Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Chapter 1128 Fuqiu Meets Zhou Family

Duke Dingguo paused in knocking on the armrest, his cloudy but still sharp eyes slowly raised, penetrating the dim light, falling on the face of his confidant, and a cold arc appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"No hurries?"

His voice was calm and steady, as if he had been in a high position for a long time. "Let that stupid woman Shen Nanqiao finish her part first."

"After Concubine Chen is poisoned to death by her own sister, huh..."

A very light sneer escaped from Duke Dingguo's throat, with undisguised calculations: "Given your majesty's fondness for that vixen, you must be furious and heartbroken!"

"By then, the entire camp will be thrown into chaos and panic."

"People's hearts are in turmoil, the imperial guards are exhausted, and the emperor is mentally distressed... That's the best time for us to take action!"

Duke Dingguo's tone was filled with a hint of surprise and contempt that he himself had not noticed: "I have never taken that bastard thing seriously in the past."

"I never thought... Liu Shixiu actually had some crooked skills, and he tricked Concubine Chen's stupid sister into becoming confused and working for him wholeheartedly."

……

The chill of late autumn grows stronger, and a thin layer of white frost condenses on the withered yellow grass leaves.

The hunting grounds were still filled with flags fluttering, but compared to the huge commotion caused by the emperor himself shooting his bow yesterday, the hunting grounds today were obviously much calmer.

The sound of horse hooves crushing frosty grass could be heard sporadically, and the white mist exhaled was quickly blown away by the biting autumn wind.

The curtains of the imperial tent were lowered, and there was no more movement.

The emperor did not show up, apparently having lost interest in today's much smaller hunting event. Only the bright yellow flag, a symbol of imperial power, was still fluttering in the wind.

The concubines and ladies of state were walking around the tents, and the chill of late autumn made most of them wrap themselves tightly in their cloaks.

The princess changed into a brand new goose yellow riding outfit. There was a hint of expectation that was hard to conceal between her carefully painted eyebrows. She glanced at the silent imperial tent from time to time, and finally pursed her lips in disappointment.

Concubine Zhuang walked slowly in front of the tent, twirling her Buddhist beads, with a gentle and calm expression, as if nothing around her mattered to her.

Concubine Kang was afraid of the cold and wrapped herself in a thick argent cloak, with only half of her pale face exposed.

Concubine Xuan stood a little further away with curiosity, watching several young members of the royal family riding out on horses, surrounded by their attendants, and running towards the sparse woodland.

The area where the ladies gathered was even noisier. They rubbed their hands and stamped their feet to resist the cold, and talked in low voices in twos and threes.

Lin Wan, wrapped in a simple lotus-colored cloak, stood beside her own tent, her eyes seemingly casually scanning the crowd.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance out of the corner of her eye.

It’s green radish!

The trusted maidservant brought by Shen Nanqiao.

Shen Nanqiao himself was wrapped in a plain brocade cloak, with his back to the crowd, as if looking at the distant mountains. His figure looked thin and stiff in the cold wind.

But Lin Wan keenly noticed that Shen Nanqiao's hands, hanging by his sides, were tightly grasping his sleeves.

The green ivy looked uneasy and looked around.

Lin Wan's mind moved slightly.

The situation between this master and servant is definitely not as simple as just being cold and freezing.

She calmly withdrew her gaze and looked sideways at Yun Tao beside her. She lowered her voice to a whisper and said, "Did you see the maid named Luluo beside Shen Nanqiao?"

"Find an inconspicuous opportunity to quietly bring her here for questioning without alerting others."

Yun Tao's eyes flashed, and she immediately understood, and whispered, "Yes. Madam, don't worry, I won't have to worry about it."

Then, she quietly stepped back a few steps as if blending into the background, but her eyes were fixed in the direction of the green radish.

the other side.

Fuqiu was just coming out of the tent, holding a hand warmer filled with new charcoal, preparing to go find the palace maid who was in charge of washing clothes.

As soon as she passed a few tents, she met several burly men in guard uniforms. They were surrounding a middle-aged man who looked like a butler and were directing servants to carry several bundles of newly hunted furs to the Zhou family tent.

"Hey! Isn't this Miss Fuqiu?"

The leader of the guards was sharp-eyed and recognized her at the first sight. His voice was as loud as a bell, with the unique cheerfulness of a military family.

He clapped his palm-leaf fan-like hand on his companions and said, "Look! It's Brother Yu Hu's fiancée!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Zhou family looked over in unison.

The middle-aged man who looked like a housekeeper immediately put on a friendly smile, took two steps forward, and bowed to Fuqiu: "Miss Fuqiu, how are you!"

"I am Zhou An, the steward of the Zhou Mansion. These are my brothers who are on duty in the camp."

His tone was extremely polite, even a little respectful: "I've heard that Miss Fuqiu is the most capable person around Concubine Chen. Seeing her today, I can see that she is indeed extraordinary!"

The other guards also smiled and clasped their fists, saying in unison: "Hello, Miss Fuqiu!"

"Brother Yuhu is so lucky!"

"Everyone in our Zhou family is looking forward to the girl getting married soon!"

"..."

These straightforward and warm greetings, like the warm sun in winter, instantly dispelled the coldness from Fuqiu's body.

She was usually dignified and calm in Zhongcui Palace, but facing the straightforward and well-intentioned enthusiasm of her fiancée's family, her cheeks suddenly flushed red, burning all the way to her ears.

Fuqiu quickly knelt down to return the greeting, her voice much softer than usual: "How are you, Manager Zhou? How are you...how are you, brothers?"

She paused, mustered up the courage to look up, and said with a hint of shy concern: "Mr. Zhou... is everything going well in the Hanlin Academy?"

"It's okay!"

The head of the guards rushed to answer, his voice still loud and clear: "Brother Yuhu is well-educated and is highly appreciated by the old master of the Hanlin Academy! Autumn hunting is the job of military commanders, and a weak scholar like him will have no place to use his skills."

"Don't worry, young lady. Everything is fine at home! The Second Madam was talking about it a few days ago, saying that when you are free, she will definitely invite you to her house to try the freshly made snacks!"

Manager Zhou also added with a smile: "That's right, that's right."

"The young master often mentioned the young lady, saying that she was the most reliable and thorough in serving the Imperial Concubine Chen."

As he spoke, he took out a plain sachet embroidered with a peace charm from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "This is what the Second Madam prayed for the young lady when she went to the Huguo Temple to pray for blessings. She asked me to pass it on to the young lady if I see her. I hope everything goes well for the young lady!"

Fuqiu looked at the sachet with fine stitching and full of thoughtfulness, and felt a warm current in her heart. She felt shy and touched.

She took it with both hands and clenched it tightly in her palms, as if she was holding a heavy bond of friendship: "...Thank the Second Madam for your concern, Fuqiu...I am very grateful."

After a brief greeting, Fuqiu left briskly, holding the still warm hand warmer and sachet, under the friendly gazes of everyone in the Zhou family.

The cold wind of late autumn no longer seems so biting, only the blush on the cheeks and the warmth in the eyes linger for a long time.

At the edge of the camp, Shen Nanqiao still stood stiffly, wrapping his thin cloak tightly around himself.