Chapter 273

Jia Cong left Daiyu's room and was about to return to Qingzhi Studio when he met Seeing Tan Chun and Yingchun just as he reached his door.

"Third Sister, Second Sister, where are you going?"

Seeing Tan Chun said: "We are going to see Sister Bao. She has been ill for these past few days and has been recuperating at home for many days, but she still hasn't improved much."

Jia Cong was stunned. These past few days, because he was about to go north and needed to escort such a large batch of firearms, and the journey was long...

This was his first time handling such a matter, and he had no experience, so Jia Cong still felt a bit nervous.

Therefore, he repeatedly scrutinized the details that needed to be prepared, striving for no omissions, and put all his thoughts into this.

The Lixiang Courtyard where Baochai lived was right next to Qingzhi Studio, but he didn't know she was ill.

All along, because he had some resistance to Xue Pan, and there was also the matter of Zhen Ying Lian, he had always been unwilling to get too close to the Xue family.

Usually living in the same garden, daily interactions were inevitable, but he always went with the sisters and had never been to Lixiang Courtyard alone.

Seeing Tan Chun was clever and agile, and had always been the most compatible with Jia Cong. Naturally, she guessed his thoughts as soon as she saw his expression.

She sighed deeply in her heart; she was, after all, a "turbid creature of the beard and eyebrows," how could she enter the eyes of these daughters who were "gathered from the spiritual essence of heaven and earth"? She left Lixiang Courtyard with a desolate mood.

Xue Yima had been outside with the maids, taking care of needlework, and only let Baoyu and her daughter talk in the inner room.

She naturally knew her daughter's thoughts. Her daughter's illness this time also came strangely; ever since she went to the neighboring Qingzhi Studio that day, her complexion hadn't been good after she returned.

Seeing Tan Chun smiled: "Third Brother is about to go north. I see you are busy coming early and leaving late every day, how could your thoughts be at home? You must not know that Sister Bao is ill."

Now that people had been ill for several days, and he had turned a deaf ear, it seemed a bit rude.

Jia Cong smiled: "Still Third Sister knows me. I will go and see Sister Bao with you now."

Little did he know that it was Jia Cong's appearance that changed the knowledge and cognition of many people around him, while he was still the same Baoyu.

He seemed to have been killing conversations like this for the past two years.

But after not chatting for a few sentences, for some reason, he saw that Baochai was listless and didn't like to talk much.

Baoyu came to see Baochai. Originally, the conversation was quite harmonious. Sister Bao was after all a few years older than Lin Meimei and didn't like to be temperamental like Lin Meimei.

Xue Yima knew that her daughter's speech and behavior were appropriate, and she would rarely intentionally neglect others.

But she didn't see them talking for long before she saw Baoyu come out to bid her farewell, looking somewhat unhappy, which made her feel strange.

Also, when they were in Jin Ling, the few gifts she sent him were all very much to his liking, and they were still things he used daily.

He went to Lin Meimei's place to play, and every time he talked, it was like this, and then there was nothing to say. Now even Sister Bao was like this, which made Baoyu feel very frustrated.

Just now, Xue Yima had listened to a few sentences from behind the soft curtain. The two were talking about poetry and calligraphy, and it was going well. In just a short while, how did it suddenly become like this?

Xue Yima was wondering when a group of people entered the door: Yingchun, Seeing Tan Chun, and... Jia Cong.

Because he was about to go north, she specially sent him a bear fur, which was a very thoughtful and delicate daughter's act.

He also knew that Baochai had always been good to him. Whenever the family got any new and strange things, she always remembered to send a portion to Qingzhi Studio.

Later, Xue Yima asked Ying'er, who said that it wasn't just the young lady alone at Qingzhi Studio that day, but all the other Jia girls were there, so she felt a little relieved.

Later, she also told her daughter some principles about family status and official titles. Her daughter just listened silently, and no joy or anger could be seen on her face.

It was just that she soon fell ill, which really made Xue Yima nervous.

Now seeing that Jia Cong came with the sisters, she didn't take it to heart.

Moreover, she could see that Jia Cong had no special feelings for her daughter, and he had never been to Lixiang Courtyard alone.

Xue Yima was a sophisticated person; how could she not see that this Cong'er was intentionally keeping his distance from her family? She guessed it was because her son had offended Zhen Ying Lian.

Actually, this was even better, just cutting off her daughter's thoughts.

Xue Yima specially glanced at Jia Cong. That jade-like appearance was indeed better-looking than Baoyu's, so it was no wonder her daughter was moved, but this child had no luck.

"Still you sisters are thoughtful, always remembering Sister Bao in your hearts. It's cold outside, hurry in, the inner room is warm with a hot kang."

In the inner room, Baoyu had just come and talked for a while, but the conversation was not compatible, and Baochai's mind was a bit sleepy.

Suddenly seeing Seeing Tan Chun and Yingchun enter, a smile appeared on her face, and then she saw Jia Cong behind Yingchun...

She knew that Jia Cong was about to go on an imperial mission. She had heard that he had been busy outside these days, which must be a major matter before going north, so how could he have time to see her?

But he came to see her. A burst of joy filled Baochai's heart, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and a bright radiance bloomed in her water-almond-like bright eyes.

Just a moment ago, there was still illness on her face, but almost in an instant, it was as if the color had been lit up.

Yingchun looked at Baochai's appearance and felt puzzled in her heart. So we came to see Sister Bao, and she was so happy. If we had known, we would have come more often, and she would have recovered faster.

Seeing Tan Chun saw Baochai suddenly glowing with radiance, glanced at Jia Cong beside her with bright, beautiful eyes, and then turned her gaze to Baochai, her eyes flowing back and forth.

She had always been clever and shrewd; how could she not see the situation? She was surprised and almost laughed out loud, but finally held it back, only her mouth twitched a few times.

She found it funny that Third Brother was actually someone who liked to provoke these things, and felt a little sigh. Fortunately, she was a spectator, and there would always be others who would have a headache in the future.

But it wasn't strange. Third Brother was so capable and looked like this; such things would probably be indispensable in the future.

The garden was full of rumors about the "Gold and Jade Marriage." Third Brother not only wore someone else's sachet but also dared to provoke Sister Bao.

If he provoked trouble, humph, let's see how he handles it. Seeing Tan Chun suddenly felt a sense of schadenfreude in her heart.

Baochai smiled: "Sister Yingchun, Third Sister, come over and sit. I heard that Brother Cong is about to go north. I think he must be very busy recently, so it's hard for him to come and see me."

Seeing Tan Chun saw that although Baochai was ill and her voice was weak, her way of dealing with people, her words, were still clever, meticulous, thoughtful, and appropriate.

Hmm, she mentioned me and Second Sister first, and then mentioned Third Brother. It looked untraceable, but wanting to talk to Third Brother was the real thing.

Jia Cong saw that after not seeing her for a few days, Baochai had lost a bit of weight, but her bright eyes were still radiant and gentle, and her posture remained the same.

"These past few days have been busy, just waiting to set off the day after tomorrow. I live right next door, but I didn't know Sister Bao was ill. It was truly too neglectful. Sister, don't take offense."

Baochai smiled slightly: "Brother Cong is too polite. You are a person with ability, so naturally, you have to be busy with major affairs outside. My illness is not important, just an old illness from last year, not worth mentioning..."

The two talked for several sentences, leaving Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun aside.

Even Yingchun, who was always a beat slow, felt something strange. Why were Sister Bao and Brother Cong so weird today?

Seeing Tan Chun, who was on the side, smiled: "Third Brother, Sister Bao, what's wrong today? Why are you being so polite? It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable."

Baochai saw the bright smile on Seeing Tan Chun's face and naturally heard the teasing in her words. Her face turned slightly red: "You are the one talking nonsense. Where is it polite? Isn't that how we always talk?"

Xue Yima outside pricked up her ears to listen to the movement inside, hearing a group of people chatting and laughing from time to time.

She thought to herself, it's not just the two of them, this kid and her daughter, so no matter what, they couldn't say anything out of line, so she felt relieved to busy herself with her own affairs and ignored the few people chatting in the inner room.

Almost at the same time, at the Yaowu Gate in the East City of the Divine Capital, hundreds of Imperial Guard cavalry poured into the city one after another from the city gate tunnel.

The sound of horse hooves roared like thunder, carrying an awe-inspiring momentum!

These Imperial Guard cavalrymen were all disciplined, their armor bright, their waists crossed with long-handled Yan Ling sabers, and they were all riding tall and majestic horses.

Among these cavalrymen, one person was guarded. He was twenty years old, with a dignified appearance and heroic spirit, wearing a winged hat and a red coiled-collar narrow-sleeved gold-woven dragon robe. His bearing was magnificent, making it difficult for people to look directly at him.

A group of horses and men surged like waves toward the Wumen Gate of the Great Zhou Palace.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 274 =====