Fu Lu brought Qiao Ruoyi to the restaurant she had just bought and said, “The waiters in this restaurant are all from the Qiao family Army who are not allowed to go on the battlefield. The wine sold in this restaurant is all high-quality wine. I specially got the recipe from Qiu Yue.
“There is also a lot of flower wine and fruit wine. It’s a pity that you can’t drink wine now, but the smell is also good.”
Qiao Ruoyi had just gotten off the palanquin when she saw the dust rising from inside. She quickly covered her nose with a handkerchief and coughed a few times. Amidst the dust, she saw Xie Yun come out with a black face.
After Fu Lu saw Xie Yun, he said, “You still dare to come to my restaurant?”
Although Xie Yun’s face was covered in dust, her bearing did not appear to be in a sorry state. “Princess Fu Lu, Miss Qiao Wu.”
Fu Lu casually picked up the whip on his waist, but Qiao ruoi firmly held her hand down. “Sister-in-law, don’t. There’s no need for others to laugh at you.”
Only then did fu Lu put down the whip.
Qiao ruoi looked at Xie Yun whose face was covered in dust. This was the first time she and Xie Yun had met since the incident at the Northern Mountain Royal Village.
Xie Yun’s gaze fell on Qiao Ruoi’s flat stomach. It was hard to imagine that there would be his flesh and blood in it. And this flesh and blood would soon be lost.
Qiao ruoyi pulled Fu Lu into the tavern.
Xie Yun followed in and said, “Fifth lady, I want to have some time alone with you.”
Fu Lu said, “Talk about what? Is there anything I can’t listen to?”
Qiao ruoyi said to Fu Lu, “Sister-in-law, let us talk alone. I also happen to have a few words to say to Patriarch Xie.”
Fu Lu said, “I’m outside the private room. If he wants to bully you, call out to me loudly!”
Qiao ruoyi nodded and acknowledged.
The private room in the tavern had a rather quaint atmosphere. Qiao ruoyi knelt before a table and handed her handkerchief to Xie Yun. “You can wipe it.”
Xie Yun took the handkerchief and said, “That day in the Northern Mountain Imperial Manor, I let you down. I also let you down about the child. Now That You’re willing to abort the child and marry Marquis Jingwu, it’s a good thing.”
Qiao ruoyi frowned and said, “Who said that I’m going to marry the Marquis of Jingwu? “When I first learned that I had a child, I wanted to abort it. But now that I’m connected to the child by blood, and he’s trying so hard to survive, how can I give up on this child?”
Qiao ruoyi could not drink alcohol, she poured herself a cup of tea and said, “I promised to talk to you alone today because I have a few words to explain to you. It’s impossible for me to abort the child. No matter if it’s a boy or a girl, it will only be my child. It has nothing to do with you.
“In the future, when the child grows up, I won’t let him know who the father is. You Don’t have to be afraid that a child will come out and plot against your family property. The child has nothing to do with you.
“You don’t have to let Lan Xin come to the Qiao residence anymore. There are hidden guards in the Qiao residence. It would be bad if Lan Xin was caught by my father as a spy.”
Xie Yun looked at Qiao Ruoyi who wanted nothing to do with him and said, “Okay, I hope Miss Qiao will keep her promise.”
Qiao ruoyi said, “Of course.”
After Xie Yun left, Qiao Ruoyi felt a touch in her lower abdomen. She did not know why, but she felt very strange. Perhaps this was the legendary mother and son connection.
..
During the good autumn days, the first hunt since the new emperor ascended the throne was put on the agenda.
Lu Xi was very excited when she heard the news. He had learned to ride a pony, and he also learned to ride and shoot on a horse. He wanted nothing more than to go to the paddock and have a real fight.
It was just that when the royal family was hunting last time, someone had died. This time, the enclosure guards were even more powerful than before.
It was just that the enclosure was guarded against people and forgot that wild black bears that were not kept in the enclosure had snuck into the beast area. When Qiao Jinniang heard the news, she was shocked.
In the past, when she was young, she would often hear about black bears eating people. When she was young, she did not dare to go deep into the mountains. She knew how scary black bears were.
Fortunately, this year, Enke’s champion in martial arts had shot a black bear from afar. He was a first-class hero and instantly became famous in Chang ‘an.
He had also become a good son-in-law in the hearts of many young girls in Chang ‘an.
However, when she asked around, she found out that he had no parents and had grown up with his adoptive father in the Qiao family’s military camp. He was only a ninth-grade military official, and his salary was pitifully low.
This ninth-grade military official was awarded the title of champion of martial arts this year.
He was unlucky. When the Emperor conquered Xiliang that year, he did not go to Yunzhou. Instead, he was left in Luoyang. His brothers of the same period had more or less achieved meritorious deeds and fame because of the conquest of Xiliang.
His adoptive parents also had a biological son. When he married this year, he built a large house outside Chang ‘an. This champion of martial arts had given all the money he had saved over the years to his adoptive brother to marry his wife.
Many daughters who came to propose marriage also withdrew when they heard that this martial scholar’s family background was like this.
Only Zheng Xiao felt that this was the best marriage. This martial scholar had no father, no mother, and no one to rely on. He was also capable. He was grateful to others and was filial. When his adoptive brother got married, he was willing to give everything he had to help, it was rare for such a person to be so loyal.
Zheng Xiao told Marquis an yuan about this matter, and marquis an Yuan went to meet the martial scholar.
The martial scholar’s name was Luo Wei. He did not know where his family was from. He was a beggar since he was young. His adoptive father was surprised to see his bones. At that time, his family had no children and raised him as their son.
Although Luo Wei could not read a single word, he was modest, polite, and neither servile nor overbearing. This made marquis an yuan very satisfied.
After drinking a few times and discussing military matters, the two of them had indeed become old friends.
On New Year’s Eve, everyone in the Qiao family reunited and gave Qiao Ruofeng’s child a full moon wine.
The second son of the Qiao family had a grandson, which made the second madam Qiao feel quite proud.
However, Qiao Ruofeng and Xu Mingwei were going to take up their positions in Lingnan after the new year. The retired emperor and Empress Dowager went to Lingnan and felt that Lingnan was a good place.
However, the pirates in Lingnan were rampant. In the past, the imperial court thought that the people in Lingnan were southern barbarians who were not educated and did not pay enough attention to them. As a result, Lingnan had always been poor. In fact, the seafood there was abundant and it was a good place to live.
This time, Lu Chen sent Xu Mingwei and Qiao Ruofeng to Lingnan because he wanted to promote them. Lingnan had the retired emperor in charge. If they made great achievements, Xu Mingwei and Qiao Ruofeng’s future would be limitless.
Second madam Qiao said reluctantly, “It’s not easy for you to stay in Chang ‘an for less than two years, and now you’re going to Lingnan. I don’t know when you’ll be back!”
Qiao ruofeng said, “Mother, don’t you still have step-son to accompany you? I’m not by step-son’s side. You have to take good care of him.”
Second Madam Qiao hugged her little grandson and said, “Of course I’ll take good care of him.”
Old Madam Qiao said, “It is also a good thing that his majesty has put Mingwei in an important position, but Lingnan is also dangerous. The two of you must be extremely careful when you go to Lingnan.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
Old Madam Qiao coughed twice. Zheng Xiao, who was at the side, brought over a large cloak and draped it over old madam Qiao. “Mother, the north wind is too strong this night. You should go back and rest earlier.”
Old Madam Qiao said, “My body is getting weaker and weaker. Right now, the thing I’m most worried about is ruoyi. She’s going to give birth in three to four months. She hasn’t gotten married yet…”
Zheng xiao smiled, “Don’t worry. The Marquis has already expressed his intentions to Luo Wei. Luo Wei is also willing to marry ruoyi.”