Marry the villain and the whole court kneels down and calls her the queen

Jiang Jiu was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

This stick of incense is lit for the second son of the Zhou family, the fake monk Huiyuan.

Although Jiang Jiu knew very well the relationship between her and Monk Huiyuan, no one told her whose daughter she was.

Jiang Jiu then asked, "Who should I light the lamp for? For my mother?"

Shen looked at her deeply and smiled: "It's all right."

"Your mother must be a very gentle woman."

Jiang Jiu didn't answer. He took the candle, lit it, and handed it back to the monk.

I inadvertently glanced at the monks carrying the lamps away.

The Zhou family’s eternal lamps have a specific location. Generally speaking, the closer to the Buddha, the better.

However, those who are close to the Buddha include the royal family.

Jiang Jiu was taken by Shen to walk around the hall where the eternal lamp was lit, and unexpectedly saw the title of Princess Qiyang.

It seems that lighting eternal lamps for deceased relatives is the custom here.

The Guanyin Temple is located on a mountainside a little far from the capital. If it is spring, the scenery will be beautiful, with high mountains and deep valleys. It is a good place for outing and kite flying.

It is the first month of the lunar year, but the scenery is still withered grass and dead branches covered with snow.

Compared to the front yard, there were suddenly fewer people in the backyard.

"The backyard is quiet, but the front is so noisy." Chang Tingting was in a bad mood and complained a little.

"My grandfather booked the backyard. Look, it's surrounded by guards from the mansion." Chang Pingping often enjoyed these special benefits and was used to it.

Shen's eyes flashed. Although her father was the prefect of the capital and a third-rank official in the court, she still had to look up to Prime Minister Zhou for special matters.

After all, he is the Queen's father.

Enjoying royal treatment.

"Light the lamps today, and from tomorrow on, you will recite the sutras, once a day, a hundred times each time. You three must be sincere."

The last time they visited, Jiang Jiu only spoke a few words to Jiang Qiuyue in the front yard.

When I came to the backyard today, I found that the temple’s backyard was really big. I climbed more than a hundred steps before I reached where the abbots lived.

Especially since there were no other families in the backyard except the Zhou family, it gave people a deserted feeling.

After entering the courtyard, the presiding abbot divided the courtyard into several people. Shen lived in the south attic not far away, and the unmarried Chang sisters and Jiang Jiu lived in the west attic.

Chang Pingping couldn't help but point at the east attic and asked, "It seems like someone still lives there?"

The presiding abbot answered honestly, "It was the Ninth Prince, Prince Qi, who just returned..."

"King Qi..." A glimmer of surprise flashed in Chang Pingping's eyes.

Just looking up at Jiang Jiu, her eyes suddenly dimmed.

After the abbot arranged the rooms, he asked the young monk to take them in while he went to arrange other things.

After the little monk led them into the room, Jiang Jiu couldn't help but admire him.

"As expected of a royal temple, the rooms are warm and the decor is truly understated and luxurious."

The room was warm as soon as you entered. It was decorated like a boudoir and the bed was soft. There was also a soft couch next to the master's bed for the personal maid to sleep on.

There is another room outside the house, which is for another servant to live in. The decoration is a bit simple.

Jiang Jiu brought Nishang, Nanny Qian, and Zilan, the maid given by Old Madam Zhou.

As soon as they entered the room, Zilan said with great tact, "Miss, I will go and bring you some tea and snacks."

After walking all the way, my legs were sore from tiredness.

Nanny Qian was massaging Jiang Jiu's legs, Nishang was busy cleaning the room, and Zilan couldn't rest either.

Jiang Jiu waved his hand and Zi Lan went out.

"Xiao Jiu, have you noticed that every time the eldest daughter of the Chang family looks at you, she seems to want to bite you."

Nichang was very sensitive to the dangers around her.

There was no outsider in the room, so Nichang spoke more boldly.

Jiang Jiu was a little amused: "Then have you noticed that the way she looks at the prince is very affectionate..."

Nanny Qian was slightly startled. "She wants to marry the prince? I'm afraid her father agrees, but Prime Minister Zhou doesn't... I heard that Prime Minister Zhou wants her to marry the second son of the Marquis of Zhenguo. Alas, the second son is three years younger than you."

Nichang sarcastically said, "Young lady, you are absolutely right. Prime Minister Zhou is very good at scheming. If the marriage is really arranged for him, the entire court will probably belong to Prime Minister Zhou."

He was both civil and military, and the emperor was sidelined.

The three of them were talking in the room.

Chang Pingping, who was in another room, stood in front of the window, looking into the distance with a faint look in her eyes.

She was also aware of her situation.

Although Chang Mingyuan is the left prime minister, he is actually just a figurehead. Whenever there is something happening in the court, he has to discuss it with Prime Minister Zhou before making any decision.

If Mrs. Chang were still alive, she might be able to fight for her marriage.

Now that Madam Chang is gone, she can only listen to Prime Minister Zhou and marry someone she doesn't like.

Chang Pingping is fifteen years old this year, which is the age of coming of age. According to other families, she would have started discussing marriage a long time ago and would have been engaged at the age of thirteen or fourteen.

But she was born in the Chang family, so she got married later than other girls.

Especially since there are precedents among the previous generation.

For example, Queen Zhou did not marry the eldest prince of the time until she was eighteen years old.

Mrs. Chang also waited until Chang Mingyuan passed the imperial examination and became the third in the imperial examination before they got engaged. They were both 19 years old when they got married.

The daughters of the Zhou family sacrificed themselves for the future of the Zhou family.

Although she still had three years of mourning period, she really would not be willing to give up if she did not fight for her own marriage.

At night, the mountains were covered with white snow.

Everyone has their own meal in their own room.

It was freezing outside and Jiang Jiu didn't want to go out.

Zhao Zhuoxi brought some snacks and sneaked into Jiang Jiu's house while no one was paying attention.

When Lu Ming saw Nichang, he smiled nonchalantly, waved his hand, and showed the snacks in his hand to Nichang as if to show off.

Nichang glanced at Jiang Jiu and blushed.

"What? Have you eaten yet?"

Lu Ming took Nichang's hand and ran out: "Not yet, I'm waiting for you. Look what I brought you. These are snacks from Yueshengzhai. I queued up for the whole afternoon to buy them."

Yueshengzhai’s osmanthus cake and rose cake are both delicious and in short supply, so you need to make an appointment in advance and queue up in advance.

Nichang took a bite and tasted it: "Compared to Shaoyao's craftsmanship, it's still not as good. It's too sweet."

Lu Ming stared at him with a resentful look, feeling a little aggrieved.

Nishang smiled and said, "However, Shaoyao is not in the capital. If I want to eat delicious food, I can only rely on you."

As she said that, she kissed Lu Ming on the face.

Lu Ming's eyes were like the surface of a lake blown by the spring breeze, turning from cold to icy in just a moment.

"Well, if you want to eat something delicious, I will find it for you even if it's at the ends of the earth."

Nishang and Lu Ming were in Zhao Zhuoxi's room, being affectionate with each other.

Just when the two were being affectionate, Lu Ming suddenly stopped.

"Shh, don't make any noise, someone is coming..."

Nichang was alert and cooperated tacitly to blow out the candle.

The two of them dodged and hid in the closet inside...

Besides, in Jiang Jiu's room, when Nanny Qian saw Zhao Zhuoxi coming in, she took Zilan to the servants' kitchen to eat.

Only Jiang Jiu and Zhao Zhuoxi were left in the room, and they were filled with longing for each other.

Suddenly, a guard came in and whispered something in Zhao Zhuoxi's ear.

"Who?"

"The eldest lady of the Chang family..."