Back and forth: I brought supplies to help the impoverished prince

"Oh? Can't I look for someone else?" Qiao Shinian wanted to try out the new relationship. Ji Lanzhou should be considered as one of their people, so there was no need to win him over.

Now that she is back in Beijing, she can wait slowly, get in touch with people slowly, and then choose a good one to marry.

Marriage was truly the most useful network of relationships in ancient society.

"My husband told me about what happened at the banquet yesterday after he returned home, so, Sister Qiao, it will be difficult for you to marry into another family." Cao Jinhua smiled and refilled tea for Qiao Shinian.

"The young master of the Ji family has not married yet. When he was in Xingzhou, everyone with a discerning eye knew that he loved you. So I guess he should be very happy now that you have returned to the capital, sister.

As for Prince Yongle... he likes her, there is no doubt about that. You can say that you are on the same side with him, you are each other's allies, but when he gets married, you can no longer completely trust him. "

"why?"

"Be careful of pillow talk." Cao Jinhua looked up at Qiao Shinian seriously and said solemnly, "Before he got married, wasn't I worried that he would stray from your path? What's more, after he got married, you can ignore pillow talk once, twice, but if you do it too often, it will always have an effect."

Qiao Shinian was stunned. She hadn't thought about the pillow talk yet.

"He has been devoted to you until now, but what about after marriage? Aristocratic families have always valued bloodlines. Not only aristocratic families, but everyone values ​​bloodlines. If his wife gives birth to a child for him, then in the future it will be his wife who will have the final say in the palace. When the prince is old, it will be his child who will be the head of the palace.

Will his children support their sister as much as he does?

Even if he survived the pillow talk, decades later, his children would still favor their maternal grandparents and their own mother. "

Cao Jinhua looked at Qiao Shinian, who was in shock, seriously: "Sister, I think you have never considered the inheritance of blood, right?"

"So, all relationships need to be maintained, no matter how close they are. My relationship with my brother may be fine, my husband and I may get along well, and my stepchildren treat me very well, but I still need my own children.

Finally, let me tell you how powerful pillow talk is."

At the end, Cao Jinhua winked at Qiao Shinian playfully, "In a few days, a large group of people will jointly petition to allow talented women to work for Chu Wen. What kind of scene will it be then? And my husband will be one of the leaders."

Qiao Shinian nodded: "I've taken note of what you said, thank you."

"You're welcome..." When Cao Jinhua wanted to say something else, a maid's voice came from outside.

"Madam, it's time to take your medicine."

"Oh, come in."

Cao Jinhua took the dark medicine and drank it all in one gulp: "Is my husband home yet?"

"The master is in the study. He said he would not disturb you and your friends." The little maid answered obediently.

Qiao Shinian saw that it was already dusk and realized that he and Cao Jinhua had been talking for a long time.

She stood up and said, "It's hard for you to chat with me for so long despite your big belly. I really... You should have a good rest. I'll go back first. Now that we're back in Beijing, we'll have a lot of time to get together."

"Okay." Cao Jinhua stood up, "I'll take my sister there."

"No need. You've been sitting here chatting with me for the whole afternoon. You should take a good rest."

"It's okay. These two little ones are very well-behaved and never make trouble." Cao Jinhua took Qiao Shinian's hand and walked her to the door.

"Sister Qiao, maybe what I said before was not entirely right. Anyway, please think about it more." Finally, Cao Jinhua said again.

Qiao Shinian nodded: "Okay, I will. You can go back now. It rained yesterday and today. Be careful to keep warm and don't catch a cold."

"Young lady?" Yingzhu was driving the carriage, but saw Qiao Shinian standing in front of the carriage and refusing to get in.

She shook her head: "I want to walk around and think about some things."

She really didn't consider what Cao Jinhua said. What would Wen Jiu's father-in-law and his wife think of her after she got married?

Putting aside the fact that Wen Jiu still likes her and whether her future wife will be jealous, the act of female self-reliance that she instigated would be looked at strangely in this world.

Indeed, there is Wen Jiu’s child. Can she instill modern concepts of gender equality in his child like she did to Wen Jiu?

She thought that the possibility was not very high. Not to mention whether the child's mother would let her contact the child, it would be difficult for him to trust her in a stable environment.

At this time, Qiao Shinian felt a little fortunate that her people had thought of something that she could not think of.

Ji Lanzhou, the Ji family belongs to the royal family. I had no intention of harming Ji Lanzhou before, and it doesn’t seem appropriate to go now.

However, can the Ji family really be used by Wen Jiu?

Ji Lanzhou and Wen Jiu have a good relationship, but his father does not.

"Qiao Shinian."

Qiao Shinian was stunned when his name was called, then he looked up at Mo Lin who was a few steps away from him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Would you like to talk to me alone?" Mo Lin looked meaningfully at the person lighting the incense behind her.

"inconvenient."

"Hey, at least I took care of you in Zhou Kingdom." Mo Lin said as he walked forward. Naturally, he was stopped by Dian Xiang when he was an arm's length away from Qiao Shinian.

Qiao Shinian looked at Mo Lin. After not seeing him for a few years, he seemed to be the same as before, but his eyes were not as clear as before.

"Has the favor been repaid?"

"Why are you so ruthless now, woman?" Mo Lin shrugged. "Just treat it as a reunion between old friends. Come have a drink with me?"

"You and I will not be friends. Let me tell you in advance that in the future, I may become your enemy who killed your sister-in-law."

"You really haven't let him go yet." Mo Lin smiled, "Let's talk about this on the street. Do you think it's appropriate?"

"Go away. I don't want to talk to you anymore." Qiao Shinian changed direction and wanted to leave.

Mo Lin tried to get past Dian Xiang's defense, and the two fought in the street, causing passers-by to stay away and avoid them.

"General Mo, this is Chu Wen, not your Zhou Kingdom. Please be aware of your identity." A cold voice sounded, and Qiao Shinian stopped and looked.

Ji Lanzhou separated the two people who were fighting each other. He looked at Mo Cheng and said, "A gentleman would not force others like this."

"Hey, isn't this the guard beside the emperor? How come he is also interested in getting involved in the affairs between Qiao Shinian and me? Could it be..." He paused for a moment and sighed: "I haven't seen you for a few years, but your ability to attract people has not diminished at all."

"Any objections?" To be honest, Qiao Shinian didn't want to meet Zhou Guo's acquaintances. If he met one, those vague past events would become clearer.

For example, the eunuch she killed, and herself who was so scared that she could only hide.

"I say, you are also a child of an aristocratic family with a bright future. Don't ruin your future by falling in love with this woman." Mo Lin withdrew his hand and patted Ji Lanzhou's shoulder with a smile: "Thinking back to the beginning, I also had a deep love for this woman. Those days of missing her were really hard to endure."

"General Mo, be careful with your words." Ji Lanzhou remained unmoved, and just stood in front of Mo Lin coldly, "It's getting late, General, you should go back and rest."

"I have something to ask Qiao Shinian. Since you are not interested in her, why don't you let me go?"

Qiao Shinian frowned. She actually wanted to leave. She believed Ji Lanzhou would stop Mo Lin, but she thought of her own marriage plan.

As for Wen Jiu, she really seemed to have never thought about it.

The Ji family has a good family background. If she could marry into the family by chance, no one would believe that the Ji family had nothing to do with Wen Jiu. At that time, the Ji family would be forced to stand with Wen Jiu.

"Miss Qiao, you go back first. I will take General Mo back to the inn." Ji Lanzhou turned his head and looked at Qiao Shinian.

"No, let's go together. Who cares about him?" Qiao Shinian took a step forward, held Ji Lanzhou's hand and walked forward. "I just returned to Beijing. Thank you for your help to our academy in Xingzhou before. So which restaurant has good food? Take me there, I'll treat you."

Surprisingly, Mo Lin did not follow this time. He looked at Dianxiang who was on guard, took out a token from his bosom and said seriously: "Your Majesty, please come in person. Dianxiang, gather all the people, and follow me back to Zhou State."

Dianxiang was stunned at first, then said in a cold voice: "No one will go back with you. We are the ones left by the prince for the girl. Those who don't want to follow the girl have already parted ways with us before the prince left."

"But you are Zhou people, and you obey the orders of Zhou."

"We are free." After Dianxiang finished speaking, he no longer looked at Mo Lin and went to chase Qiao Shinian who was walking in front.

"She has already betrayed the wise king, and you still want to follow her?"

"Yes, we will serve her forever." Dianxiang paused slightly, and ignored Molin after saying this.

Ji Lanzhou, who had been held by Qiao Shinian, blushed. He broke away from Qiao Shinian's hand and said softly, "Miss Qiao, men and women should not be intimate with each other. This will damage your reputation."

"Oh." Qiao Shinian looked at Ji Lanzhou's red face and asked, "So, do you know which restaurant has good food? I want to treat you to a meal."

Ji Lanzhou nodded and said in a muffled voice: "How can a girl treat you?"

Finally, the two sat down in a private room of a restaurant that looked luxurious from the decoration. The seat by the window had an excellent view.

"Wow, the river in the capital!" Qiao Shinian said to Ji Lanzhou with a smile, "I remember when I first arrived in the capital, Wen Jiu and I were like bumpkins, especially me, yelling at the courtesan on the boat.

I remember that the courtesan was extremely beautiful when she was on the boat, and her graceful dance made me particularly excited.

It’s like witnessing…” life in the old world.

Qiao Shinian did not say the second half of the sentence. Her eyes were sparkling at this moment, which made Ji Lanzhou want to touch the faces that had appeared in his dreams many times.

In fact, as he thought this, he had already stretched out his hand.

Qiao Shinian leaned back slightly and smiled awkwardly: "Is there something dirty on my face?"

She gave them a way out to avoid the two of them being silent because of this awkward action.

"No... I was rude." Ji Lanzhou immediately retracted his hand. After denying it, he realized how flustered he was at the moment.

"Oh." Why tell the truth so honestly.

When the dishes were served, a drizzle began to fall outside the window. The pedestrians on the river raised their hands above their heads to try to avoid the raindrops from falling into their hair. Their originally leisurely pace suddenly became tense.

"You still don't like spicy food." Qiao Shinian looked at Ji Lanzhou's flushed face after he ate a piece of spicy lotus root, and smiled as he moved the spicy lotus root in front of him.

Ji Lanzhou picked up the wine glass and took a sip, not daring to look at Qiao Shinian again.

The appearance of the person in front of him was exactly the same as in his memory, but he was somewhat surprised by the way she cared about him at this moment.

Seeing Ji Lanzhou didn't say anything, Qiao Shinian felt a little embarrassed.

"At first I thought we would never see each other again after you returned to Beijing. I thought your children would be grown up by the time we met again, but I didn't expect that within a year, Wen Jiu and I would also settle down in Beijing."

Qiao Shinian looked out the window while holding a dish. The rain had gotten heavier and there were no more pedestrians on the street. However, some people were still enjoying boating on the lake. The boatman, wearing a straw raincoat and cloak, was rowing leisurely at the stern.

The rain scene outside the window was so beautiful that Qiao Shinian couldn't help but stare at it intently.

Back then, I barged in like this without any preparation, and was full of curiosity about all new things.

She thought she had come by chance to see a historical figure from another world. As a modern person who could experience history firsthand, she thought the game would be over after escorting the prince back to Beijing, so she especially cherished every new experience.

Those things that have never been seen are like ancient pictures of life.

Later, these new things to her gradually became part of her life, and the beautiful pictures became a common sight without her knowing when.

The color of her body that was incompatible with the painting gradually melted into the ancient scroll, and finally she herself was integrated into the scroll. When people in later generations viewed the scroll, she was just a small figure in it.

Perhaps, all she left for future generations was a back view, and they could only know that she was a woman through her appearance in the scroll.

"Are you not liking the food?" Ji Lanzhou looked at Qiao Shinian who was staring out the window in a daze, feeling a little helpless.

"Ah? No, no, it's delicious. You're worthy of being a great chef in Beijing. These dishes have only been out for a few years, but you can make so many different kinds of them." Qiao Shinian came back to his senses and put aside his sadness.

Perhaps after listening to Cao Jinhua's words today, she had new ideas, or the rain had the effect of cleansing her heart, making her temporarily return to the state of mind when she first arrived in the capital, or perhaps it was because the person opposite her was too quiet, so she was distracted.

Ji Lanzhou did not relax his brows because of this: "Are you worried about something?"

"Yes." Qiao Shinian answered readily, "After yesterday's incident, everyone in the capital will say that I am a country woman who doesn't know etiquette. The entire aristocratic circle has closed its doors to me. It's always hard to let go of being excluded from the circle."

"You like this kind of circle?"

"It's okay. After I get married, I will always have to consider my husband's family. If I am excluded, my husband's family will lose face." Qiao Shinian smiled and talked about marriage, which all girls are too shy to talk about.

Ji Lanzhou's eyes suddenly widened, and deep in his eyes there flashed joy and sadness that only he knew.

"who is it?"

"Who's who?"

"Who are you going to marry?" Ji Lanzhou stared at his chopsticks and lowered his voice. "From your tone, it shouldn't be Wen Jiu. Then... who is that person?"

"Let's not talk about me for now. What about you? You've been back for so long, and your parents aren't urging you to get married. You're already 23 years old. Others at home would have had kids by your age, but you were delayed for two years because you followed Wen Jiu."

Qiao Shinian turned the topic back to Ji Lanzhou.

Ji Lanzhou lowered his eyes, and his left hand unconsciously touched the tassel on the jade pendant at his waist, which was already worn out.

"I have someone I like, and I haven't given up yet, so I don't want to get married and have children without thinking." Ji Lanzhou said, looking up at Qiao Shinian: "You said that the happiness of women and men is equally important. Who is your future husband? I can help you find one. Although I am not good at interacting with the young men in the capital, I know a little about their character."

"Oh? What if this person is extremely naughty?" Qiao Shinian put down his chopsticks, rested his chin on his crossed hands, and looked at Ji Lanzhou curiously.

Ji Lanzhou swallowed his saliva, not daring to look into those eyes. He stroked the spike with his left hand and whispered, "Why do you have to wrong yourself? There are many good men out there."

"For example?" Qiao Shinian looked at Ji Lanzhou's appearance, her eyes moving. She supported her head with one hand and picked up the wine jug with the other hand to add wine to her glass.

When Ji Lanzhou looked up again, he saw her staring at him with one hand supporting her chin, the other holding a wine glass with some wine still left at the corner of her mouth.

"you……"

"Haha, that's right, I'm teasing you." Qiao Shinian sat up straight and covered his mouth with his hands while laughing. "By the way, is there anyone waiting for you to go back to your room for dinner? If there is, then you should go back; if not, then let's have a good drink and have a good chat, don't just keep silent."

Ji Lanzhou raised his eyes and looked at Qiao Shinian: "Then...should I go back?"

"Do you have one? If so, then send someone back to tell her that you met an old friend today and may not be able to keep the appointment. Tell her not to wait any longer and to wash up and go to bed early to wait for you to come back and apologize. How do you do that?"

Ji Lanzhou couldn't help but smile: "That's because there's no beauty waiting for me. I can drink with my old friends at ease."

"Your concubine isn't waiting for you to come home for dinner?" Qiao Shinian said, and reached out to take the wine jug in front of Ji Lanzhou and refilled it for himself.

Ji Lanzhou was stunned for a moment, and then he said after a while: "She won't eat at the same table with me."

Qiao Shinian just smiled and didn't ask any more questions.