The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

Bai was very happy when she saw this. The large betrothal gift given by the man showed that he valued their daughter.

"Mrs. Ding is so lucky!"

Bai took the gift book brought in from the outer courtyard and had it unfolded for everyone to see.

"After all, it's the Earl's Mansion. I see that many of the items here are extremely valuable and cannot be bought with money."

Song Shengfu filled the betrothal gifts with a few items from her storehouse. Hearing that her daughter-in-law loved the zither, she also collected a few ancient music scores.

There is a fragmentary copy, but it is the long-lost "Flying Clouds in the Stream", and only the first part is available here.

Ding Meishu happened to see it, and she had several copies here, but she never thought that the original version was in the uncle's house.

There are many families among them that I don't get along with, but after looking at the gift lists, I can't say anything bad about them.

After Bai had entertained the guests in the inner courtyard, she went to the front courtyard when the time came.

"The son of the Jier Duan family wishes to marry the daughter of the Ding family. They are a match made in heaven, with talent and beauty. The auspicious time has been chosen!"

The ceremonial person presented three red cards with auspicious days for marriage on them.

Ding Haimo and Bai looked at each other, looked at the three dates, and just as Song Shengfu had expected, they chose a date in the middle.

"August 20th, an auspicious date!"

There was a gong sound, followed by a burst of firecrackers.

"Dear distinguished guests, the wedding between the Duan and Ding families has been finalized. On August 20th, both families will prepare fine wine and delicious food to welcome you all!"

The lively betrothal ceremony ended like this, the guests were dismissed, and Duan Jing'an and four ceremonial attendants were left in Ding's mansion.

On the day of the betrothal ceremony, men and women were not allowed to meet. In the inner courtyard, Mrs. Bai entertained Mrs. Lu, her natal sister-in-law, and her uncles who had stayed. In the outer courtyard, Mr. Ding Haimo entertained the couple, who had dinner and drinks before leaving.

Kang Ge'er also drank some wine, but he didn't have as good a drinking tolerance as his fourth uncle. When he left, he cried and wanted to become sworn brothers with Jian Ge'er.

The two men kowtowed to a tree in the outer courtyard. The servants went up to pull them away, but the two men held on to the tree and refused to let go.

Duan Jing'an felt embarrassed and had him knocked unconscious and taken back.

"Xiao Degui, what is Concubine Qiqiao doing today?"

The Emperor of Chu had just finished reviewing the memorials and rubbed his sore arms.

The eunuch standing by saw this and stepped forward to give Emperor Chu a massage, but the Emperor waved his hand.

"No, I'll get up and walk around."

The Emperor of Chu walked down from the dragon throne, and Xiao Degui followed closely behind him with a bow.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has prepared food for you."

The Emperor of Chu nodded to indicate that he understood. He had promised the Imperial Concubine last night that he would go to Fuhua Palace today.

"Okay, let's get ready."

Xiao Degui responded, waved to the eunuchs at the door and went out.

At this time, Concubine Ning hung up the needle she had just threaded, which was considered a celebration.

The other concubines in the palace were either gathering for tea or to admire the flowers. Concubine Ning didn't want to join in the fun, so she sat in a side hall looking at the flower map. Chu Qinling was also reading quietly nearby.

The palace people passing by walked lightly.

Only when someone came from outside and told her that the Emperor of Chu was about to arrive at Fuhua Palace did Concubine Ning put down the book in her hand.

Chu Qinling stopped looking when he heard that. He asked someone to put it away and went with his mother to wait for his father.

When the Emperor of Chu arrived, Concubine Ning and Order of Chu Qin were both waiting at the palace gate.

Before he got close, the King of Chu ordered his men to put down the imperial sedan chair, got off and walked over quickly.

"Le Rou, why are you bringing Xiao Liu here? Have you been waiting for so long?"

Concubine Ning shook her head and smiled gently.

"It wasn't long before His Majesty the Son arrived after just a short while."

The Emperor of Chu naturally took Chu Qinling's hand, and Concubine Ning leaned on his other side.

"Come on, let's go in and talk."

"You are alone in the palace, why don't you ask Concubine De and the others to come with you? It would be boring to help you pass the time."

Concubine Ning glanced at him sideways with her phoenix eyes, twisted her body to break free, and walked forward on her own.

"What can I say to them? I'm afraid Your Majesty is missing Sister Defei. If so, why not go and see her? What are you doing in my palace?"

The Emperor of Chu just asked casually, not wanting to anger his beloved concubine.

Looking at the imperial concubine's departing back, and then at Chu Qinling, Chu Qinling just looked up at his old father innocently.

"I'm just saying this. I'm not worried that you'll be bored alone."

The Emperor of Chu followed Concubine Ning, chatting and laughing like an ordinary couple.

"If you are bored, Your Majesty, please come and accompany me more often. This huge Fuhua Palace has been waiting for Your Majesty."

"You, you, I've never seen anyone as unreasonable as you."

Emperor Chu sat aside, picked up the tea on the table and took a sip.

After sending Chu Qinling away, the Emperor of Chu took Concubine Ning's hand and played with her white, jade-like fingers.

Her nails were white and round, unlike those of other concubines who had their nails dyed red.

"Naturally unadorned, the beauty's face is like jade."

Concubine Ning gently patted Emperor Chu's hand and pulled her hand back.

She turned her head to look towards the side hall, and when she turned around, her face was flushed with a pink blush.

"Your Majesty! Ling'er is here. You need to pay attention to the child now that he's grown up."

The King of Chu pretended to cough and said, "How about sending Ling'er to the prince's residence? He's grown up now, and it's not appropriate for him to stay in the harem."

When he said this, he was still thinking about how to persuade the imperial concubine. After all, the last time he mentioned it, the imperial concubine cried for several days and refused to see him.

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly fell silent.

The palace servants lowered their heads, wishing they could hide themselves, and the air seemed to become thicker.

"Let's wait until the weather cools down and then move him to another palace. It's still very hot these days."

Concubine Ning's eyes looked a little lonely, and her tone was filled with reluctance.

"Le Rou, do you agree?"

The Emperor of Chu was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that he would agree so readily this time.

Concubine Ning stood up and walked to the side of Emperor Chu, leaning her whole body in his arms.

"Your Majesty, do you really think I'm an ignorant child?"

"I didn't, I know."

Almost every day, there are several memorials on the Emperor of Chu's desk involving the imperial concubine drowning her child. The prince moved to the palace at the age of seven, and it is unreasonable for Ling'er to stay in the harem at the age of ten.

"Your Majesty knows me, and I know Your Majesty as well. I only have this one child, and I never left her side from birth until she was three years old. Those three years were the most difficult. I was always afraid that one day the child in my arms would suddenly lose her body temperature."

"After he was three, I couldn't hold him any longer, so I just watched over him. Every time he was sick, big or small, I couldn't close my eyes. At that time, I couldn't bear to let him live out alone. It's only in the past two years that I've been able to get a good night's sleep. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't listened to the palace maids' gossip that day, I might have missed it. Now that Ling'er is getting better, my heart is at peace."

Emperor Chu felt a sour emotion passing through his heart as he watched how Le Rou had lived those years.

Those years almost drove her crazy. Sometimes she wouldn't even listen to what he said while holding Ling'er in her arms.

Le Rou used to love beauty so much. She dressed up brightly and beautifully all day long, always wearing complicated and exquisite head ornaments on her head. She would not wear clothes without suitable accessories, and her shoes had to have tassels and pearls on them. She said that it would make her look good when she walked.