newbobooks Chapter 315 Fate
Chapter 315 Fate
It started snowing lightly outside.
The charcoal fire was burning brightly inside the room.
Three children were reciting poems while swaying their heads.
That guy was shaking his head a little strangely, and his eyes were always drifting out the window.
Absent-minded.
Yan Cheng'an, in particular, was only thinking about going out to play in the snow.
Lu Zhizhi was also itching to make a move.
The little girl has been back in the capital for over a month now; her face has become rounder and a little fairer.
She was born in the capital. When she was six years old, the Lu family suffered a disaster. Now, it has been more than four years since she last saw snow.
In the place of exile, it never snows in winter.
Seeing snow made her happier than seeing roast chicken.
Only Jiang Miaomiao showed little interest.
I was almost frozen to death in the snow when I was born. Although my memory is hazy, the icy cold feeling is still vivid in my mind.
Later, I had those dreams again, dreams filled with snow and blood, with my mother and brothers lying in the cold snow, their corpses strewn everywhere.
The pristine white snow beneath them was gradually stained red.
It was gradually covered by heavy snow until there was no trace of it left.
So the snow in her mind was half white and half red.
She was even afraid of snow.
What she was having was perhaps a dream, but for her mother and brother, it was very likely something that had happened in their past lives.
Perhaps in my previous life, this body of mine had already died in that snowy field.
The Lu family also failed to return.
later……
There probably wasn't a sequel.
Whenever she thinks of those dreams, her heart still aches uncontrollably.
As she grew older and her relationship with her mother and brothers deepened, the fears she harbored in her heart also multiplied.
She became increasingly afraid of losing her mother and her brothers.
There's also Prince Jing and Aunt Qianxue.
Since arriving in the capital, I haven't had any more dreams about them. I wonder what happened to Prince Jing after Aunt Qianxue and her son died in my dream.
I wonder if Jiang Zijin has suffered any retribution?
Miao Miao's swaying head gradually stopped, and she stared blankly at the snowflakes falling outside the window.
"Miaomiao, why don't you go out and play with your older brother and sister?" Mu Qianxue approached the little girl and saw that her eyes were red.
His eyes were full of sadness.
Mu Qianxue was startled and rubbed her eyes.
Then, their eyes met, and the little girl's eyes were brimming with tears.
It's so touching.
She thought she must have been seeing things, to see such complex emotions in a child's eyes.
Jiang Miaomiao came to her senses and saw a stunningly beautiful face in front of her. She quickly shook her head and said, "It's so cold. I don't want to go. I'll easily catch a cold and accidentally send someone away."
Mu Qianxue: ...
This kid knows way too much.
However, what Miaomiao said makes sense. Every child is their mother's precious darling, and even a minor illness can be heartbreaking.
Don't let her current tendency to want to beat the kids fool you.
When Cheng'an was little, she felt so sorry for him. Whenever he had a headache or fever, she would be so worried that she couldn't eat or sleep.
Thinking of this, Mu Qianxue quickly instructed her maid to bring the two little ones back from their wild play.
She touched Xiao Miaomiao's chubby cheeks and asked, "Tell Auntie, why are you crying? Did Brother Cheng'an bully you?"
Originally, Xiao Cheng'an was assigned by the Empress Dowager to be the young prince's study companion.
The Empress Dowager gave him a choice, and he chose the Ninth Prince, whose birth mother was not favored but who was about the same age.
I'll just have to choose.
When it comes to kids, if you let them choose, they'll definitely choose what they like.
But this kid has a penchant for standing up for the weak, and in order to stand up for the Ninth Prince, he beat up the Eighth Prince.
The Eighth Prince's birth mother, Consort Shu, was enjoying great favor with the Emperor, and she complained to the Emperor.
Although the Emperor did not punish her excessively out of consideration for the Empress Dowager, he still thoroughly offended Consort Shu.
The second sister had no choice but to bring generous gifts to apologize before Consort Shu finally calmed down.
It's all because of that brat Yan Cheng'an that his mother has wasted so much money and treasures over the years.
Since no place was willing to take in Yan Cheng'an, they had no choice but to hire a private tutor for him at home.
He invited several people, but they all left because of that kid's anger.
My second sister always says she gave birth to a money-losing child.
There was really no other way. I couldn't bring myself to hit him hard, so I sent him to the army camp for my older brother to train. He was too young, and I couldn't bear to do it.
And so, the important task of disciplining her unruly nephew fell into her hands.
It's like forcing a duck onto a shelf.
The good news is that the little guy is quite well-behaved in front of her and doesn't dare to misbehave.
But what happens behind the scenes is another story.
Teaching one is the same as teaching two, so why not teach more?
Only after teaching them did I realize that the three children's levels were quite different.
Miaomiao is the smartest, and Zhizhi is the most sensible and well-behaved.
As for Cheng'an...
Most sleepyheads.
He no longer dared to be naughty, but he dared to doze off in class.
But the snow was so cold that it chased away his sleepiness. As soon as school was over, the two older children left the younger one behind and ran out to play in the snow.
The little girl was left here, lost in thought.
Jiang Miaomiao felt that Yan Cheng'an must have been beaten up a few days ago, because he kept complaining about his sore butt and sore palms.
Unexpectedly, before his serious injuries had fully healed, he suffered new wounds…
Seeing Aunt Qianxue's worried look, she quickly shook her head and said, "Brother An didn't bully me. I just missed my older brother, that's why I cried."
Although the intention was to divert Aunt Xue's attention, it was to prevent Xiao Cheng'an from taking too much blame.
But I think my older brother is really right.
At this time last year, her older brother would definitely be squatting by the charcoal fire grilling meat skewers for her.
I wonder how my older brother is doing right now.
Did they suffer from hunger and cold?
My older brother has a big appetite. Will he be able to eat his fill in the military camp?
Mother received a letter from her maternal grandfather a month ago. In the letter, he said that after they met up with their godfather, they went to the northern border to guard the frontier.
My eldest brother also went with my maternal grandfather.
In general, when internal strife occurs, the border regions are also prone to unrest. It's relatively easy to deal with only Prince Su's rebel army, but the real fear is that he might collude with foreign enemies and launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside.
Then the godfather would be caught in a pincer movement.
That's why my maternal grandfather's branch secretly went to provide support under imperial orders, catching the enemy off guard.
Based on the outcome of her dream, it was deduced that Prince Jing would eventually become the crown prince, and would even have a high chance of living until his father's death.
He was replaced by a new emperor.
So let's work backwards.
In the dream, Prince Jing's elder brother, the Crown Prince, eventually died from poisoning, and Prince Su's rebellion also failed.
As for the fate of Prince Chen.
The fact that he poisoned the Crown Prince's family in his previous life should have been exposed eventually. Even if it hadn't been exposed, he would have died eventually, allowing Prince Jing to ascend the throne smoothly.
The difference in this life is that Mother found a witness in Lingquan Town who witnessed Prince Chen poisoning the Crown Prince. It was the female physician Feng who disguised herself as Abbess Shuiyue.
Therefore, the fate of Prince Chen in this life should remain unchanged.
In Jiang Miaomiao's dream, Prince Jing and Mu Qianxue became a couple, which meant that Prince Jing must have received the support of the Mu family and the Empress Dowager.
What's puzzling is that he married his aunt Qianxue as his crown princess, but also took Jiang Zijin as his concubine.
He looks like a big pig's trotter no matter how you look at it.
If we're talking about his lust for beauty, the Jiang Zijin in his dream was only fourteen or fifteen years old, and her appearance hadn't changed much from now, except that she was taller and more voluptuous.
The current King Jing has not even given Jiang Zijin a second glance, and after his visit to Jiangzhou, his first impression of Jiang Zijin must have been extremely poor.
Regardless of King Jing's attitude towards Jiang Zijin, or Jiang Zijin's current family background, it's unclear what kind of future she might have with King Jing.
The possibility is extremely slim.
Therefore, the conclusion is that King Jing in the dream did not have any real feelings for Jiang Zijin.
My worry and anxiety about Aunt Qianxue are genuine.
This puzzled Jiang Miaomiao. Even if they were all living another life, the same person's temperament shouldn't have changed too much.
If he didn't like Jiang Zijin, why did he still marry her and cause trouble?
Ultimately, it also cost him the lives of his wife and children.
Poor Aunt Qianxue, she became a victim of palace intrigue.
She looked up at Mu Qianxue with her little face, "Auntie, will you marry Uncle Jing?"
Mu Qianxue was taken aback.
Why would the little guy ask her that question?
Her marriage to Prince Jing was indeed imminent; she would reach marriageable age in the next year, and there was no excuse to delay any longer.
In recent days, the Empress has summoned her to the palace for talks on several occasions.
In the end, it all revolves around their marriage.
The Empress Dowager and her mother were also trying their best to bring them together, and her mother would often nag her about it.
Unable to resist any longer, she fled with Xiao Cheng'an to another courtyard for some peace and quiet.
She actually knew it in her heart.
Born into a noble family, this was her destiny; marriage was not something they could control.
Even my second sister's marriage was taken from Prince Su by Yan Huan through a scheme; otherwise, my second sister would either be the Crown Princess or a member of that rebellious prince's family.
The Mu family will also suffer.
Scared to think about.
As for her and Prince Jing, thanks to the strong matchmaking efforts of the Empress and the Empress Dowager, in everyone's eyes they were practically a done deal.
She was unwilling to be manipulated as a pawn, yet she was powerless to do anything about it.
The only thing I can do is procrastinate and try to buy myself more free time.
She was conflicted, she hesitated, she was afraid...
Many times, she felt like a coward.
She dared not face the heavy burdens of being a royal daughter-in-law, yet she did not want to disappoint her mother and aunt.
She is actually a very awkward person.
Mu Qianxue looked at the innocent and carefree little girl and asked curiously, "Miaomiao, who told you that I was going to marry Prince Jing?"
Jiang Miaomiao shook her head. "No one told me. I figured it out myself. Is Aunt Qianxue avoiding Uncle Jing? Why are you avoiding him?"
Mu Qianxue: ...
How does this child know everything?
Ghostly and ghostly.
Mu Qianxue rubbed her little hands together. "You little rascal, tell me, how did you figure it out?"
“Auntie, before you came to this house, Uncle Jing would only come to the Princess’s Mansion two or three times a month. But since you came, he comes every two days. Every time after school, he pulls me aside and asks me all sorts of questions. I’m so annoyed by all the questions.”
Mu Qianxue's face flushed red instantly.
That Prince Jing is really something; he promised to give her time, but he insisted on coming along.
Even a little kid saw right through me.
No wonder the court officials all said he was eccentric, unruly, and idle.
But she knew that all of that was just something Prince Jing did for others to see.
Perhaps when she becomes the Princess Consort of Jing, she'll have to go crazy with him too.
Mu Qianxue cupped the little girl's face in her hands and said with a smile, "Tell your auntie, what did Uncle Jing ask you?"
Miaomiao tilted her head and thought for a moment, "What do you do every day? What do you eat? Are you happy? What color clothes do you wear?"
"that's it?"
"Yes, that's all, but I'll ask you every day." Jiang Miaomiao nodded.
It's so annoying!
These ancient couples were really something, clearly in love with each other.
They have to be so hesitant and indecisive.
They even made her, this little girl, relay their message.
Everyone was worried for them.
Jiang Miaomiao decided to quickly bring them together so that everyone would be happy and she could finally have some peace and quiet.
If Jiang Zijin dares to cause trouble or interfere, she will definitely make Qiuqiu scratch her face.
Let's see how she tries to harm people again.
Speaking of Jiang Zijin.
It's been a long time since we've heard any news from the Jiang family.
Since her mother divorced him, she has completely forgotten about their family.
Let Chiu Chiu go for a stroll, and I'll go listen to some gossip myself.
She grabbed Mu Qianxue's arm and shook it, saying coquettishly, "Auntie, let's go to the teahouse to listen to storytelling. I haven't been to the teahouse that Brother Cheng'an gave me yet."
Everyone in the family is too busy, except for my second aunt who has the most free time.
But my second aunt had too many rules, and I didn't want to go out with her.
"Aren't you afraid your second aunt will come to pick you up from school and make you go back to learn manners?" Mu Qianxue found it somewhat amusing.
I've never seen a little girl afraid of anyone.
But she was particularly afraid of her second maternal aunt, Madam Lin.
They can switch between cat and mouse at any time without getting tired.
I still remember that she and her second sister came to Lu Garden a few days ago.
Early in the morning, I saw Xiao Miaomiao running around the house with her hair disheveled and wrapped in a cloak.
Lin Shi had never seen anything like this before. She grabbed the clothes and chased after them, the two of them running wildly all over the yard.
Only after asking did Xi'er realize that she didn't like the clothes that Lin had chosen for the little girl, but Lin insisted that she wear them.
The little girl put on her shoes, put on her undergarments and wrapped herself in a cloak, and ran outside.
How could a lady of such high birth, Lady Lin, possibly endure this?
The second time I saw them running like that was yesterday.
After dinner, she took Xiao Cheng'an for a walk next door and saw the two of them running around like crazy.
But this time it's the other way around.
The little girl was holding something in her hand that she couldn't quite describe; it was fried to a golden brown and was long.
They chased after Lin frantically.
She kept saying, "Second Aunt, silkworm pupae are very nourishing, even more so than eggs. You're not well, you should eat more..."
Lin was so frightened that she ran away.
In the end, the fried silkworm pupae that the little guy had prepared ended up in Yan Cheng'an's mouth.
Lin, watching from the side, turned pale and her brows twitched.
It's strange that Lin didn't come to check on them today.
Jiang Miaomiao whispered mysteriously in her ear, "Auntie, my second aunt is busy sewing a jacket for me today, she doesn't have time to take care of me."
Yesterday, she dragged her second aunt to her room and searched everywhere, but they couldn't find a single knee pad, so she begged her second aunt to make one for her.
Sure enough, my second aunt shook her head when she saw what my mother had made, and insisted on making her knee pads instead.
She naturally had nothing to say about that and kept showering him with compliments.
Surprisingly, my second aunt seemed to enjoy it.
Not only do we need to make her knee pads, but we also need to sew her a coat.
That would be great! My second aunt would have something to do, so she wouldn't have to keep an eye on her learning manners.
It must be said that the skills of this lady from a respectable family are no joke; her sewing is even better than that of the embroiderers in my mother's cloth shop.
Mu Qianxue pinched the little girl's cheek.
That little devil.
Unexpectedly, she cured even a resentful woman confined to her chambers.
She noticed that Lin had gained weight recently and looked much healthier.
……