in a bun, which was popular among Yongjing girls, and put light makeup on her face.

This makeup is very appropriate. Although it is completely different from her previous style, it is not out of place and actually makes her look a lot more beautiful.

Feng Niang took another look at the position between her and Gu Jingnian and immediately understood what she was thinking.

"Girls really change a lot when they grow up. I haven't seen you for a few days and you are so beautiful now."

Feng Niang walked forward with a smile, took Yin Shu's hand, deliberately pulled her away from Gu Jingnian, and said, "Can you show me this house?"

"I won't bring it. Go and see for yourself."

"Shu'er, how can you talk like that?!" Yin Yucheng's face immediately turned stern.

Yin Shu was speechless and glared at Yin Yucheng, but she still walked inside with Feng Niang.

She deliberately found a deserted place and whispered to Feng Niang, "Bad woman, I know your secret."

"Oh?"

"You and Gu Jingnian are old lovers."

Feng Niang was not alarmed, but smiled and asked, "Did he tell you this?"

"How dare you lie to my father."

"How did I lie to him?" Feng Niang said indifferently, "Then let's go and confess to him now."

She turned to leave, but Yin Shu held her back.

If he said it now, the only one who would be sad would be Yin Yucheng. And if Yin Yucheng acted impulsively, he might hurt Gu Jingnian. If he angered Gu Beiming and affected border affairs, Yin Yucheng would suffer the most.

"Don't go." Yin Shu held Feng Niang and said, "I can help you elope, but there is a condition. Don't let my father be obsessed with you anymore."

"Okay." Feng Niang smiled and said, "I didn't mean to fascinate him, so it's a deal... We've finished reading here, let's go."

Seeing that she agreed so readily, Yin Shu suddenly felt abandoned on behalf of her father.

Then, she seemed to regret it.

--------

Luoxia, wearing a cloak that covered the wings on her back, followed Fengniang from a distance. When they entered a courtyard, she suddenly saw Qin'er.

The woman with only three arms left was standing in the room tidying up the bookcase.

Qin'er ignored what she had sensed and turned around to look at Luoxia.

They didn't say anything, just that they were reunited after being separated for a long time.

Qin Er bowed to Yin Shu and said, "Princess, this is my room."

"Well, Uncle Gu treats you very well."

Qin'er then continued to decorate her room, humming a leisurely song.

In another yard, Lao Hei and Yan Er ran into Gao Changgan head-on, and Yin Yucheng was also present.

"you……"

Just as Gao Changgan was about to speak, Gu Jingnian said, "Meet each other, this is my servant, Gao Changgan."

"Then I am Feng Niang's servant, Lao Hei."

Gao Changgan was stunned for a moment, then an idea struck him and he said, "Nice to meet you, Lao Hei."

"Nice to meet you." Lao Hei said, "You live in a nice place."

"It's okay, better than you guys... I don't know either."

Gu Jingnian forced a smile, thinking it would be safer to send Yin Yucheng away.

"Please, Prince Xin."

Yin Yucheng glanced at the servants around him and signaled Gu Jingnian to take him to a deserted place.

"As to why the Third Brother wanted to release Mi Sheng, I have been thinking about it and have come to a conclusion."

"What did Prince Xin say?"

"He wanted to attack me." Yin Yucheng said, "Last time, he sent me to the border on an excuse, and I was suspicious. Now that I think about the attack on my way back, it's even more wrong. Guan Tianze was able to kidnap me, not because he had spies around me, but because the third brother had spies around Guan Tianze. You were right last time, how could Guan Tianze know my whereabouts to prepare in advance and kidnap me? Of course, it was because of the third brother's instructions."

"Why did the prince do this?"

"Of course, it's to stop me from returning to the court." Yin Yucheng said, "Because my father has been planning to change the crown prince in recent years, the third brother might have ulterior motives and wants to harm my father and seize power through a coup."

This sentence finally surprised Gu Jingnian.

No matter how he looked at Yin Yucheng, he didn't think he was the kind of person who could make Emperor Yong pass on the throne even at the cost of changing the crown prince.

"Don't look at me as lazy and careless. In fact, my father has always liked me the most because I have the best talent."

"What is the best talent?" Gu Jingnian was puzzled. "Is it wind control?"

"Not only that, but the Yin family's talent, I am the best." Yin Yucheng said: "You won't understand even if I tell you, if I give birth to a son in two or three years, my father will definitely pass the throne to me."

Gu Jingnian became more and more confused as he listened and wanted to hear Yin Yucheng continue to explain, but he just ended with a profound and mysterious statement.

"The third brother's talent is not good enough."

"so?"

"The reason why the Third Brother let Mi Sheng go was to strike me down." Yin Yucheng said, "He has seen the threat I pose to the throne and has been attacking me frequently. Including today, he tried to alienate you and me because of this."

As he spoke, he sighed and said, "I am very worried about my father."

Gu Jingnian previously thought that Yin Yucheng was very cunning, but today he felt that he might not be very smart.

At least Gu Jingnian knew that Mi Sheng was not let go by the prince.

It's just the delusion of a dandy prince who pursues women all day long.

I just don’t know what it means that Yin is very talented.

--------

In the evening, Gu Jingnian invited Yin's father and daughter to a warm meal.

Normally, this kind of banquet would be served separately, but Gu Jingnian had just moved in and hadn't made any arrangements in advance, so nothing was prepared and they simply ate at one table.

No one else sat at the table. Only Gu Jingnian, Pei Nian, Yin Yucheng, Yin Shu, and Feng Niang sat down to eat.

On the surface, it seemed that the Gu couple was entertaining the Yin family's three members.

"We are all family, there is no need for formalities." Yin Yucheng was in high spirits, laughing loudly, and opened the fine wine he brought specially, "Come, let's raise a glass first. My wife and daughter and I would like to congratulate you on your new home."

Feng Niang ignored him and didn't even take the wine glass.

Yin Yucheng was used to her indifference, so he just smiled and said, "Eat your food, eat your food."

Feng Niang said: "I met Miss Pei today, it feels like we've known each other for a long time."

Pei Nian smiled for the first time and said, "Miss Feng and Prince Xin are truly a match made in heaven."

Yin Yucheng was delighted to hear this.

However, Yin Shu could feel the tension between the two women and knew that Pei Nian must have said that on purpose.

As expected, Feng Niang retorted, "I wonder when I can drink in Miss Pei and Master Gu's wedding wine?"

"I guess I will get to drink the wedding wine from Prince Xin's Mansion first."

"That's not necessarily true." Feng Niang said, "Maybe I regret it."

Yin Yucheng quickly apologized with a smile and tried to coax Feng Niang with kind words.

Yin Shu held the dish to her mouth for a long time without eating it. She heard Feng Niang's threat to Pei Nian and felt the undercurrent in their fight. She inexplicably felt a desire to win.

She looked at Gu Jingnian who was at the center of the storm, only to see that he was calm and composed, taking a sip from the wine glass. She couldn't help but admire his calm aura.

Gu Jingnian slowly put down his wine glass, raised his eyes slightly, caught a glimpse of the faint smile on Feng Niang's lips, then he avoided her gaze imperceptibly and reached out to pick up some food.

He had received the message conveyed by Feng Niang.

Under the table, Feng Niang was raising her foot and rubbing the instep of her foot lightly on Gu Jingnian's calf a few times, suggesting that he could come over tonight to discuss what had happened recently.

A warm drinking party, full of joy.

(End of this chapter)