"Girl, girl, among these sets, which one do you think is the most beautiful?" Linglan's face was rosy, her eyes were shining with joy, and she pointed at the table, "There are also these jewelry, which one do you think would be more suitable?"

Wen Ning was flipping through a storybook, reading with gusto, and glanced at it perfunctorily: "That's all."

Linglan went over and took away her notebook: "Girl! Just serve some snacks! You are going to the palace tomorrow, only once or twice a year, so don't worry about it."

"Eh?! I'm seeing the key point!" Wen Ning stood up from the low couch dissatisfied.

Ling Lan angrily said: "My girl! The key now is that you have to enter the palace tomorrow. This New Year's Eve banquet was invited by the Queen, and she specified unmarried men and women. What does this mean, don't you understand?"

This is clearly a spring banquet, giving young gentlemen and young ladies who have no chance to meet each other a chance to see each other.

The empress is really kind, but her girl doesn't appreciate it. She doesn't care about her life-long affairs at all.

Wen Ning sighed and reluctantly looked at the clothes and jewelry prepared by Linglan. She nodded and said, "They are all very good. In previous years, you prepared them. I'll take what you want. It's not too eye-catching, but it's not too eye-catching."

Sober.”

Hey, in previous years Wen Ning didn't have to worry about her marriage. If she was still so well-behaved this year, how could she choose a husband she wanted?

Wen Ning knew what she was thinking, and she leaned back on the low couch with Mrs. Tang in her arms: "My eldest and second brothers are not married yet. What's the rush? Let them find a suitable sister-in-law first tomorrow night."

After Pei You came back, the eldest princess still spent most of the day in the Buddhist hall worshiping Buddha, but even if she didn't hear anything outside the window, someone would bring it to her ears.

She said this, but she also felt from the bottom of her heart that this prince was really cold-hearted. After coming back these days, he seemed gentle and considerate, and there was nothing wrong with it. But in fact, he was treating everyone in the Duke's mansion.

, all have a vague feeling of alienation.

Pei You put down the tea cup and smiled lightly: "Just a childhood playmate."

The eldest princess was once the most beautiful woman in the capital when she was young, but after many years of searching for a son, her youth has faded away. Although she is not as vicissitudes of life as Duke Pei, she still has gray hair on her temples and droopy eyes, which makes her look even taller than her body.

The weak Mrs. Wang is many years older.

Forget it, if you deliberately claim to be sick, not to mention that Linglan disagrees, it will be bad for Wen Tingchun.

In his previous life, Emperor Jiahe wanted to allocate his most favored Princess Zhaohe to Pei You, and even changed the law that the prince-in-law could not serve in office, but it was not at this New Year's Eve banquet, but on the Mid-Autumn Festival half a year later.

This answer obviously dissatisfied the eldest princess: "You will be twenty-two after the Chinese New Year. In other homes, the children would run all over the floor, but in your room there is not even a girl to accompany you in bed..."

At this time in her previous life, there was such a night banquet. But at that time, her marriage to Shen Jin had already reached the stage of getting married. After the New Year, she would get married.

The eldest princess nodded and waved him away.

After dinner, everyone went back to their respective rooms. Duke Pei also went to the study, but the eldest princess kept Pei You behind.

Qinghui Hall is probably the cleanest courtyard in the Duke's Mansion. It was lively for a few days at first. Unexpectedly, within half a month, the prince who came back dismissed all the people, leaving only himself to take care of himself from the old residence.

Wang Qinsheng, who came over, and two young servants took care of the courtyard, without even leaving a girl to take care of daily life.

If so, it wouldn't hurt to go there.

Aunt Cui, who was standing by, stepped forward and patted her shoulders. She understood the meaning behind her sigh and comforted her: "After all, the prince did not grow up here. It has been less than a year since he returned home. In a few years, he will always be there."

Better."

The scroll fell to the ground and spread out, revealing the beauty of the woman in the painting.

"The Queen is also anxious. Isn't there a banquet tomorrow?"

The crown prince's original name was Pei Heng. He was too young to have a given name, but before he recognized his ancestor and returned to the clan, the eldest princess took the initiative to mention that he would continue to use the original "name" and "character", firstly to express his gratitude to the family who adopted him, and secondly.

Pei You has gotten used to it over the years, so there is no need to forcefully change it back.

One or two, the one who should be married will not be married, and the one who should be married will not be married.

Therefore, neither she nor Shen Jin participated.

Therefore, although we are a family, the atmosphere at the dinner table is not warm, and is even a bit indescribably cold and reserved.

She put away her notebook and walked back to the hung clothes and jewelry: "I'll pick them out."

-

Since Pei You returned to the Duke's Mansion, the whole family ate together for dinner.

cough……

But now there was light in her eyes, and her eyes were full of joy and expectation when she looked at Pei You.

His so-called "White Moonlight" has never appeared in this life. If Jiahe and the emperor offer marriage, he should not refuse it.

She had previously ordered people to send the portraits of all the women attending this event to Qinghui Hall, with the intention that Pei You could take a look at them in advance. If there was anyone he liked, he could see how the girl was doing tomorrow night.

If he comes back, he will definitely go tomorrow.

Halfway through, he paused and said in surprise: "You have someone in your heart? I heard that you have been looking for someone these days. Who can you tell your mother about?"

Today's Duke Pei looks very old, his hair has turned gray, and his eyes are a little cloudy. Moreover, these older princesses are worshiping Buddha in the temple, and their relationship is no longer what it was before, and they never sit together.

When I see him acting again, how can I act more reasonably?

Wen Ning felt a little irritated thinking about it. Why didn't Emperor Jiahe grant Pei You a marriage?

The tip of his eyebrows could not help but frown.

"Then Princess Zhaohe will be twenty-two after this new year, isn't she still unmarried?" Wen Ning said indifferently.

The pretty features and radiant gaze are just a painting, so dazzling, if it were a real person...

With this said, the eldest princess felt a little more at ease.

After he left, he let out a long sigh.

"Don't worry, mother." Pei You's long eyelashes covered his eyes. When he raised them again, his eyes were clear and there was no emotion. "If there is nothing else important, I will excuse you now."

Pei You went over and took the top scroll and unfolded it on the table.

Perhaps he was too happy. He wanted to dust the scroll, but accidentally knocked it off.

It was already December, and there was a heavy snowfall outside last night, and it might snow again tomorrow. She was most afraid of the cold, and didn't want to go to that New Year's Eve banquet.

She didn't go out much in the past six months and never saw Pei You again. In the autumn when they were supposed to meet again, she even deliberately pushed forward several invitations to enjoy chrysanthemums and red maples. Even when Wen Lan and Wen Qi came to call her, she refused to go out.

, so this life is different from the previous life. She and Pei You never met each other in the original timeline.

People in the mansion were somewhat puzzled, but Wang Qinsheng understood it well.

It stands to reason that this life would have been extremely pleasant, if there had not been an accident in which the prince went missing.

Not two years after the Wang family moved to the capital from Lingnan, Wang Fu's business was much better and his money was much richer than before. At that time, he bought one or two maids to take care of Mrs. Wang at home, but...

"Young Master." Wang Qinsheng saw him come in, rolled up the scroll and placed it on the top of the pile of scrolls, "I have just sorted out all the eldest princess's painstaking efforts. Do you still want to take a look?"

Well……

The eldest princess didn't say anything, she just took a sip of tea to her lips and lowered her eyes to cover the emotions in her eyes.

Linglan nodded: "I heard it from the eldest son."

The charming young man with red lips and white teeth half a year ago could not help but appear in front of his eyes, so this woman is...a girl from the Wen family?

He added: "I will take a closer look at the portrait my mother sent me when I go back."

Not only him, Pei You will also go.

The ancestors of the Duke of Guo's Mansion have inherited the title of "Gong Zhen Guo" from Long Zhigong to the current Duke Pei. In fact, he has never joined the army. Before Princess Shang, he was the Tanhua Lang in the spring of that year.

"Forgive me, but do you have any plans to enter the palace tomorrow?"

Because the concubine was not allowed to enter the officialdom, Pei Guogong did not hold any of his idle posts. The eldest princess fell in love with him back then, and the two of them were in love with each other for a long time after their marriage, which was very enviable.

How about she report illness tomorrow?

In this way, there will be no need to see Pei You for another year and a half.

I can only blame his young master for being so handsome and talented. What girl wouldn’t be happy with him?

But if the girl doesn’t stay, the wife will always marry her!

In other words, not all kinds of women can enter the gate of this palace.

This night was no exception.

At that time, he had already included her in the backyard, but he didn't know where he got the courage to refuse the marriage on the spot. He didn't know how he dealt with it later. Emperor Jiahe did not hold him accountable.

If everything goes well, you can ask for marriage at the New Year's family banquet, and you can discuss marriage in the spring.

The servants quickly cleared the table and served tea. Pei You lowered his eyes and took a sip, saying: "I don't need to worry about this matter, mother, I have already considered it in my heart."

"You guys..." Linglan shook her head helplessly, "I just deliberately don't let you worry!"

"Both the concubines and concubines are going there tomorrow?" Wen Ning suddenly remembered something and asked.

Wang Qinsheng bent down to pick it up and was stunned when he saw it.

Wen Ning raised her eyebrows, but her eyes were still on the storybook, but she wasn't reading the content.

There is also a concubine on the table, which the eldest princess personally took in for Duke Pei after the prince was lost. There are also two concubines from the concubine, one is eighteen years old, and the other is only seven years old.

After the Spring Festival ended, I heard that Shen Jin went to the border again. Now that the New Year is approaching, it is logical that he should come back.

Wang Qinsheng was about to observe his reaction when he saw this girl from the Wen family, when he saw that he took out a brush and dipped it in black ink. After two or three strokes, her shining face was blurred.

Wen Ning glanced at Linglan, who was carefully matching her clothes and jewelry.
To be continued...