Yu Xiang took a short nap. When she woke up, she looked at her faded nails and ordered Tao Hong to make some balsamine juice for her. "Put more rose essential oil in it. After you dye your nails, it'll leave a faint fragrance. This way, you'll look elegant with a flick of your sleeves."
Tao Hong complied and took out a small bowl. He placed balsamine and alum in it and carefully stirred it.
Liu Lu lifted the curtain and entered with a large brocade box. She reported, "Miss, the shopkeeper has delivered the spring clothes and head ornaments. Do you want to choose first, or do you want to send them to Eldest Miss as they are?"
"Send them to her. I'm sure she's craning her neck to look at the door right now." Yu Xiang leaned against the headboard. Her light smock slipped off her shoulders, revealing half of her snow-white arm. A small tube top outlined her exquisite figure.
"The spring weather is chilly. It's warm and cold. Miss, you should wear more." Liu Lu put down the brocade box and added another layer of clothing for her. She then took out her silky black hair and slowly combed it with a fine-toothed comb. After tidying it up neatly, she ordered two maidservants to carry her to the dressing table and sit down.
Yu Xiang lazily lay on the table, her fingertips fiddling with the red tassel string on the brocade box. She slowly opened her mouth, "When you go, properly instruct the Qiu Clan to keep a close eye on Yu Siyu. If Yu Siyu dares to do anything out of line, regardless of whether she offends her superiors or disrespects her seniors, tie her up first. That brain of hers, even if I beat it with a mace, she won't listen to half a word. She'll think that I'm jealous of her and can't bear to see her living well. If she has any evil intentions, she'll definitely walk the path to the end and refuse to give up until she sees the coffin. If it weren't for the fact that I'm afraid she'll burden Older Brother, I wouldn't care if she's dead or alive. I'll just let her jump into the fire pit. "
Liu Lu listened and nodded in agreement. She saw that her mistress' hair was too smooth and couldn't be tied into a bun. She could only wet it with osmanthus oil and use a few silver hairpins to fix it into a butterfly shape.
Yu Xiang looked left and right in front of the bronze mirror and waved his hand in satisfaction. "Alright, go quickly."
Tao Hong crushed the balsamine and poured the flower juice mixed with alum and rose essential oil into a small bowl. He then soaked it with a ball of cotton. Seeing that Miss was bored to death, he picked a topic and said, "Miss, that young master of the Fang family is really handsome."
"Oh? How so? "Yu Xiang turned to look at her.
"His skin is very white, his eyebrows are very handsome, and his nose …" Tao Hong said as he used a small pair of tweezers to roll the cotton into a fingernail-sized ball. He carefully placed it on his master's fingertips and then wrapped it with a cloth.
While he was talking enthusiastically, Ah Lu, the big parrot hanging under the porch, shouted at the top of its voice, "Master Hou is here! Master Hou is here!"
Tao Hong hurriedly shut up, but it was too late. Yu Pinyan walked in expressionlessly and said in a deep voice, "For the next month, no one is allowed to step into the front yard. Those who violate the rules will go to the housekeeper and receive 30 strokes of the cane."
Tao Hong trembled with fear as he agreed.
Yu Xiang pursed her lips and smiled. "Brother, is that young master of the Fang family really that handsome?"
"He's just so-so." Yu Pinyan's cold and hard face became even more displeased. He walked behind his sister, pressed her shoulder, and whispered into her ear, "Did his mother say anything today?"
"Isn't it just some small family matters? But looking at her, it seems that she wants Yu Siyu to be her daughter-in-law. You also know that the Fang family is rich and wealthy. Yu Siyu is probably very beautiful right now. " Yu Xiang gently blew the balsam flower juice on her fingernails. A unique fragrance instantly spread in the air, making people intoxicated.
Yu Pinyan buried his face in his sister's neck and took a deep breath. Only then did he sit down beside her. He took the small tweezers from Tao Hong's hand and began to dye his sister's fingernails. His movements were very practiced. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would have imagined that the General of Agile Cavalry, who was invincible on the battlefield, could have such a tender side to him.
"The Fang family looks beautiful now, but in fact, it's already in the midst of a raging fire. It doesn't have much time left. As for Yu Siyu, you have to give her a good beating. Don't let her drag me down with her, Marquis Yongle. You too, don't just listen to people talking about how handsome you are and think … "
Seeing that her brother was about to start talking endlessly again, Yu Xiang hurriedly put her free hand around his neck. The corners of her lips curled up, and she said fawningly, "I know. No matter how handsome he is, how can he compare to my brother? The stranger is like jade, and the young master is unparalleled! In this world, you won't be able to find a husband as handsome as my brother. Moreover, my brother is invincible and invincible. You're my Han Dynasty's unparalleled hero. If I want to marry, I must marry someone like my brother. Those ordinary people simply can't enter my eyes. "
She blinked her sparkling cat eyes and chuckled, "However, I'm afraid that there isn't a man more outstanding than my brother in this world. Therefore, I'm destined to never be able to marry in this lifetime. Brother, you have to support me. "
She moved closer and used the tip of her nose to touch Yu Pinyan's nose. The warm lotus fragrance was intoxicating.
Yu Pinyan's gaze became absent-minded for a moment. His cold and hard face slowly softened, and he said in a low voice, "There's no need for you to mention it. Brother will naturally support you for the rest of your life. What did you eat tonight? "
"White Cut Chicken, Ruyi Fish Rolls, Dragon Whiskers, Steamed Mandarin Fish …" Yu Xiang listed out one by one.
"You only ate these? I thought you drank a large barrel of honey. That's why your little mouth is so sweet. "Yu Pinyan rubbed her full lips. His eyes revealed a strong and gentle smile.
"I didn't eat the honey, but I ate a bit of this." Yu Xiang lifted the lid of a small tortoiseshell box on the table. She dipped her finger in a bright red honey-like substance and gently smeared it on her lower lip. She then stuck out her pink tongue and licked it. She smiled and said, "I made this lipstick myself. I added rose petals with a bit of beeswax and a bit of lard before mashing them together. Once they're dried, you can use them. People say that 'before you move your lips, smell the lipstick.' Brother, smell it. Isn't it very fragrant? "
She chuckled as she dipped her finger in another layer of lipstick. She first placed it on Yu Pinyan's nose for him to smell, then suddenly changed the direction of her lipstick and smeared it on his lips.
Yu Pinyan had been on the battlefield since he was sixteen years old. How could he not see through her little tricks? However, he allowed her to fool around. He waited for her to dye her lips red before he narrowed his eyes to admire her increasingly brilliant smile.
"Brother, isn't it very fragrant and sweet?" She blinked her eyes.
Yu Pinyan stuck out the tip of his tongue and licked it. A faint sweetness filled his mouth. His already deep and handsome facial features looked even more devilish because of the red lipstick.
Yu Xiang stared in a daze.
At the same time, Yu Pinyan's gaze was also unable to move away from his sister's bright and full lips. They were like ripe cherry red lips. He slowly, slowly moved closer. His nose was filled with the fragrance of roses mixed with lotus flowers. Suddenly, half of an ambiguous poem appeared in his mind — — Gorgeous makeup powder, fragrant lipstick mess up the lipstick.
His mouth was unbearably dry and thirsty. He wished that he could fiercely swallow those tender and beautiful diamond-shaped lips into his stomach.
His heart trembled slightly. He hurriedly distanced himself and pretended that nothing had happened. He picked up a ball of cotton and placed it on his sister's fingertips. After wrapping it in a towel, he found an excuse and hurriedly left.
Yu Xiang was completely unaware. He instructed Tao Hong to continue painting his nails.
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Tie Cui Yuan. The Pei Clan's long-awaited half-drunk son finally returned. She hurriedly took small steps forward to support him.
"Quickly wipe your face," she twisted a towel and placed it on her son's face. She eagerly asked, "Have you become friends with Marquis Yongle?"
Fang Zhichen lay on the couch and panted for a while. When his head was no longer so dizzy, he said dejectedly, "He's as cold as the rumors say. He's very difficult to get close to. When I offered him wine, he directly refused. When I spoke to him, he ignored me. He also didn't allow me to walk around the Marquis Household. In order to alleviate the awkwardness, I had to pour myself a drink and accidentally drank too much. "
"He's actually so unreasonable." The Pei Clan was slightly angry when they heard this. However, they also knew that it wasn't easy for them to successfully move into the Family Yu. The soldiers standing outside the door with swords and halberds, and the patrolling guards who frequently walked by with serious expressions, made her heart tremble and her legs go soft.
She had originally thought that her husband's family was already wealthy enough, but compared to the Yu Family, she realized that wealth was just a facade that could be broken with a single poke. Only the Yu Family, which was as strict and majestic as the Yu Family, could truly be called an aristocratic family.
She clicked her tongue for a while. Only then did she remember to give her son a hangover soup. She warned, "He's the Commander-In-Chief, the King of Hell that you can't provoke in the entire Han Dynasty. It's normal for him to have a bit of a temper. Bear with it for a while. "
She helped her son up and continued, "Today, I met with the two young misses of the Marquis Household. I want to settle down with the eldest concubine's daughter. What do you think?"
Fang Zhichen immediately sobered up. He questioned, "Why the eldest concubine's daughter? When I become the Zhuangyuan, not to mention the legitimate daughter of a wealthy family, I can even marry a princess of the current dynasty. Why must I marry a concubine's daughter? Mother, you're humiliating your son! "
"Isn't mother out of options?" The Pei Clan's face was bitter. "The Emperor is now strictly investigating the state treasury, especially the salt policy. I don't know what kind of stormy waves will be set off. Your father has even prepared for his funeral. In the entire dynasty, only the Commander-In-Chief can save him. Only by getting married will your father have a way to live! "
"Doesn't his family have a legitimate daughter?" Fang Zhichen was still dissatisfied.
"You only know one thing but not the other. His family does have a legitimate daughter, but she's a cripple and can't walk. If you marry her, who will be in charge of the family for you? Who will be in charge of the family for you? It might even be difficult for you to have children. Therefore, I settled for the second best and settled on a concubine's daughter. "
The Pei Clan's face was full of pity. They didn't think about how their family was ranked among the century-old aristocratic families in the capital. It was also because he was dazzled by the ostentatious clamor of Yangzhou, and was flattered by the salt merchants until he was somewhat on cloud nine. When he entered the capital, his head, which was raised to the sky, could not be lowered. He always thought that his son was a talent in managing the world, one in ten thousand, and that the girls of other families had to be picked and chosen by him.
Fang Zhichen thought about the predicament his father was in. Sure enough, only the Commander-In-Chief, who was above the three departments, could save him. He could only swallow the humiliation and nod. "Son will listen to mother. Just one thing. Before the engagement, find a chance to meet this Family Yu Eldest Miss. "
The Pei Clan happily patted her son's head and smiled. "Of course. Although this Family Yu Eldest Miss is a concubine's daughter, she grew up by her legitimate mother's side. Her appearance and bearing are not bad. You will definitely be satisfied. "
The mother and son discussed for a while and decided on the marriage. After the court examination, he would be the top scorer and would go to the Marquis Household to propose marriage.