An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

After school that day, Nie Ce came to visit Gao Heng again.

The young general's jade lion was parked in front of the mansion gate. He didn't bring any servants with him. He came alone and followed Ashan's lead directly into Yanshuiju.

Sang Ling was just coming out of the painting hall after having dinner with her aunt, and she also wanted to go see her cousin. Even though Gao Heng had recovered now, she still had to go and see him every now and then to show her concern.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she could vaguely hear the voices of people talking inside. She thought there was a visitor, so she prepared to leave. Just then, Ah Shan came over from the bathroom. He saw that she was about to leave, so he smiled and said, "Young lady, it's Lord Nie inside. Come in with him."

She just said "Oh". In fact, she felt that even if it was Nie Ce, it would not be easy to go in. But since others said so, she had no choice but to step back.

Two people sat opposite each other in the room, chatting. One sat cross-legged beside the stove, looking at the boiling water in the copper kettle; the other leaned against a carved stool, one hand on his knees, and said, "I'm fine, I'm going to have fun anyway, but the queen insisted on taking those officials and their wives with her, so I didn't bother to go."

The person who was speaking was Nie Ce, and his sitting posture was always like this, very casual.

Gao Heng wrapped the plain cloth around the handle of the kettle, and just as he lifted the small kettle, he saw Sang Ling coming in, "Sister."

"Cousin." She immediately smiled and nodded to Nie Ce, "Lord Nie."

Nie Hou——Nie Ce frowned. "Eh." Although he felt awkward, he had to respond.

Sang Ling didn't know until she got closer that the copper pot was not filled with water, but wine, and it smelled slightly spicy. Can my cousin drink? She immediately thought to herself. At Gao Heng's signal, the servants in the room spread a brocade carpet in front for the young lady to sit on.

Seeing Gao Heng filling Nie Ce's wine cup with hot wine, but there was no cup in front of her - good, cousin doesn't drink. She lowered her eyebrows and smiled slightly.

"Yes, A Ling should go too." Gao Heng put the copper kettle on the low table and said.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

This time it was Nie Ce who answered, "The emperor is going on an autumn hunt in the palace and has summoned a group of court officials to go to Huanlin Mountain. The empress has arranged for the officials' families to accompany them, and General Sang is among them. You are the eldest daughter of the Sang family, so you must go."

That’s not necessarily true. Now Ma is in charge of all the affairs in the backyard of the Sang Mansion. What if Ma only allows Sang Mei to be taken along?

Then I heard my cousin say "hmm", "My uncle also said a few days ago that my aunt is pregnant and it is inconvenient for her to leave, so I will take you and A-Mei with me. The carriage from the Sang Mansion may come in a few days."

The flame on the stove was extinguished by the servants. She fixed her eyes on it and took a while to digest these words. Ma was pregnant - that was really a roasted old hen laying eggs, which was rare.

"But, but I still have to study." He said hesitantly.

Moreover, the autumn hunting in this dynasty lasted for a long time. Looking back at the previous emperors and the current emperor, when did they decide on the autumn hunting? It didn't start from one month. And from her modern perspective, it would be better not to do such a big and ostentatious thing that would damage the ecology. Even if it was to be done, wouldn't the man go there? Why did Empress Wu bring the official family with her?

It's such a peaceful and prosperous time, I have nothing to do.

"Where are we going to study?" Nie Ce took a sip of the hot wine and smiled. "I'm afraid the teacher will talk about this in a couple of days. Qingshan Temple and Zhifu are close to Huanlin Mountain. That line will be fenced off, so we won't be able to study there."

"Isn't it good to have a holiday?" Nie Jialang leaned back and thought of the first time he met the girl from the Sang family. She was so serious and solemn on the first day of school. Now, more than half a year has passed, and she still likes these things so much. It seems that she really loves studying. He glanced at Gao Heng opposite him. The brother and sister are similar in this respect.

"Okay, of course you think it's good." Sang Ling sighed unconsciously and was too lazy to ask any more questions.

If this is really decided, even if she doesn't go to the autumn hunting, she won't be able to go to school. And if Sang Wu really sent someone to pick her up, she certainly can't use Qiao as an excuse to refuse, otherwise she will end up letting this father leave a bad impression on her.

"Do those people want to go too?" Gao Heng and Nie Ce asked.

Nie Ce raised his head in response, and she asked, "Who are those people?"

The two men in front of her looked at each other. Gao Heng closed her eyes and her face seemed to fall for a moment. It was Nie Ce who replied, "Cao Xin, Qian Shao and Mo Ti, don't you think it's strange that Qian Shao wanted to go even though his leg was broken." He then smiled defiantly, "I will bring Qiu Shaozhou with me and kill them by surprise."

The young man's arrogant attitude was fully revealed, but when he saw Gao Heng frowning and staring at him, he chuckled twice and took a few sips of wine, and stopped showing off.

It seems that the incident that Madam Qian had brought to the Empress Dowager was really nothing. Otherwise, how could Nie Ce speak like that now? At the very least, even if something really happened, I'm afraid this man wouldn't panic. After all, he still had military merits and had to go to the camp every month to help the emperor train soldiers.

One is a martial artist trained by the emperor himself; the other is a playboy from an aristocratic family. Even if he broke his leg or lost his life, the emperor would not be willing to punish him.

But so many people are going, and they are all young sons of officials. Is the Tian family planning to turn this autumn hunting into a social gathering?

*

On the second day, the disciples of the Zhi family explained on behalf of the master that the school would be closed for two months. It was said that Master Zhi had entered the palace in the morning and gave two lectures in the afternoon. He didn't even assign homework as usual on the days before the holidays - the imperial power was above everything else, and the nobles above could easily say something to shake the earth, and all the arrangements of the people below had to change according to the orders of the emperor and empress.

As Sang Ling packed his school bag, he was still a little unhappy, but his two little girls who sat at the same table were all smiles - they were also going to go to the Huanlin Mountain Palace with their family.

Ban Le rolled up the bamboo and silk, smiling, "Qin Zhongjian is going too?"

"Yes, you are so happy?" Dai Chengjun put the brush into the book bag, and the ink on the tip of the brush immediately seeped out, staining the silk cloth of the book bag with black spots. But she has always kept it like this, but today she changed to a new book bag, so it is particularly eye-catching. Sang Ling couldn't help but take a breath, thinking: prodigal son, prodigal son.

"I am happy. Tomorrow I will go to Baixiangxuan to try on new clothes and look at jewelry on Maquan Street. Even Sang Ling will not be more beautiful than me." Ban Le raised her neck with a collar as big as a cicada.

"Who is Qin Zhongjian?" Sang Ling had already put away the things on the desk and started gossiping.

"My cousin." Dai Chengjun had already stood up. The three little girls walked out of the study together, and Dai Chengjun continued, "Ban Le is thinking about my brother. Maybe he will drink the wedding wine next year."

"Keep your noise down." Ban Le stomped his feet quickly.

As they talked, the two little girls started to quarrel. Sang Ling smiled and watched them go back and forth, neither of them gave in, nor did she stop them. Unconsciously, she looked back and saw Xun Jin in the study room. Everyone else had left, but he was still standing there. Xun Jialang's eyes had been on her for the past few days, both during and after school.

She became a little impatient being stared at, and then turned her head away, thinking that if this continued, the Xun family would simply have to give up this way of retreat.