《The Royal's Cute Little Wife》


 Chapter 1.1

    <h4>Chapter 1.1</h4>


    After a ride of about a month, the carriage finally reached the boundary of Qing Zhou City.


    Summer had arrived, and with it the sound of lively cicadas in the trees, causing people to feel drowsy as they listened.


    Just past the moat, a delicate and tender voice sounded from the carriage. ¡°Ah Niang, will be we living here from now on?¡± A corner of the embroidered gold curtains were lifted, revealing a round and defined chin, before they were quickly shut tight by the person inside. The curtains tightly blocked off the earlier, fleeting view of snow-like skin¡£


    A woman¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Littlemb, don¡¯t move too much, we¡¯ll only draw the curtains when we reach home.¡±


    The carriage was silent for a while, and the driver drove through the city gates, reaching the main street.


    Qing Zhou could notpare to the prosperous and bustling capital; after all, it was a small ce, so the streets were not as wide. When driving two carriages on the street, there was undoubtedly some congestion. Only after making several turns did they manage to sessfully leave the ce. After reaching the south of the city, there were fewer carriages, as most of the dignitaries and nobles lived in the south, and ordinary people did not dare to visit.


    Beside both banks of the river grew many willow trees, providing shade in the sweltering heat. On the carriage, apart from a beautiful woman, there was also a maidservant and three young children. As it was incredibly spacious, there was more than enough space to easily amodate all of them.


    The three children were all asleep. There was one boy and two girls. The one who spoke up before was the eldest daughter Xie Zhen, who was five that year.


    Xie Zhen inherited her mother¡¯s beauty, and from a young age she was already beautiful beyond words, with an appearance of precious jade, like a young girl standing at the feet of the lotus seat of Guanyin. Her hair wasbed into an borate bun, decorated with strings of small beads. She wore a cherry-coloured embroidered overcoat, and underneath she wore a gauze skirt embroidered with a hundred butterflies and flowers. Paired with a five colour auspicious lock pendant, she looked even more innocent and adorable.


    At that moment she held a green feathered handheld fan and imitated Leng shi¡¯s way of fanning herself. ¡°Ah niang, when will we reach?¡±


    Leng shi nced at her meaningfully, and she stuck her tongue out, returning her fan to its original position.


    ¡°In another half-hour or so,¡± Leng shi said as she patted her head.


    They were travelling from the capital in order to find the Second Master of Duke Ding¡¯s household, Xie Liqing.He had been sent to Qing Zhou to be a magistrate, and having reached earlier than Leng shi and his children by a month, he had long ago finished preparing everything and was waiting for their arrival.


    Hearing that there was only half an hour left, Xie Zhen¡¯s limpid eyes curved upwards, and she cheered excitedly, ¡°We¡¯re going to see Daddy soon!¡±


    She turned to look at Xie Rong, ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    Xie Rong calmly agreed, ¡°Happy¡±.


    Xie Rong was older than her by five years, and was also much more mature than her. He rarely expressed his emotions freely, and unlike her, he did not chatter and tweet nonstop as though he were a sparrow. On the way there he made sure to take care of his younger sisters. As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father, and Xie Rong had understood that since a long time ago.


    On the bridge, the carriage bumped a little, and happened to wake up the youngest daughter Xie Qian. The three children together talked incessantly, and soon they reached the gates of Xie Fu.


    At the front of the gates there were already people waiting to receive them. At the head was Xie Liqing. He was dressed in a light green robe, his stature tall andnky, and with a bright smile on his face he looked in their direction. Behind him there were dozens of servants respectfully bowing their heads to wee them. A few were curiously examining the people in the carriage, wanting to see what the Madame looked like.


    The curtains were lifted, and the first to exit was a ten year-old adolescent, tall and slim, with a pair of defined and high eyebrows, making him seem upright and honourable.


    Next stepped out Leng shi, carrying Xie Qian. The moment the crowd saw her, they couldn¡¯t resist sighing, this whole family¡¯s appearance is really so good.


    Leng shi was 25 years-old that year, and had preserved her looks well, without too much powder, her face was soft and smooth, like a teenage girl¡¯s. She wore a five-colour light plum skirt and a muslin jacket. In her arms was a three year-old doll-like child, looking even more delicate than her mother with cherry red lips and white teeth. Her sparkling eyes swept over the gates, making everyone delighted with her appearance.


    Originally they thought that was all, but they never anticipated that behind, there was still one more person.


    Apanying a tender cry of ¡°Ah niang, wait for me,¡± a small form followed the maid down the carriage. Everyone turned to her, only to see Xie Zhen holding up her skirt to jump down from the footstool, crossing over to Leng shi¡¯s side in a few steps before looking towards Xie Liqing and smiling sweetly as she said, ¡°Daddy.¡±


    She was clearly only five to six years old, yet she had such an outstandingly beautiful appearance.


    Her face was wless, with a cute little nose, snowy white skin, and eyes that curved up as she smiled, effortlessly stealing away peoples¡¯ hearts and souls. No one knew for sure whether her beauty was a good or bad thing.


    The Xie couple did not put much thought into that. Seeing his daughter, Xie Liqing was immediately happy, and stroking her head, he asked, ¡°Littlemb, did you miss daddy? Did you behave during the trip; did you listen to your A niang¡¯s instructions?¡±


    Littlemb was Xie Zhen¡¯s pet name. At a young age, her physical condition was not good, and she often got sick, like a helplessmb, causing people to treasure her.


    Xie Zhen smiled happily, without an ounce of fear, and said, ¡°I missed daddy! I was really obedient, and listened to A Niang!¡±


    With the family reunited, Xie Liqing hugged his three children tightly, and grinned from ear to ear.


    Looking towards his wife, he held out his hand, saying, ¡°This trip must have been hard on you.¡±


    Throughout the years, the couple¡¯s feelings never wavered. Instead, after enduring various difficulties together, they grew more deep and intimate. After not seeing each other for a month, Xie Liqing naturally missed her very much, but could only restrain himself in public.


    As she followed her father to the main hall, Xie Zhen curiously nced around. The hall was not as big as Duke Ding¡¯s residence, but every corner was meticulously designed, most likely due to Xie Liqing¡¯s efforts. Compared to Duke Ding¡¯s residence, this ce seemed even more tasteful, and Xie Zhen liked it at first sight. Together with Xie Qian, she ran two rounds around the trees, with theirughter lingering on peoples¡¯ ears.


    Xie LIqingughed along with his two children, while Madam Leng could only shake her head fondly as she made Xie Rong stop them.


    ¡ª


    Definitions:


    1. Ah Niang °¢Äï: Mother


    2. shi ÊÏ: A term used to address a married woman


    3. fu ¸®:Household, Residence


    4. The Royal¡¯s Cute Little Wife Chapter 1.2Taking each of his sisters¡¯ hands, Xie Rong brought them back, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t heedlessly run around, if not, you might end up falling down¡±.Xie Zhen nodded her head and held onto her elder brother¡¯s hand tightly. However, she had never been well-behaved. In a moment, she struggled free from Xie Rong and ran to the pondside to gaze at the colourful carps.Both Xie Rong and Xie Liqing couldn¡¯t control her; only when Leng shi put on a serious face and called her name did she then obediently follow behind the adults. Afraid that Leng shi was angry, she went forwards and held Leng shi¡¯s hand. Raising her hand, she said, ¡°Ah Niang, don¡¯t be angry.¡±  With her mouth set in a pout, she looked very pitiful and cute.After seeing this scene, no matter how bad her temper was, Leng shi couldn¡¯t help but soften her heart. Her daughter was just too adorable, causing her to feel reluctant when teaching her a lesson.Leng shi sighed, and stroking Xie Zhen¡¯s nose said, ¡°Ah niang isn¡¯t angry¡±.Hearing her words, Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes brighten. Regaining her vitality once again, her eyes were full ofughter and formed two crescents. However, this time round, she was well-behaved and followed the adults obediently to the main room of the house without any mishaps along the way.The fu¡¯s chief steward Wang got people to prepare tea but because no children like drinking tea, he specially prepared yogurt pudding and some pastries for them. One might as well say that housekeeper Wang dealt with all matters, big and small.As Xie Zhen and Xie Xun took turns to take a mouthful each to finish a bowl, Xie Xun, smacking her lips,mented, ¡°Not as tasty as home¡±.The home that Xie Xun was referring to was the Xie branch of Duke Ding¡¯s residence in the capital. As she was still young, she could not get used to moving from one ce to another.Without showing any mercy, Xie Zhen immediately saw through her and said: ¡°Why did you eat so much then?¡±The three-year old Xie Xun¡¯s face immediately reddened, unable toe up with a rebuttal. After what seemed like half a day, she puffed up her cheeks and said ¡°That¡¯s because I was hungry¡­¡±Xie Zhen tiptoed and took one piece of milk roll from the eight immortals table, passing it to her younger sister.¡°For you¡±.Although the journey wasn¡¯t overly arduous, it was nevertheless still exhausting. The food and drink had been below their usual standard so it was obvious that all three children had lost weight. Feeling sorry, Leng shi told Xie Liqing ¡°Let¡¯s get the kitchen to prepare lunch. Don¡¯t let the children go hungry¡±.Xie Liqing didn¡¯t have any objections and let chief steward Wang make the arrangements.During this period, Xie Xun had eaten even more pieces of honey cake and milk rolls. As they hade from the capital, Xie Liqing, worried that they wouldn¡¯t be ustomed to Qing Zhou¡¯s cuisine, had specially invited a chef from the capital. After so long of not being able to have a proper meal, the three children ate quite a bit and even Xie Rong had one extra bowl of rice.Pleased, Leng shi patted and kissed each of them in turn, feeling endless love for them.Afer lunch, the children were all tired so Xie Liqing had the servants bring them to their rooms to rest.Worried, Leng shi apanied them, taking the chance to observe the situation of the rear yard. The rear yard was adequate, with the main room reserved for Xie Liqing and Leng shi, while Xie Xun and Xie Zhen would live in the East wing, with Xie Rong residing in the West Wing. Besides these rooms, there were several other side rooms which could serve as the study and the embroidery room. Seeing this, Leng shi felt quite satisfied.The house was was well-arranged, furnished with all the necessary items, and there was nothing that she needed to worry about.In the wings, there were yellow pear wood tables and chairs and a red sandalwood wardrobe. Several kinds of antiques were disyed on the shelves, and the bedroom was behind a folding screen with twelve magpies drawn on it.  Upon arriving in the new surroundings, Xie Zhen¡¯s drowsinesspletely disappeared. Looking everywhere at least three times, she finallymitted her new home¡¯s appearance to memory. Afterwards, Madam Leng assigned two maidservants to bring Xie Xun and Xie Zhen to the east area so they could have a rest. The moment her headid on the pillow, Xie Xun immediately fell asleep. On the other hand, Xie Zhen tossed and turned on the bed for a good while before falling asleep silently.Leng shi called all the servants to the main room¡¯s entrance. Including the maids and the old female servants she had brought from Duke Ding¡¯s household, there were altogether 30 to 40 servants in the residence.As the house had only recently been set up, the servants were also new. Previously, as there had been no principal wife, no rules and customs had been put in ce. But now, with Leng shi¡¯s arrival , they knew they couldn¡¯t be as rxed as in the past. It was time to step up.Sure enough, Leng shi redistributed the duties and set several rules in ce, leaving them to do their respective duties. Anyone who vited the rules would be punished.Leng shi was naturally a stern and indifferent person, and only in front of her husband and children would she be gentler. Unfortunately, it was precisely because of this natural disposition that the elders in Duke Ding¡¯s residence disliked her. They thought that she had a naturally unkind face that wascking in luck. In actuality, she was not unkind, she was simply aloof, which gave people the impression of arrogance.However, Xie Liqing was fond of this arrogance of hers. In front of others, she would be distant and cold, however, only in the night would he know of her passion.Having not seen each other for a long time, they spent a lot of time showing their affection to each other. If they had not had to consider their three children, the movements would definitely have been earth-shaking.At night, when it was dark and silent, Xie Zhen suddenly felt the sky sh brightly, with a ray of light passing through the windows. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she got up from the bed asking, ¡°What happened?¡±The maidservant Shuang Yu had likewise been awakened. Wearing her shoes hurriedly, she came to find her, asking, ¡°Second miss?¡±Xie Xun was still sleeping deeply.As Xie Zhen wanted to get out of bed, Shuang Yu went to help her put on a pair of embroidered shoes and lead her out of the building.Once outside, they found out that it wasn¡¯t their residence that had been lit up. Rather, it was the neighbouring courtyard that was brightly illuminated. Xie Liqing and Leng shi had also changed into their clothes quickly and had people find out if anything had happened. Surely there wasn¡¯t a thief next door?Xie Liqing had just moved in recently, and was usually busy with work. As such, he wasn¡¯t very familiar with the neighbouring household. Even when Leng shi asked him whose household it was, he was unable to give her an answer.Soon enough the servant returned, and reported what they had heard. ¡°The young master of the Li Household is sick, with a terribly high fever. Right now the Li household is busy finding a physician to treat him.¡±As there was no thief, several people sighed in relief. Rubbing her eyes, Xie Zhen returned to her room sleepily. In a daze, she thought. It was merely a fever, yet they had made such a big fuss. Their young master was surely even more delicate than her.¡ªDefinitions:°ËÏÉ×À Eight immortals table: an old fashion square table that seats eightÄ̾í : milk roll


    5. °ËÏÉ×À Eight immortals table: an old fashion square table that seats eight


    6. Ä̾í : milk roll

 Chapter 2.1

    <h4>Chapter 2.1</h4>


    The neighbouring Li Household was still lit up all the way till morning, with the light never going out.


    Xie Zhen was a light sleeper and sensitive to light. Even with just a little disturbance she could not fall asleep. For the whole trip she hadn¡¯t been able to sleep well, and after the long and hard trip to Qing Zhou, she originally thought that she would finally be able to get a good rest. Never had she imagined that even after restlessly rolling around in bed for half the night would she still be unable to fall asleep.


    The two doll-like girls were sharing a bed, and Xie Xun helplessly held Xie Zhen¡¯s hand, pleading, ¡°Sis, I¡¯m tired...¡±


    After that, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t move around as much, and instead shut her eyes tightly throughout the whole night, but only at dawn did she manage to force herself to fall into a fitful sleep.


    Xie Xun, on the other hand, had slept well, and woke up early in the morning. Seeing her sister still fast asleep, she pulled on her sleeve, wanting to wake her up. Just then, the maid Shuang Yu stopped her, saying, ¡°Yesterday Second Miss stayed up until veryte. Third Miss, please behave and don¡¯t disturb the Second Miss. If you want, this servant will bring you to the Madame.¡±


    Shuang Yu was the maid that Leng shi had brought over from the capital. Together with Shuang Yan, she had originally been one of Leng shi¡¯s personal maid servants. Only after reaching Qing Zhou did Leng shi specially arrange for her to care of Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, as she had been afraid that the other maids were too young and immature, and would not be able to do things satisfactorily.


    The moment she heard that her sister hadn¡¯t slept well, Xie Xun, an understanding child, immediately stopped disturbing her. She raised her arms to get carried by Shuang Yu and ordered, ¡°Take me to find Ah niang.¡±


    Out of the three children, Xie Xun was the least temperamental, and the most well-behaved. Her sweet voice, paired with her pair of limpid, watery eyes, caused Shuang Yu to find her very adorable. After helping her put on a light red beizi embroidered with begonias and a white threaded skirt, along with a pair of soft gold shoes, she then brought Xie Xun to the main room.


    After being with Xie Liqing untilte at night, and then having to get up and see what had transpired at the Li Household, Leng shi hadn¡¯t rested well for the whole night. When Xie Xun arrived, she was still on her bed getting ready.


    Once she was properly put together, Leng shi¡¯s beauty was even more apparent, and she seemed like an entirely different person from the day before. Her eyelids flowed nicely, making her every gesture seem flirtatious. With her morous eyes, she seemed to be extremely charming at a nce.


    Of course, Xie Xun was not familiar with these, and she climbed down from Shuang Yu¡¯s arms before throwing herself into her mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Ah niang, sister¡¯s still asleep!¡±


    Afraid that she would identally knock into the foot of the bed, Leng shihurriedly leaned over and held her securely. ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t sleep well, so you aren¡¯t allowed to disturb her, understand?¡±


    Leng shi knew the two girls¡¯ like the back of her hand. Simr to herself, Xie Zhen was an extremely light sleeper. Anyway, after reaching Qing Zhou, they no longer had to strictly get up at dawn to travel, so she might as well let her sleep for a while more.


    Xie Xun nodded her head vigorously. ¡°I understand!¡±


    Leng shi smiled lightly and gently pinched her small round face.


    Soon enough, Xie Rong also arrived at the main room, alert and filled with energy. The events at the Li Household seemed to not have affected his sleep whatsoever. Shuang Yan ordered the servants to bring in breakfast. There were not only delicacies from the capital but also Qing Zhou fully upying the whole table. While the food wasn¡¯t of the same standard as that of Duke Ding¡¯s Residence, there was a much greater variety of it, making peoples¡¯ appetites muchrger.


    Xie Xun wanted to eat the walnut cheese, but due to her small body and short legs, even while sitting on the chair she simply could not reach the table, and she could only say, ¡°I want to eat too, I want to eat...¡±


    The little girl was incredibly anxious, and as she pulled her ears, she really made people want tough.


    Shuang Yu rapidly picked up the walnut cheese, and after cing it in front of Xie Xun, helped to feed it to her bit by bit.


    After finishing her food, Xie Xun was satisfied. She smiled until her eyes were almost closed shut, and did not ask for more.


    Seeing the sun outside, Leng shi put down her chopsticks and told Shuang Yan to check on Xie Zhen and see if she had woken up.


    Not a whileter did Shuang Yan return, shaking her head.


    Never mind, might as well let her sleep, Leng shi sighed. There had been nock of bumpy roads on the way to Qing Zhou, and she pitied her delicate daughter. Since they had already arrived, a long rest was goodpensation for her children.


    Right after they had finished eating breakfast, Xie Liqing just so happened to return. He thought back to the scene he had witnessed at the gate, and said, ¡°The Li¡¯s have just sent back the physician, it seems like this time his son¡¯s illness is quite serious. Since we¡¯re neighbours now, even if we lower our heads and try to avoid them, we are still bound to meet them sooner orter. After you finish packing,e with me to visit them for a while.¡±


    Leng shi had simr thoughts, and had just been wondering of how to approach him with the topic, not expecting him to mention it first. She said, ¡°We also can¡¯t go empty-handed. I brought over some medicinal herbs from the capital. Even though they aren¡¯t rare and precious, it¡¯s still a show of our sincerity.¡±


    Xie Liqing nodded and agreed with her, ¡± There are also many things in the storehouse. Later I¡¯ll tell Steward Wang to pass the key to you so you can bring some servants over to see if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Xie Liqing looked around, but didn¡¯t manage to find his eldest daughter. ¡°Where¡¯s the littlemb?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yesterday she was woken up by the noise, and after that she couldn¡¯t sleep well, so she¡¯s still lying in bed now.¡± Leng shi helped him change into a green shidi-patterned robe.


    Xie Liqing suddenly felt immensely bad for his daughter, and didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb her rest. ¡°Then she doesn¡¯t need to go with uster, and can rest at home to recuperate instead.¡±


    Leng shiughed, ¡°If she sleeps any longer it¡¯ll already be afternoon time.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Xie Liqing¡¯s treatment towards his daughters was superb, and he pampered them immensely. ¡°Get the maid servants to look after littlemb well, if she wakes up they should prepare some small snacks for her.¡±


    Leng shi agreed, and the couple sat together to talk.


    Xie Liqing held her hands, and brushing his lips over her ear, asked, ¡°Yesterday night did I hurt you?¡±


    Leng shi nced at him, and didn¡¯t answer his question. The longer she stayed silent, the more Xie Liqing felt like provoking her, so he continued to ask, unashamed. ¡°You¡¯ve already given birth to three children, yet you don¡¯t seem to...¡±


    Leng shi originally wanted to push him away, yet she did not expect him to move first, pressing her down on the narrow sofa.


    The two of them tumbled around for a while, and after that Leng shi¡¯s hairpin was loose, and her cheeks were bright red, making her seem very attractive.


    Of course, with that kind of appearance there was no way that she could go out and meet people, especially not the Li Residence, where she would be a guest. Due to this, she sat down in front of her lotus-pattern mirror tob her hair again and changed into a sleeveless, smoky grey light robe. After she finished touching up, she told Xie Xun and Xie Rong to prepare to leave.


    Hearing that the Old Master Li liked calligraphy, a hobby befitting of a schr, Leng shi picked a rosewood brush holder embellished with cranes. She also chose a few flower hairpins and headpins that were popr in the capital for Madame Li as a gift.


    The two households were extremely close to each other, and not long after setting off, they reached the Li Residence.


    When Xie Xun heard that they would be visiting another fu, she was so happy that she was ready to do a dance. It was a pity that her sister wasn¡¯t there with her, otherwise she would be just as excited.


    As they hadn¡¯t informed them of their visit prior to their arrival, when they reached the gates, the Li servants were rather surprised for a moment before they scrambled to wee them inside.


    Old Master Li, named Li Xiqing, was a merchant based mainly in Qing Zhou. He primarily dealt in the tea business, and his family¡¯s tea leaves were prominent in Qing Zhou. Li Xiqing was a sharp businessman, with a pair of all-knowing eyes. Fortunately his smile was incredibly sincere, and caused people to feel morefortable around him.


    ¡ª


    Trantor Comments:


    We¡¯re still getting set up on novelupdates, as the mods haven¡¯t approved us as a group yet, but we¡¯re working on it! Right now we¡¯re registered with Google Search Console so it¡¯s easier to find us. We¡¯ll be posting the next chapter either today or tomorrow as we¡¯re halfway through now. Thanks for waiting! In the next part we finally meet our ML!


    Chapter 2.2


    Li Xiqing¡¯s wife, Song shi¡¯s appearance was gentle, kind and hospitable. She brought Xie Liqing and Leng shi over to sit, and told the servants to prepare some tea.


    Leng shi took the medicinal herbs from her maid servant. ¡°Yesterday your house was brightly lit, so we had some people go over to check what had happened and found that the Young Master was heavily sick. Here I have some medicine for headaches and high fevers; after boiling and drinking it for three dawns, the next day his temperature should go down.¡±


    Song shi was touched by the gift, and hurriedly had the maid take it.


    Actually most of the Qing officials were reluctant to interact with the businessmen, so although the Li¡¯s knew that the new Qing Zhou governor had moved in beside them, they did not visit them. However, they had never thought that Xie Liqing would visit them first. The Madame of Duke Ding¡¯s Residence, on the outside, seemed perfect and aloof, yet she was actually willing to give precious gifts to them, making them feel moved.


    Leng Chan Yu had the maids bring out the gifts, saying, ¡°We came over on short-notice, and didn¡¯t prepare anything particrly good, so both of you musn¡¯tugh.¡±


    Song shi repeatedly denied it, saying,¡±All of these things cannot be found in Qing Zhou, for Madame to give us these, is already thismoner¡¯s blessing...¡±


    Song shi saw the two precious and adorable children, and had the servants bring out some small snacks to show her hospitality.


    Like this, the two families struck up a conversation, and without their knowing, half an hour passed.


    Seeing that it was nearly noon, Leng shi was worried that Xie Zhen would be lonely at home, and prepared to leave, only to see an old maidservant enter. ¡°Madame, the Young Master has woken up!¡±


    Song shi was also someone who tenderly loved her children, and immediately stood up, ¡°How is he? Has the fever subsided?¡±


    The old maidservant answered, ¡°He still has a slight fever. Just now, he even mumbled some words deliriously.¡±


    At this Song shi was somewhat worried. His fever had gone for a full day, what if it had managed to burn his brain cells? She sat uneasily, wanting to go over to see, but she also didn¡¯t want to offend the Duke Ding Household.


    Leng shi saw her dilemma, and called Xie Xun and Xie Rong over to her side, sensibly saying, ¡®Children are most important. Song shi should quickly go over to see him, we were nning to leave before anyway.¡±


    Song shi was also deeply anxious about her child, and stay longer than needed after sending them back and rapidly walking to the back hall.


    The child really hadn¡¯t gotten better, and Song shi was worried till her head spun. Remembering the medicinal herbs that Leng shi had brought over, she gritted her teeth and ordered the servants to quickly prepare it, hoping that it could save her child¡¯s life.


    *


    Only after they had returned did they realise that Xie Zhen had already awoken.


    The young girl was seated on the steps before the vertical chui hua door with her palm supporting her head, constantly staring outside. When she first arrived in Qing Zhou, her heart was always uneasy. Even though Shuang Yu had advised her to wait inside for very long, she still refused to move, until she saw her family. The moment she saw them, she excitedly weed them back, stood up and shouted, ¡°Ah niang, Ah Tie!¡±


    Leng shi saw her from faraway, and her lonely silhouette made her heart hurt, so she hurriedly walked forward and hugged her. ¡°Why was littlemb sitting here?¡± She asked.


    She pouted, saying, ¡°Where did all of you go? Why did you abandon me alone at home?¡±


    Leng shi exined, ¡°We went to visit our neighbours at the Li residence. Just now you were still sleeping, so we didn¡¯t ask anyone to wake you up.¡±


    After she knew what had happened, she didn¡¯t seem as despondent as before.


    Regarding whose house they visited...She originally hadn¡¯t even thought that much about it.


    Children¡¯s emotionse and go, and very quickly Xie Zhen was ying with Xie Xun like nothing had happened. Out of the three children, Xie Zhen was the most mischievous, and herugh was the most clear and ringing. When sheughed, her eyes would curve into crescents, and it was as though even if she wanted the stars in the sky, nobody would have had the heart to reject her.


    A few dayster, the Li couple and their son Li Yu came over to visit Xie fu.


    Due to the medicinal herbs, Li Yu finally recovered, and Song shi was thankful beyond words.


    Leeng shi was at the front entertaining the guests, and Xie Zhen wanted to bring her little sister over to see, ¡°Ah Xun, let¡¯s also go over to the front hall.¡±


    However, Xie Xun held no interest in those sort of things, and she squatted under a tree digging for earthworms, never lifting her head. ¡°I¡¯m not going; Brother said that if I could dig out some earthworms, he would bring me to fish.¡±


    Xie Zhen stomped her foot, ¡°What¡¯s so fun about fishing?¡±


    Raising her head, Xie Xun retorted, ¡°What¡¯s so fun about the front hall?¡±


    The two girls stared at each other, and Xie Zhen sighed loudly, saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go by myself!¡±


    Saying that she ignored Xie Xun, lifted her skirt and walked off in the direction of the front hall.


    Shuang Yu shook her head, and helplessly followed.


    Xie Zhen was a naturally lively person, and she always ran towards wherever there were people. Now that she¡¯d heard that there were guests in the house, she would of course go over to look.


    With a small body and short legs, she couldn¡¯t walk very quickly. To go to the main hall it already took her an hour.


    Voices could be heard from the main hall. She could hear Ah niang¡¯s and another unidentifiable voice.


    Just as she was about to step towards it, another person came out from the hall.


    The other person had a powdered, snowy-white face, and long, thick eyshes, making him look even more adorable than Ah Xun. It was only that he was a little skinny and small, his face sickly pale, and seemed to have been gravely illtely. Xie Zhen blinked and took a second look before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The aforementioned person was actually the Li¡¯s only son, Li Yu, who was five that year and wasn¡¯t even as tall as Xie Zhen.


    Li Yu saw her brazenly staring at him, and looked away saying, ¡°I am Li Yu.¡±


    Xie Zhen heard his name as ¡®Li Yu¡¯, with ¡®Yu¡¯ being jade, and as Ah Niang¡¯s birth name also contained the word jade, she assumed that Li Yu was actually a girl. Since he was a guest, she treated him hospitably, saying, ¡°You look very pretty! I¡¯m five this year, what about you? How about I call you Little Sister Yu from now on?¡±


    Li Yu nched, and only replied after a while. ¡°I¡¯m not a little sister.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s mind was incredibly quick. ¡°Big Sister Yu?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Xie Zhen was oblivious or careless, as in actuality Li Yu¡¯s appearance was too beautiful, and when one took a nce at him, all their attention would immediately be focused on his face, and they would ignore his male clothing. Furthermore, after his illness, he was also wearing a white robe, making him seem even more delicate...


    Annoyed, Li Yu corrected her. ¡°Yu is actually the Yu from wealth, ¡®Fu Yu¡¯. I am neither a little sister nor a big sister, in fact you should call me big brother!¡±


    Xie Zhen then understood, and widened her eyes in iprehension and doubt. A beaty like this was actually a male? She didn¡¯t believe him! Her brain whirring, Xie Zhen remembered that when she was small, when she bathed with her brother, there was a ce on her brother¡¯s body that was different from a girls¡¯. She sneakily raised her hand and groped Li Yu¡¯s crotch.


    For a long moment, all was silent.


    Shyly, she drew back her hand. ¡°Oh...¡±


    Lifting her head, she saw that Li Yu¡¯s face was rapidly changing from green to red, and his eyes almost seemed like they wanted to devour her in anger.


    Trantor¡¯s Comments:


    We have been approved by the mods on novelupdates! Yay! Also Xie Zhen needs to restrain herself HAHA poor Li Yu. I¡¯ll be out tomorrow but we¡¯ve tranted about half of chapter 3.1 so the next chapter will probably be out by 1.00AM Friday GMT +0800.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3</h4>


    Liyu hadn¡¯t lied, he was, in fact, a boy.


    Their ages weren¡¯t that far apart, as he was only older than Xie Zhen by half a year. But because he had been a sickly child since young, coupled with the fact that boys developedter than girls, he wasn¡¯t as tall as Xie Zhen. It was no wonder that Xie Zhen had wanted to call him little sister when she first saw him¡­


    After the truth was revealed, the atmosphere between both of them became rather awkward.


    After all, Xie Zhen was still a child. After carelessly groping him, she did feel sorry and put her hands behind her back saying, ¡°Don¡¯t me me, who asked you to look so pretty¡­¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been easy for Li Yu¡¯splexion to go back to normal, but after hearing her words, his face once again turned green,


    ¡°But you still shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Speaking midway, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to finish his sentence.


    He hade with Song shi as a guest, but feeling bored after sitting in the main hall for half an hour, he had wished to go to the toilet, and so followed the maidservant out of the hall. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out, he bumped into this unreasonable stinky girl.


    Although Xie Zhen had been in the wrong, she was used to acting coquettishly and pretending to be innocent to get out of trouble. She went up and grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand, smiling and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, why not I sing a song for you?¡±


    Her soft voice, coupled with her sweet smiling face, made Li Yu suddenly realise that she actually looked rather cute. Soon after, he snorted mentally, what¡¯s the point of looking cute, after all, she¡¯d still groped him!


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t reject her offer, Xie Zhen enthusiastically pulled him to down to the porch, and clearing her throat she began to sing: ¡°White pea, I¡¯m here again, I¡¯ll stay until the fire wood is chopped¡­¡±


    This was something she learnt on the way to Qing Zhou. There had been a group of children amongst the crowd on the streets. At that time, they¡¯d been singing this song and Xie Zhen had remembered it immediately. Her voice was soft and pleasant sounding. Despite being brought up in the capital, her voice was better sounding than girls in the south.


    Li Yu¡¯s arm was still being pulled on by her. He was still unwilling to follow her, having had a bad impression of her.


    Just then, he carefully looked at her face and caught her shining ck eyes looking at him steadily. His face immediately reddened and he turned his head away.


    ¡°Where are you nning to go? Towards the river, where there are loaches.¡±


    The cooling wind breezed through the hall, bringing with it the smell of Iris petals from the yard, along with a whiff of sweet milk. Li Yu¡¯s neck was stiff and he had no choice but to turn his head once again. With a nce he saw her gazing intently at the irises in the yard. Her face was as fair as a freshly peeled boiled egg, different from other girls he had seen before. The other girls had not been as good-looking as her, her skin was sparkling and clear, soft, white and with no ws.


    She was good-looking, and that was a fact, it was just that she was a little not right in the head.


    Feeling a pressure in his lower abdomen, Liyu suddenly remembered the purpose of himing out. Wanting to push lightly away her hand, he pleaded, ¡°I want to go¡­¡±


    Xie zhen didn¡¯t let go of him, anxiously saying, ¡°Wait a moment, I haven¡¯t finished singing the song.¡±


    Having been interrupted earlier, she wanted to continue singing.


    Liyu really wanted to cry. Even though she sang well, he was really in a hurry!


    He struggled for a while, but because he had just recovered, he didn¡¯t have much strength, so he finally was unable to forcefully break free from her ws.


    Seeing this, the two maidservants at each side also felt conflicted. Both of these kids were the household¡¯s little ancestors, and both couldn¡¯t be offended, causing them to be in a dilemma.


    Finally, Liyu¡¯s maidservant went forward and said, ¡°Second miss, our young master¡­¡±


    But she still said these words a bit toote, at this time, Liyu could hold on for no longer.


    Before Xie Zhen could react to what was happening, Liyu in one movement pushed her away due to his embarrassment, and angrily eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Caught off-guard, Xie Zhen was forced back a few steps.


    If not for Shuang Yu catching hold of her from the back, Xie Zhen would have fallen to the ground.


    Seeing Liyu turning and leaving, Xie Zhen looked up at Shuang Yu, confused, and asked, ¡°Why is he so angry?¡±


    Shuang Yu sighed, even children had their own self-respect, and with just a nce one could tell that Li Yu was the kind of prideful and dignified child, so it was better if she helped cover up for him. ¡°Young Master Li probably doesn¡¯t like listening to music.¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Zhen nodded, deep in thought. If he didn¡¯t like it then it was fine, but shouldn¡¯t he have just told her so?


    It wasn¡¯t like her singing ability was that bad.


    *


    At the main hall, Li Yu had returned, his face pale.


    The moment Song shi caught sight of him looking like that, she was stunned. Why did his facial expression look so unsightly? Hurriedly she asked the maidservants what had happened before, and as Leng shi was also there, the maidservant could only stutter unclearly, ¡°The Young Master met Second Young Miss Xie¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at her, and quietly told her to stop talking.


    Immediately, she stopped.


    In front of Song shi, he looked down and said, ¡°Ah Niang, let¡¯s go home, I¡¯m not feeling very good.¡±


    Unexpectedly, as soon as he left their house it was like he¡¯d changed into a different person. Both Song shi and her husband were perplexed. Hearing his words, they anxiously felt his forehead, asking, ¡°Could the fever have returned?¡±


    Not finding anything out of the ordinary, Song shi sighed in relief. Smiling at Leng shi, she said, ¡°That child isn¡¯t sensible, please excuse his behaviour. If not for your medicinal herbs that day, he wouldn¡¯t have recovered so quickly.¡±


    Trantor Comments:


    Thankful for all the enthusiastic responses we¡¯ve gotten, so we decided to post the chapter ahead of schedule! The chapter actually ended mid-sentence but it was really awkward so we just finished it. Today I discovered that I suck at using chopsticks and my chicken slipped into the vegetable te and it was really embarrassing because I couldn¡¯t pick it up after that.


    3.2


    At this, Song shi once again thanked Leng shi profusely.


    Without that medicine, while Li Yu wouldn¡¯t have died, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have recovered so quickly either. Even worse, if the fever had continued the way it did before, there was no saying whether his brain cells would¡¯ve been burnt or not. As such, Song shi was incredibly grateful towards Leng shi.


    Shaking her head, Leng shi replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me anymore. We¡¯re neighbours, and it was only right for me to help you.¡± Looking down, she saw Li Yu bowing his head silently, and said, ¡°Just now, Young Master Li said he was feeling unwell. Should we get a physician to look at him?¡±


    Moved, Song shi stood up, pulling Li Yu up with her. ¡°We are immensely thankful for Madame¡¯s care, but our Residence just so happens to have a physician. It¡¯s already quitete, so we will leave first.¡±


    They had visited for quite a while, till lunchtime.


    Leng shi originally wanted them to stay and eat together, but unexpectedly they were insistent on leaving, so she didn¡¯t force them to remain.


    When they were leaving, Xie Zhen suddenly came out of nowhere, clutching at Leng shi¡®s thighs. Blinking her dark almond eyes, she looked at Song shicuriously.


    The other time she hadn¡¯t visited the Li Residence with them, so Leng shi exined, ¡°Little Lamb, this is Aunt Song.¡±


    Xie Zhen obediently greeted her, ¡°Aunt Song.¡±


    A cute little dumpling suddenly appeared out of the blue, and Song shi almost couldn¡¯t bear to leave. The Xie Family was really blessed with good looks, every single one of them made other people feel ashamed.


    Leng shi told her, ¡°This is Young Master Li. He¡¯s older than you by half a year, so you should call him Big Brother.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded, saying, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    [The ¡®Yu¡¯ she uses is actually the ¡®Yu¡¯ for jade, which is not the same as the Yu in his name. ¡®Xiao¡¯ also means small, so she¡¯s actually making fun of him.]


    Upon catching sight of her, Li Yu¡¯s face abruptly changed colour. He¡¯d already embarrassed himself of her time after time, so he never wanted to see her again.


    Seeing that her son was staying silent, Song shiughed apologetically, saying, ¡°Yu er has been reticent since young, and doesn¡¯t like talking to people that much. Second Miss shouldn¡¯t find it too strange, sooner orter, after he bes more familiar with you, then he¡¯ll talk more.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t mind it one bit. ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu is very pretty, even when he doesn¡¯t speak he¡¯s still good-looking.¡±


    Li Yu looked like a disgruntled cat whose tail had been stepped on, and immediately red at her.


    When Song shi had left, Xie Zhen stood at the door andughed, seeming to be unbelievably cute. After promising to visit soon for them to y again, Song shileft for the Li Residence.


    The moment Li Yu reached home, he went into his room alone and changed his clothes. From then on, he decided resolutely to never interact with the Xie Family ever again. Especially not with that smelly girl. Even if she looked adorable, and no matter how good her singing was, he still didn¡¯t like her!


    *


    After sending off Song shi and Li Yu, Xie Zhen happily bounced back into the hall with Leng shi.


    They hadn¡¯t reached the hall before Leng shi stopped and turned around. With an unscrutable look on her face she asked, ¡°Littlemb, what exactly happened just now?¡±


    Puzzled, Xie Zhen blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Leng shi recalled Li Yu¡¯s earlier attitude, and the unfinished sentence that the Li maidservant had spoken before cutting herself off. ¡°Did you meet Young Master Li before that?¡±


    Xie Zhen honestly nodded, and pointed towards the side hallway. ¡°I met him there.¡±


    Ah, that exined why Li Yu¡¯s behaviour had been so strange earlier. Her daughter must have provoked him, and eventually angered him. Leng shisighed heavily. Littlemb had been different since young, and was mischievous and naughty. Ah, never mind, she would act innocent and pitiful anyway, and even if she wanted to teach her a lesson she herself couldn¡¯t bear to do so.


    In the beginning, Leng shi had actually assumed that the two children had a simple fight. But after Shuang Yu told her the truth, she realised it had been entirely different from what she had thought.


    This, this Little Lamb¡­


    No wonder Li Yu¡¯s face had been so pale when he left!


    Poor child, she reckoned that the incident had left him with a rather bad impression¡­


    Leng shi¡¯s guess was correct. In the next two months, whle Song shi had visited a number of times, there had been no sight of Li Yu.


    Xie Zhen had even disappointedly asked, ¡°Aunt Song, why hasn¡¯t Big Brother Xiao Yue?¡±


    Song shi thought of Li Yu¡¯s unyielding rejection, and smiled politely. ¡°His health hasn¡¯t been too good these days, so he needs to stay home to rest.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded sensibly, and didn¡¯t ask again.


    Two monthster, summer turned into autumn, and the weather became much more cool.


    When Xie Liqing had just arrived in Qing Zhou as an official, he had initially been very busy, but now that everything had beenpleted, he could finally spare some time to take a break. Just when he was thinking of bringing his whole family out to the countryside to look around, he received an invitation from the upper level of government. Gao Qing was a Military Scribe in the Central Governing Office, and his mother¡¯s 70th birthday celebration would be held in a couple days, so they had invited many officials in Qing Zhou to go.


    They had just moved to Qing Zhou, and hadn¡¯t visited many ces in the city. It just so happened that they could use this chance towork and get to know more people.


    Xie Liqing informed Leng shi of this, and Leng shi immediately started making preparations for the gifts and clothing.


    On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, she woke the children up early in the morning. Xie Zhen still looked half-asleep, and burrowed into her mother¡¯s arms, mumbling, ¡°Ah Niang why is it so early¡­¡±


    Leng shi pinched her face lightly, before having Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan bring her and Xie Xun to bathe. She then picked out some clothes from the closet. That day was her daughters¡¯ first appearance in front of the nobility, and they definitely needed to dress up beautifully for it.


    Trantor Comments:


    Today¡¯s Friday, and we don¡¯t have to wake up early tomorrow, so there¡¯s gonna be a second chapter posted after this! Thanks for thements and views!

 Chapter 4.1

    <h4>Chapter 4.1</h4>


    Leng shi didn¡¯t intend for her daughters to find potential husbands in Qing Zhou, but that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t want them to stand out from the rest of the crowd.


    After all, they couldn¡¯t lose face for Duke Ding¡¯s fu.


    By chance, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun recently had new clothes tailored for them, and the fabric had been brought over from the capital¨Cexquisite satin that even the richest men in Qing Zhou couldn¡¯t buy. One bolt of fabric could be used to tailor two blouses, and when the girls tried them on, they fit just right. Apart from that, she gave Xie Zhen a matching cherry-patterned coral red skirt, and for Xie Xun she picked a pastel green skirt. After they had finished dressing, they went with the two maidservants, and it seemed as though the whole house had lit up.


    Leng shi also had a new azure jin pao made for Xie Rong. Asall of them were precious to her, she treated them equally.


    Even so, if she hadn¡¯t made a set for Xie Rong, he nheless wouldn¡¯t have been petty towards his precious little sisters.


    At this time, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were both standing in front of the copper basin washing their faces. However, as both of them were not tall enough to reach the water in the basin, they had to leave the washing to their maidservants. Xie Xun finished washing up very quickly but Xie Zhen yfully sprinkled some water on her. While sprinkling, sheughed and said, ¡°Younger sister is a flower, let me water the flower.¡±


    Left with no choice, Xie Xun could only wash up once more, angrily saying, ¡°Evil sis!¡±


    Although Xie Xun thought of resisting, she still repeatedly got bullied by Xie Zhen. Eventually, the two little girls ended upughing and screaming together.


    Washing one¡¯s face already took one quarter of an hour. If this went on, when would they ever end? Helpless, Leng shi signed and told Xie Rong, ¡°Your father already went to call for the carriage and will be back soon. Go take a look at littlemb and Ah Xun. They¡¯re washing up.¡±


    Xie Rong nodded his head.


    Upon the arrival of their elder brother, both of them immediately settled down. Xie Zhen went forward and pulled his sleeve, currying his favour and saying, ¡°I won¡¯t be yful if elder brother helps me wash up.¡±


    In their eyes, although elder brother was strict, in the end he was still their biological brother. As long as they were not too outrageous, he would definitely agree to any request they had.


    Sure enough, Xie Rong took hold of the half-drenched towel from Shuang Yu, squatted down and carefully wiped her eyes and nose.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bully Xie Xun next time.¡±


    This time round, Xie Zhen was very well-behaved, making no movement whatsoever. With her pair ofrge ck watery eyes, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bully her, I was just ying with her.¡± After which, she twisted her tender dumpling face to the side, looking at Xie Xun, ¡°Aren¡¯t I right, Ah Xun?¡±


    Xie Xun hummed and nodded her head in agreement.


    At the crucial moment, they would still work together to trick him.


    Xie Rong stayed silent, patted her head and continued washing Xie Xun¡¯s face. After washing up, he then taught them both of them how to use salt and peppermint to wash their teeth. Xie Zhen was very attentive in learning. In this aspect, she was different from other small children. She cared a lot about her body, having been vain since young, paying much attention to appearances.


    Finally, they finished. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan helped each of them tidy up and change into their new clothes, helping them pick out a matching pendant. As they were still young, there was no need for a borate hairstyle. A flower bun would be most appropriate, highlighting their cuteness. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan weaved a flower gold chain on the flower buns, and at an unexpected whim, drew a cinnabar mole on Xie Zhen¡¯s forehead. As Xie Xun had bangs, there was no use for one.


    Xie Zhen went before the mirror to look at the mole. Seeing that it looked light and didn¡¯t stand out too much, she could still bring herself to ept it.


    The cinnabar mole brought out her features, and coupled with the flower bun, made her appear lovelier and cuter.


    After changing, Leng shi sat in front of the mirror, and decided to go with a small simple bun and a headdress, looking as beautiful as ever.


    Xie Liqing had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time. However, the wait for his wife and children was finally over.


    Upon setting his eyes on Leng shi, his eyes brightened and looking down, his two daughters were even more eye-catching, especially Xie Zhen¡¯s tender-looking group. Although they were still young, they already had the beauty of the capital. Normally, they were already cute and pretty, but after dressing up, his fondness for them grew.


    At this moment, Xie Zhen was holding Leng shi¡®s hand, fiddling with her pendant while walking. When she looked up and saw Xie Liqing, she opened her arms and flew towards him, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Xie Liqing quickly squatted down to catch her, tenderly touching her head, saying, ¡°Why do you seem so listless?¡±


    Sheid in his arms, acting pitiful and pouting, said: ¡°Ah niang woke Xie Xun and me so early this morning, Daddy I¡¯m sleepy...¡±


    Seeing her daughter tell on her in her husband¡¯s arms, Leng shi smiled indulgently. So young yet she already knew how to use others, really a little prankster.


    Xie Liqing guffawed and carried her up the carriage.


    ¡°Take a nap in the carriage then. There is no rush since it is quite a journey to the Gao fu¡±.


    After carrying Xie Zhen, he went to carry Xie Xun and once the two charming girls were in the carriage, turned to look at Leng shi, ¡°It must have been tiring for you today.¡±


    Leng shi red at him, ¡°What are you saying, both littlemb and Ah Xun are my precious daughters, why would I feel that they tire me out?¡±


    Xie Liqing took no heed to her re and still continued to say, ¡°Aren¡¯t I just concerned for you?¡±


    After this exchange, Xie Rong who had been at the side walked past them, and without any change in expression, sat at the back of the carriage, as though he hadn¡¯t heard their conversation.


    Xie Liqing, finding it hard to maintain his expression, said, ¡°This child...¡±


    Leng shi gave him a push, saying, ¡°We should leave now, anyter and we would bete.¡±


    Left with no choice, Xie Liqing could only sit at the back of the carriage.


    Two carriages leave for their destination ¨C Gao fu in the south.


    As soon as the Xie household left, a figure emerged from the entrance of the Li household.


    Looking at the carraige that was heading further and further away, Liyu couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved internally. Luckily he hadn¡¯t been spotted. The Li household had also received an invitation from the Gao fu. Li Xiqing and Gao Qing were once old friends. Subsequently, one had went into business and the other into the arts, however, they continued to stay in contact for the next few decades. The Li household had often gone to the Gao fu as guests, however, there was never a time where Liyu had been so unwilling.


    He didn¡¯t want to see Xie Zhen.


    Whenever he recounted how he urinated in front of herst time, he didn¡¯t want to ever see her again.


    However, they just had to live so close to each other. At times, when she raised her voice, he could hear her clearly at home.


    As to how he could differentiate her voice? That was because she had sang him a song for him thest time, and due to her singing being too good, he had remembered it at one go.


    Song shi came out from inside and saw him standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Yu er, what are you looking at?¡±


    Liyu walked to her side saying, ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    Song shi didnt believe him at all. This child was usually dull, if there wasn¡¯t anything, why would he stand at the entrance for so long? She nced at the entrance but there was nothing there. As such, she didn¡¯t continue probing but said, ¡°We can leave now if you have finished packing.¡±


    Definitions:


    ½õÅÛ jin pao : male brocade gown. It¡¯s the male version of the traditional chinese garb in ancient China.


    Chapter 4.2


    Li Xiqing walked up from behind, and picked him up in one swoop,ughing as he strolled to the carriage outside.


    *


    Leaning into her mother¡¯s embrace, Xie Zhen slept soundly throughout the trip.


    When they were about to reach the entrance of Gao fu, Leng shi gently pinched her face to wake her up. ¡°Littlemb, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Xie Xun also climbed onto herp. ¡°Sis, sis...¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked sleepily, holding both her sister and Leng shi¡®s hands as she got off the carriage. In front was the majestic Gao fu, standing taller than Xie fu¡¯s biggest gates. Still it could not bepared to Duke Ding¡¯s Residence. At a nce one could tell that it was built using gold, silver and jade, and the rich history of Duke Ding¡¯s Residence was absent.


    Not only were the main red doorscquered, but the copper door knockers as well.


    In front of the gate were numerous carriages, so they hadn¡¯t arrived that early, as there were people who¡¯d arrived even earlier. Seeing their invitations, the servant stationed at the front respectfully led them into the residence. Xie Liqing handed the box holding the gift they¡¯d prepared to him. ¡°Where is Official Gao?¡±


    Taking the gift, the servant replied, ¡°The Official is currently at the main hall receiving guests. This servant will bring you there.¡±


    The banquet had yet started, as there was still an hour till noon. The men had gathered in the main hall to drink tea and converse, while the women, along with their entourage of maids, headed to the inner courtyard where the Old Madame stayed to congratte her. However, too many people hade, and there wasn¡¯t enough space for everyone to sit down, so the Old Madame had moved to the octagonal pavilion in the courtyard. All the women were there, admiring the rows of brightly-coloured flowers from a distance.


    A maid in a green jacket brought them over and said to the seated 70 year-olddy, ¡°Old Madame, Madame Xie has arrived.¡±


    Although the Old Madame was an elderly woman, she was still young at heart, and had much more energy than other elders.


    She donned a fur headdress, wearing a rich purple set of robes embroidered with bamboos, and was smiling kindly.


    In the pavilion sat several younger Madames, and three of them were the daughters-inw of the Gao family. The other two were Yang shi of Xun fu and the wife of an official under Xie Liqing respectively.


    Upon seeing Leng shi, the Old Madame stood up to wee her. ¡°Madame Xie has arrived, quicklye sit.¡± Looking down, she was enraptured at first nce. ¡°These are Madame Xie¡¯s daughters?¡±


    Leng shi introduced the two troublemakers. ¡°Little Lamb, Xie Xun, this is the Old Madame.¡±


    Together they greeted her respectfully, their voices crisp and sweet.


    At once the Old Madame was immensely fond of the two. This Xie family really had good genes, just with a nce at the two girls, she could tell that no ordinary family could have raised and pampered them.


    Sitting back down, she helped introduce Leng shi to the others one by one. On her right the three daughters-inw sat side by side, and on her left were Yang shi and Fang shi.


    The three daughters-inw from Gao fu and Fang shi were incredibly respectful to her, especially Fang shi whose husband was a subordinate working under Xie Liqing. Only Yang shi¡®s eyes weren¡¯t lowered, her tone cold. Her arrogance was probably due to her thinking that her own husband¡¯s wealth was much greater than everyone else¡¯s.


    However unlike most people, Leng shi was also very cold and indifferent.


    She wasn¡¯t like others who would deliberately make themselves seem superior, as she was naturally like this. Unless you were actually close to her, she generally gave off an icy feeling.


    She wouldn¡¯t rush to obstruct others, and was definitely not deliberately malicious. Instead, she was always humble and modest.


    Yang shi unexpectedly met with a unmovable wall, and due to this, she wasn¡¯t too happy and snorted quietly. It was quite soft, and only she was able to hear it.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun stood at the side to admire the flowers, and at the same time Xie Zhen nced over at Yang shi and blinked before turning back to continue talking to her sister.


    Soon, a number of youngdies appeared in the pavilion. At the front was a six or seven year old girl dressed in a white jacket embroidered with butterflies and a threaded skirt. Her hair was in aplicated up-do, and she appeared to be in high spirits as she exined something to herpanions. Her eyebrows were set high on her head, and coupled with a look of arrogance and pride, she gave off a domineering feeling.


    From a distance, she yelled, ¡°Grandmother¡±, and flew into the Old Madame¡¯s embrace.


    Though the Old Madame told her to be careful, the girl¡¯s actions were well-received in her heart, and she smiled as she asked, ¡°Where did Tong Tong bring her little sisters to today?¡±


    The girl was actually the eldest granddaughter of the Gao Family¨CGao Tongtong¨Cthe daughter of the principle wife¨Cthe First Madame. Behind her were the daughters of the Second and Third Madame, along with Fang shi¡¯s daughter Ye Zhiying. Out of all of them, Gao Tongtong was the eldest and tallest, while the rest looked to be around four to six years old, and Ye Zhiying just so happened to be around Xie Zhen¡¯s height.


    Gao Tongtong pointed to the garden in front. ¡°I took them to the pondside to look for a bit. There are lotuses there, and they¡¯re very pretty when they open.¡±


    The Old Madame disagreed, saying, ¡°The pondside is quite wet and slippery, next time don¡¯t bring the little girls there.¡±


    Gao Tongtong pridefully said, ¡°Grandmother forgot that I can swim very well! If they were to fall in, I would definitely be able to save them!¡±


    That was also uneptable. Seeing that the Old Madame was about to discipline her, the First Madame immediately brought her to the side. ¡°What Grandmother says is right, you¡¯re not allowed to talk back.¡±


    Gao Tongtong wasn¡¯t mollified, but she still said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    The First Madame Xu shi introduced Xie Zhen and Xie Xun to her. ¡°These are Madame Xie¡¯s daughters, they¡¯re both younger than you, so today you should take good care of them.¡±


    Hearing their names, the two troublemakers turned around, and they surprisingly turned out to be incredibly pretty.


    As the two pair of eyes stared at her, Gao Tongtong hesitated before saying, ¡°You want me to take care of so many people, how exactly am I supposed to take care of all of them?¡±


    Since young her looks had been praised by many people, and she herself believed that she was extremely good-looking, but today in front of these two girls she actually felt inferior. Especially the one on the left with a cinnabar mole on her head. She was so pretty that she seemed to be a small fox who¡¯d appeared straight from a painting. As such, she disliked her on sight.


    Xun shi red at her, and she immediately took her earlier words back. ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ll take good care of them.¡±


    In just an hour, manydies streamed in continuously, many of them with children. The children all grouped together, and with a nce, one could tell that the two jade-like dolls at the side of the pavilion were the most eye-catching.


    Wherever they stood immediately looked like a scene from a painting. Xie Xun reached out for the chrysanthemum on the stage, but sadly she was too short, and couldn¡¯t pluck it no matter how long she tried to.


    Xie Zhen finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and tiptoed to help her. When she was just about to pluck it, she heard someone at the back whisper, ¡°Madame Li has arrived.¡±


    Aunt Song?


    Big Brother Xiao Yu hade?


    She turned around, face filled with surprise and excitement.


    Unfortunately there was no one beside Song shi, and there wasn¡¯t even a hint of Li Yu¡¯s shadow.


    He hadn¡¯te? Immediately, Xie Zhen pouted, disappointed. Big Brother Xiao Yu was so pretty, she¡¯d really wanted to take a few more good looks at him.


    Trantor Comments:


    Sorry for thete post! We¡¯ve been busy with life. Liz added a link to PayPal on the front page.


    Donate here! We¡¯ll post an extra chapter if we manage to get to $20. Thanks for supporting us!


    Also:


    *SPOILERS FOR TLJ AHEAD*


    TLJ reignited my passion for Reylo the tenssiooonnnnn. I hope they don¡¯t pull another Luke/Leia and make them siblings because I will actually scream. Kylo I hope you weren¡¯t lying about who Rey¡¯s parents are. Luke¡¯s death was slightly sad but I think his time in this series has passed. It was nice having him in TLJ. Maybe he¡¯ll get a cameo in the next episode. Poe is actually a very likeable character. I liked Hux in TFA because I found him slightly funny, but there wasn¡¯t a lot of Hux in TLJ. I don¡¯t really know how they¡¯re gonna do Leia without Carrie Fisher, but I¡¯m hoping that they won¡¯t rece her with another actress because that may actually cause a riot. Also I love how literally everyone on ao3 predicted that they would have a force bond. CP30 was not my favourite as usual and I actually winced when they threw around BB8 because metal! What if he gets dented. R2 had another cameo. Yoda was a nice surprise too.


    *SPOILER OVER*

 Chapter 5.1

    <h4>Chapter 5.1</h4>


    The other young misses all knew each other, so when two unfamiliar faces showed up in their midst, it was unavoidable for some curious faces to continuously turn their way.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were used to such looks since young. As they were magnanimous and big-hearted, they did not take offence and instead yed amongst themselves,pletely unaffected by the actions of the other misses. Most of the young misses felt that the two were too beautiful and didn¡¯t dare to approach them. Only Ye Zhiying, having received her mother¡¯s instructions, went forward and bashfully greeted them.


    Contrary to her expectations, Xie Zhen was very easy-going. ¡°I¡¯m called Ah Zhen, this is my younger sister Ah Xun, how about you?¡±


    Moved beyond words, Ye Zhiying immediately replied with her name.


    After introducing themselves, the three young misses started to y together. Upon witnessing this scene, others couldn¡¯t help but be envious, and one by one they gradually approached and introduced themselves. After all, everyone was attracted to beautiful things, what more four and five-year old children.


    Before long, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were surrounded by a crowd of people. Even the two younger sisters who had been with Gao Tongtong before joined in. Gao Tongtong, anxiously stomping her foot, looked angrily at Xie Zhen who was situated at the centre of the throng of people.


    However, at that moment, Xie Zhen turned and looked at her, with a smile in her eyes, innocent and unaffected, as though she had no idea what Gao Tongtong was angry about.


    Gao Tongtong turned back and returned back to Madame Gao, deciding that she wouldn¡¯t y with these rascalsin the future.


    Soon, it was time to start the banquet and Xie Zhen and Xie Xun both returned back to Leng shi¡®s side. Xie Xun, ecstatic, and waving her hands about, eximed, ¡°Ah niang ah niang, I got to know so many people¡±.


    Leng shi, rubbing her head, smilingly asked, ¡°Who did you meet?¡±


    Xie Xun looked down and poked her fingers together, ¡± Erm...erm.¡± After struggling for a while, her dumpling face turned red, and she said, ¡°I forgot...¡±


    Beside her, Xie Zhen snorted inughter¨Cher younger sister was just too cute. She couldn¡¯t help but wish to knead her dumpling face, ¡± What do you even remember? You only know how to eat.¡±


    Dissatisfied, Xie Xun then retorted, ¡°Can big sis even recall everyone?


    Of course she could. Xie Zhen¡¯s memory had always been excellent. On the spot, she recited all the names of the various young misses , including their fathers¡¯ office position and standing. Hearing Xie Zhen¡¯s nonchnt tone as she recited, the dissatisfaction in her eyes changed into adoration. Xie Xun stared at her with bright eyes, just short of throwing herself forward and saying, ¡°Big sis is the best!¡±


    Leng shi held them each and kissed and patted them lovingly, as though she hadn¡¯t pampered them enough.


    However, this scene had been witnessed by Gao Tongtong, who stood up and asked, ¡°Since Ah Zhen¡¯s memory is so good, why not I give you a test?¡±


    However, Xie Zhen was currently busy cuddling up in Leng shi¡¯s embrace, and had thought that Gao Tongong was speaking to someone else, so she paid no heed to her.


    Gao Tongtong¡¯s expression darkened, and she asked once more.


    Xun shi hadn¡¯t made any move to stop her. From her attitude, it was obvious she was proud of her daughter.


    Gao Tongtong was known in Qing Zhou as a talented youngdy. Despite being merely seven to eight years old, she could already read, write and draw. She had even drew praises from her teacher, so there was no doubt that she was definitely a smart child.


    Xie Zhen finally turned her head to look at her, asking, ¡°What do you want to test me on?¡±


    Gao Tongtong proudly raised her head, revealing her delight, ¡°Have you learnt the Analects of Confucius? What is the twelfth sentence of the fifth chapter?¡±


    Actually, only children around her age were taught these Analects. Xie Zhen was only five years old, and she couldn¡¯t have learnt this text, so how would she be able to know? Everyone present could tell that Gao Tongtong had deliberately made things difficult for the Xie elder miss, yet none of them spoke up . Leng shi¡¯s expression changed, and just when she wanted to rescue her littlemb from the difficult situation, unexpectedly, littlemb, in a crisp voice, asked, ¡°Older sister Gao, why do you ask me this, do you think I am that sort of person?¡±


    Gao Tongtong, taken aback, asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Xie Zhen recited calmly. ¡°Zi Gong said: Do not do unto others what you do not wish others to do unto you. Confucius replied: Yet this is still beyond you.¡±


    In actuality, Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t really studied the Analects of Confucius. It just so happened that there had been once where in Xie Liqing¡¯s study, while looking for picture books, she had identally found this book. Xie Liqing was a schr and had off-handedly told her a few sentences to let her learn, and coincidentally one of the sentences was the one Gao Tongtong had asked her to recite.


    To put it simply, the meaning behind this sentence was, I am not willing to ept other people¡¯s unreasonableness, nor am I willing to be unreasonble to others. In response, Confucius said, you have yet reached that stage.


    Gao Tongtong had only asked casually, not expecting a five-year old to be able to answer and turn the situation around. Upset, and unable to find a way to diffuse the situation, a flush rose up her neck and face. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°...That is correct¡±.


    Xun shi, with an stiff smile on her face, praised, ¡°Madame Xie¡¯s young miss is really quick-witted.¡±


    Leng shi returned her smile.


    *


    The banquet arrangements at the outer courtyard had beenpleted, and so Gao fu¡¯s steward and Official Gao hade to invite the Old Madame to head towards the outer courtyard.


    The group of females stood up and headed for the outer courtyard.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun followed behind Leng shi, each troublemaker taking one side, giving each other winks and making hand signs, as though ying hide and seek.


    The atmosphere was great, and only Gao Tongtong who was following behind the Old Madame wasn¡¯t in a good mood.


    Due to the unrelenting rainy weather, the leaks in the roof hadn¡¯t been fixed. The two younger sisters behind her fooled around, taking turns to push each other. However, one couldn¡¯t stop in time and collided with Gao Tongtong.


    Gao Tongtong staggered two steps backward, and coincidentally, she had been standing right below the moon gate, not paying attention to the person walking behind her, and therefore crashed right into him.


    After regaining her bnce, she red angrily at the two girls, saying, ¡°How do both of you even walk?¡±


    Both of the two misses stood in fear, knowing that they had been in the wrong, and so not daring to reply.


    The Old Madame¡¯s maid came to check, and seeing that Gao Tongtong wasn¡¯t injured, then said to the person at the back, ¡°Many thanks to the young master to rescuing our young miss.¡±


    Xie Rong hade to pick his mother and younger sisters up. Yet, he had unexpectedly been knocked into. Shaking his head, he replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡±


    His voice sounded nice and pleasant, revealing a touch of sophistication. Gao Tongtong at this moment recalled that there was still someone around, and turned her head to thank him, ¡°Many thanks for...¡±


    Definitions and Exnations:


    The sentence that Xie Zhen recites is from the Analects. The Analects is a collection of the sayings of Confucius,piled by his disciples. Confucius, also known as ¿××Ó (kong zi), was a famous philosopher in Ancient China who believed in the pursuit of virtue. The Analects are made of 20 chapters.


    Moon gate Ô¶´ÃÅ: It is a circr opening in a garden wall that acts as a pedestrian passageway; a traditional architectural element in chinese gardens.


    Trantor¡¯sments:


    The plot is getting more interesting now, with Xie Rong finally joining the party!!!


    Update on Bern¡¯s Life: I got an Official Darth Vader plush and it is very cute. And expensive. But it¡¯s official star wars merch so whatever. Hoping I can get a Porg soon but thest time I went they were all sold out


    Chapter 5.2


    Even without finishing her sentence, she was attracted to the boy in front of her. Despite being only ten years old, Xie Rong was taller than most people his age, and his stature was as lean as bamboo. His facial features were all well-defined, and he was extraordinarily good-looking. When he grew older, he was sure to be the dream guy of many girls.


    Gao Tongtong immediately blushed, and she finished her sentence, saying, ¡± Many thanks, young master¡±.


    Just when Xie Rong was about to say that it was alright, Xie Zhen came forward excitedly, looked up and said, ¡°Big brother, why did youe? Did youe to see both Ah Xun and I?¡±


    Xie Rong bent down and rubbed her head, ¡°Father said you slept on the way here and was worried you would feel cold, so he got me to bring a set of clothes for you¡±.


    Saying this, he called on his servant, who brought along a cherry-coloured jacket embroidered with hibiscus flowers. It was Xie Zhen¡¯s favourite jacket, and it seemed that Xie Liqing had ordered the servants to return to Xie fu just to retrieve it.


    As Xie Rong helped her to put it on, she giggled and opened her arms to hug him, ¡°Brother I want a hug.¡±


    Xie Rongughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hug you when we return home.¡±


    The conversation between the two siblings gave Gao Tongtong a fright, and she widened her eyes in disbelief. He was actually Xie Zhen¡¯s big brother?


    This, this Xie Zhen¡¯s life was really too good...Appearance wise, she was already extremely pretty. But not only was she good-looking, but her brother was also outstanding.


    This made her even angrier, but still her gaze never wavered from Xie Rong.


    Even when returning Grandmother and her mother¡¯s thanks, he still looked incredibly handsome.


    *


    There was a total of seventy tables set up for the banquet, and it just so happened to be the same number as the Old Madame¡¯s age.


    For such a big celebration, if the courtyard wasn¡¯t big enough, then it would really be humiliating. Gao fu was a reputable household in Qing Zhou, so for the Old Madame¡¯s seventieth birthday celebration, they not only invited all of Qing Zhou¡¯s officials and merchants, but also reserved seventeen tables for themoners who lived nearby. It could be said that celebrating with the people would bless one with longevity.


    Leng shi brought her two daughters along with her to sit at the same table as the Old Madame, and as she¡¯d gotten familiar with some people at the pavilion as she didn¡¯t feel overly awkward sitting at the table. Song shi was also sitting on her left, so the pair could chat amicably.


    Xie Zhen popped out from behind Leng shi, exposing a pair of limpid eyes, ¡°Aunt Song, why didn¡¯t Big Brother Xiao Yue?¡±


    Even till then, she was still thinking of Li Yu.


    After two months, Song shipletely adored her, and couldn¡¯t stop herself from patting her head fondly, saying, ¡°Yu er came today. Right now he should be with Gao Xun. Why, did Little Lamb miss him?¡±


    Gao Xun was the Third Young Master of Gao fu, and was the Second Madame Xu shi¡®s seven year-old son.


    The Li¡¯s often visited Gao fu, and since Gao Xun and Li Yu were of simr ages, their rtionship was quite good.


    Even though Xie Zhen was so young, she wasn¡¯t that clueless, and asked, ¡°Why is Big Brother Xiao Yu always hiding from me? Does he hate me?¡±


    Song shi repeatedly denied this. Who could bear to hate such a beautiful child?


    ¡°Yu er just doesn¡¯t know you that well, why would he hate you?¡±


    Comforted, Xie Zhen¡¯s spirits quickly rose, and in the blink of an eye she forgot all her worries. She helped serve Xie Xun some food, as Xie Xun wasn¡¯t good at using chopsticks, but she loved to eat, and without Xie Zhen taking care of her she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything.


    As such, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t manage to eat too much, but Xie Xun, on the other hand, ate till she was full.


    Using a handkerchief to clean Xie Xun¡¯s lips, Leng shi said, ¡®Next time you aren¡¯t allowed to bother your sister again, after all she also needs to eat.¡±


    Xie Xun blinked innocently and obediently agreed.


    The little troublemaker clung onto Xie Zhen¡¯s hand and guiltily tugged her to her side, saying, ¡°Ah Niang, I want to bring Sis somewhere.¡±


    The banquet hadn¡¯t ended yet, and Leng shi still needed to stay behind to talk with the Old Madame. To put her heart at ease, she had Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan look after them. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, and remember toe back.¡±


    Agreeing, she and Xie Zhen ran far away in the blink of an eye.


    Walking along a narrow trail, they stopped in front of a moon gate, and Xie Zhen asked, confused, ¡°Where are you taking me to?¡±


    Xie Xun raised her head confidently, and proudly dered, ¡°Since Sis hasn¡¯t eaten much, I¡¯m bringing you to find some good food!¡±


    Just now when they were on the way to the outer courtyard, she¡¯d smelt the aroma of good food, and had also seen maidservants walking out one by one with tes of food, so she¡¯d assumed that that ce was the kitchen.


    While being tugged along by her, Xie Zhen said, ¡°Ah Niang will be angry if she finds out.¡±


    At this Xie Xun stopped, and to prevent her sister from refusing to go, immediately said, ¡°If we don¡¯t say anything, she won¡¯t know!¡±


    Behind them Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan were silent, wondering if they should pretend that they hadn¡¯t heard anything...


    After walking for a while, they realised Xie Xun had no sense of direction. The two small dumplings walked around in circles, and after fifteen minutes they had zero idea of where they were.


    Xie Xun pouted and cried out, ¡°But the scent was obviously here!¡±


    Afraid that she would actually cry, Xie Zhenforted her, ¡°We can still ask other people for directions, furthermore Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan are still here, so we can definitely find it.¡±


    The main reason why Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan had followed them, after all, was to prevent them from getting lost.


    Just as she said that, she heard someone ask from behind. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Xie Zhen turned around, only to see a young man wearing a sea blue jin paostanding next to the fake hill. Originally her expression had been quite serious, but after turning her head, she was stunned.


    The young man immediately forgot his anger, and stared straight at her.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes gleamed, and seeing Li Yu next to the man, happily cried out, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s expression immediately turned to stone, and he turned his head away.


    Trantors Comments:


    Gonna be watching TLJ again with my sis! I still ship Reylo really hard. Porgs are my favourite characters. Funko released this Porg Plush but it¡¯s sold out! And I am sad. If y¡¯all have watched The Last Jedi do y¡¯all ship Rey and Kylo or no. (My friend is still adamant that Kylo was lying about her parentage and that they¡¯re actually siblings and the whole thing is incest.)

 Chapter 6.1

    <h4>Chapter 6.1</h4>


    Gao Xun and Li Yu had paid their respects and said their congrattions earlier to the Old Madame, which was why they hadn¡¯t headed towards the outer courtyard, but were instead wandering around the inner courtyard¡£


    They had originally wanted to head to the study, but on their way there, they had caught sight of two girls who were like headless flies, going around in circles. Thinking they were thieves, Gao Xun hade forward to give them a lecture, but he hadn¡¯t expected to see one of the girls decked out so beautifully. When she turned her head, he felt as though the whole household had lit up.


    Her delicate tender cheeks looked just like white pear blossums, clear and bright.


    Suddenly, he thought of those fairies described in those mythological books, were they like her, so beautiful and refined?


    Spellbound, Gao Xun saw little fairy run towards him, full of smiles, looking charming and cute. Thinking that she wanted to speak to him, he nervously coughed and got himself ready. However, contrary to his expectations, she ran past him towards Li Yu at his side, and in her soft and pleasant voice, said, ¡°So this is where Big Brother Xiao Yu has been, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time!¡±


    Turning his head, Gao Xun saw Li Yu subconsciously taking a step back.


    Li Yu swallowed, and dryly asked, ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±


    Young master Li Yu¡¯s mood was not great at the moment. Despite constantly hiding and avoiding her, he was still found by her. Why was this stinky girl so persistent? She was everywhere.


    Speaking of this, Xie Zhen immediately felt depressed, her tone tinged with some exasperation. ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu neveres over to my household, and Aunt Song says you aren¡¯t feeling well, which is why I didn¡¯t go over to disturb you. Last time I sang you a song and you got angry, Shuang Yu said it¡¯s because you don¡¯t like listening to songs. Actually, I can also y the flute, do you like listening to the flute?¡±


    In actual fact, Li Yu hadn¡¯t been angry because of this. But, upon recalling his pitiful and awkward state, his previously ruddy face turned ashen, and he retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear.¡±


    Disappointed, Xie Zhen deted, and she asked, ¡°Why do you not want to listen? If you aren¡¯t even interested in hearing that, what on earth do you want to listen to?¡±


    Previously, she had misunderstood his gender, and had sincerely apologised to him for that, yet he continued to bear a grudge. She also had a temper!


    Xie Zhen pouted in anger, she had been doted on by both her parents since young, and had received much attention because of her outstanding looks, when had she ever been treated this way? Big Brother Xiao Yu really couldn¡¯t tell good from bad.


    Li Yu lied and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like anything¡±.


    How could one not like anything? Didn¡¯t that mean he had no hobbies at all!


    Xie Zhen said in total disbelief, ¡°Why don¡¯t I teach you how to y the flute? You will definitely enjoy it.¡±


    Defeated, Li Yu simply shook his head, rejecting her offer. ¡°There¡¯s no need...¡±


    When both of them spoke to each other, everyone else seemed to fade into the background. Gao Xun hung by the side with an embarrassed expression. He had wanted to speak with Xie Zhen, but could never find a good opportunity. If not for Xie Xuning forward, he would have probably been left standing for a while before Xie Zhen took notice of him.


    Xie Xun tugged on her sleeve, asking, ¡°Sis, are we not going to the kitchen anymore?¡±


    Xie Zhen then remembered her purpose ining here, and no longer held up Li Yu, but instead changed the topic asking, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, do you know where the kitchen is located?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t say a word, however beside him Gao Xun asked, ¡°Why are both of you looking for the kitchen?¡±


    Xie Zhen finally shifted her gaze on him, tilting her head, with a look of doubt, asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The little fairy was finally looking at him. Excited, Gao Xun¡¯s heart thumped hard, yet he appeared calm as usual on the outside. ¡°This is my house, I am Gao Xun¡±.


    Xie Zhen nodded her head and smiled, ¡°I am Ah Zhen¡±.


    Stupefied, Gao Xun enthusiastically repeated her name a few times. Perhaps it was because he appeared so silly that he attracted a strange look from Li Yu.


    After knowing the cause of the incident, Gao Xun didn¡¯t say anything more, and immediately got the servants to head to the kitchen to get several dishes and desserts to bring to his study.


    He was the eldest son of the Second Madame, and was greatly favoured by the Old Madame, even his study was an independent one. Outside the study was a couch, the floor was covered in a woolen rug, so one could sit on the floor. There were altogether four of them. As the host, Gao Xun naturally would sit at the head, with Li Yu and Xie Zhen at his left and right respectively, with Xie Xun seated besides Xie Zhen.


    As a result, it was unavoidable for Xie Zhen and Li Yu to sit facing each other.


    Seeing Xie Zhen wink at him, he immediately turned his head away.


    Most of the dishes on the table were the same as those in the banquet, Xie Xun was full, and this time she remembered Ah niang¡¯s words, and continued to pick out food for Xie Zhen.


    ¡°Big sis eat till you are full¡±.


    As she had just learnt how to use chopsticks, she was unable to hold them steadily most of the time. As a result, food spilled on the table quite a number of times.


    Depressed, Xie Xun said, ¡°Why do the chopsticks not listen to me?¡±


    Xie Zhen passed her own chopsticks to her, ¡°My chopsticks are very obedient, use mine.¡±


    The two sisters really went ahead and exchanged their chopsticks.


    Not knowing whether it was a psychological effect, Xie Xun found the chopsticks much easier to use, and didn¡¯t make any mistakes when she used them to pick food for Xie Zhen.


    Gao Xun was stunned, and wondered whether she was really a little fairy who could use magic?


    He and Li Yu hadn¡¯t had lunch, and had originally nned to head to the study to grab some books before returning to eat, but they had unexpectedly chanced upon these two, and so, they all ended up eating together in the study.


    From the very beginning, Xie Zhen had only been about sixty to seventy percent full so after having a few mouthfuls, she put down her chopsticks and said, ¡°I have to bring Ah Xun back, Ah Niang will be worried if she doesn¡¯t see us¡±.


    After thanking Gao Xun, she held Xie Xun¡¯s hand, ready to head off.


    Gao Xun stood up at once, blushing and with a tinge of reluctance said: ¡± I, I can send both of you back... Weren¡¯t you both lost earlier?¡±


    Recalling the earlier scene, Xie Zhen gratefully nodded her head.


    As Gao Xun wanted to see them off, Li Yu obviously could not continue eating alone and could only follow along, walking slowly behind them. However, Xie Zhen had set her sights on him, and asionally turned back to say a few words to him, causing Gao Xun to feel envious.


    Trantor Comments:


    I¡¯m gonna re-watch TLJ tomorrow! Yes I am excited. :))


    We¡¯re in the midst of figuring out a regr fixed schedule so we¡¯ll keep you guys updated!


    Chapter 6.2


    If only that was all. Worse still, Li Yu continuously ignored her.


    In order to attract Xie Zhen¡¯s attention, Gao Xun even resorted to telling the stories the steward had spoken about, and tried his utmost to make Xie Zhen happy. However, as Xie Zhen hade from the capital, there was no story that she had not heard of and so, she quickly got impatient, ¡°All these stories you are telling me I have heard before, do you have any I have not heard yet?¡±


    Hurt, Gao Xun gritted his teeth and started recounting his antics and embarrassing moments as a child.


    The gist of his recount was that when he had been chased by a big dog for half the street, he was so frightened that he peed in his pants.


    Xie Zhen guffawed, and her bright eyes twinkled like crescent moons. Herugh was pleasant to the ears, crisp and clear.


    Afterughing enough, she curiously asked, ¡°How could you wet your pants when you were already so old?¡±


    Gao Xun rubbed his nose, saying, ¡°I was only four then...¡±


    However, she replied: ¡°That¡¯s not young anymore, Ah Xun doesn¡¯t even wet her pants now!¡±


    At the back, upon hearing this, Li Yu¡¯s expression darkened, and it was only with much control that he managed to withhold himself from simply walking away.


    Once they returned to the outer courtyard, the banquet had ended and Leng shiand Song shi had remained behind, most likely to wait for their children to return.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun swarmed towards her, each holding her thigh saying, ¡°Ah Niang, we¡¯re back!¡±


    Leng shi sighed in relief, rubbing their heads, raised her head and towards Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan, and asked, ¡°Where did all of you go? Why did it take so long?¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan then recounted the entire incident of how they had gotten lost, including meeting both Gao Xun and Li Yu along the way, and having a meal together.


    On the other side, Li Yu was already in Song shi¡¯s hands, and upon seeing his ugly expression, asked him what had happened.


    Li Yu refused to answer.


    Leng shi gave her thanks to Gao Xun, who shook his head, saying, ¡°Everyone who enters is a guest. Since Ah Zhen and Ah Xun came to my household, I must of course take good care of them.¡±


    Leng shi had a good impression of him and couldn¡¯t help but say a few more words to him.


    To be honest, Gao Xun had a very likeable personality, not only was he obedient, but he also had a sweet mouth; furthermore, he was courteous and polite. Even Leng shi was full of praises for him, so it was easy to tell that many elders looked upon him favourably.


    As the crowd dissipated, the majority of the guests left. Xie Liqing had already prepared the carriage at one side, and had ordered some servants to fetch his wife and children.


    As both Xie and Li households were situated close to each other, after some discussion, it was decided for both households to return together.


    Before leaving, Gao Xun called Li Yu to the side, and both of them spoke in hushed voices. Upon returning, Li Yu¡¯s expression remained the same as he walked towards Song shi and prepared to go up the carriage.


    Before he could get on, Song shi quickly asked: ¡°Yu er, where are you going?¡±


    Puzzled, Li Yu asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this our carriage?¡±


    There was no doubt that it was their carriage, however, Song shi didn¡¯t intend to take their carriage, but rather, went ahead and joined Xie household¡¯s carriage. It was just as well that she wanted to speak to Leng shi, and the carriage wasrge enough to fit. Unwilling to leave Li Yu alone, Song shi called him to join them.


    Li Yu was s unwilling to, and pointed to their carriage saying, ¡°Ah Niang, go ahead without me, I am alright with sitting in this one.¡±


    In response, Song shi said, ¡°But that carriage has been left for the maidservants.¡±


    Unwilling to give up, he then decided to ride the horse with Li Xiqing. However, his father and Xie Liqing had ridden away long ago. Left with no other option, Li Yu could only sit in the Xie household¡¯s carraige.


    Inside the carriage, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun had already taken their seats.


    Both of them were tired; Xie Xunid within Leng shi¡¯s embrace to sleep while Xie Zhen rested against the sides. It was most likely due to the disturbance that Xie Zhen awoke, she rubbed her eyes and with them half-opened, watched Li Yu, softly saying, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu¡±, before going back to sleep.


    Throughout the entire journey, she slept the whole way through and didn¡¯t disturb him at all.


    Song shi and Leng shi were conversing about what the other madames had been talking about that day, about their children and the numerous events of that day. Li Yu wasn¡¯t interested and so turned his head, catching Xie Zhen soundly asleep.


    She was much cuter when was sleeping aspared to when she was awake.


    Gao Xun called her a little fairy, but why didn¡¯t he feel that way at all? Besides having a fairerplexion, and being slightly better-looking than most, she bore no resemnce to a little fairy at all.


    As he looked, Li Yu realised that she was actually quite fair-skinned. He suddenly thought of the green onion tofu dish he had eaten the day before, and wondered if her face was really as tender as that tofu. Unable to restrain himself, he lifted his hand, but halfway, he fiercely put it back down.


    Was he insane? What if she woke up?


    Li Yu sighed in relief, luckily he hadn¡¯t been impulsive. Along the way, he asionally took nces at her face, and before long, they had reached the entrances of their respective households.


    Once they had disembarked, Song shi whispered into his ear, ¡± Yu er, why did you keep staring at littlemb?¡±


    With a straight face, Li Yu replied, saying, ¡°The carriage was too small, I wasn¡¯t looking at her on purpose.¡±


    Smiling, Song shi knocked his head, he had obviously been stealing nces at her, but still stubbornly denied it.


    Upon reaching the entrance, Xie Zhen woke up, and drowsily followed Leng shi out of the carriage. Once she saw Li Yu opposite her, she immediately sobered up and greeted him with a smile.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t respond but Song shi enthusiastically said, ¡°Littlemb,e by our household in the future to y.¡±


    She nodded her head, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After that, she followed behind Leng shi, but before even taking two steps, she turned around. Seeing Li Yu was still there, she smiled happily and stuck out her tongue at him cheekily.


    Li Yu¡¯s pulled a face before turning around to leave.


    Trantor Comments:


    To say thanks to our very first donation, we decided to post one bonus chapter today even though we haven¡¯t hit $20!


    Currently, our schedule is such that we only post on Friday and Saturday, but if we have some extra free time during weekdays we¡¯ll trante one more chapter as well! Thanks for all your support!

 Chapter 7: Accident

    <h4>Chapter 7: ident</h4>


    In a blink of an eye, it was already the mid-autumn, and the weather had grown increasingly colder day by day.


    A few days ago, the people from Gao fu hade over to visit Xie fu. Upon their arrival, Leng shi went to wee them at the main hall. As they had arrived early, seeing that Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were still asleep, Leng shi did not wake them up.


    By the time Xie Zhen had woken up, she was already alone in her wing.


    Changing into a high-coredce cape embroidered with peonies, she went about her usual routine,bing her hair into a neat bun, and cing a few strings of beads and silk flowers in the bun. They moved from side to side as she walked, and made her seem active and cute. She walked around for a while but didn¡¯t find Xie Xun, and only after finding a maid did she then realise that she was with Leng shi in the main hall.


    ¡°Ah Xun, what are you doing?¡± She ran into the hall with a suspicious look on her face.


    Xie Xun stood on the rose wood drum stool. Facing the mirror decorated with four birds circling a flower branch, the small dumpling shook her head, saying, ¡°Big sise see, am I pretty or not like this?¡±


    Going closer to look, Xie Zhen then found that she was wearing Leng shi¡¯s jade cicada hairpin.


    Forcing herself not tough, Xie Zhen looked around, and Xie Xun suddenly thought of changing her hairstyle into a spiral bun. She had a hairpin in her bun and her face was still immature, yet she seemed to be pretending to be a grown-up, so she was both funny and cute to look at. All young girls fantasised of being grown-ups, and little Xie Xun was no exception.


    Xie Zhen, in a serious voice,mented, ¡°Really pretty, almost as though you¡¯re wless.¡±


    Xie Xun repeatedly asked, ¡°What ws?¡±


    She climbed down from the stool, and swayed over to Xie Zhen, intently gazing at her.


    In a sh, Xie Zhen thought of an exnation, and pointed to the makeup on the dressing table. ¡°Ah Niang always puts some rogue and powder on, why don¡¯t you try putting some on?¡±


    pping her hands, Xie Xun agreed, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Quietening down, the two troublemakers sneakily looked around, both thinking the same thing. Xie Zhen said, ¡°Ah Niang is at the main hall right now, we mustn¡¯t let her know.¡±


    Xie Xun nodded, and pursed her lips. ¡°Both of us are not allowed to tell her.¡±


    The two small dumplings were in agreement, and surrounded Leng shi¡®sdressing table. The movement in the room actually couldn¡¯t be concealed from the maidservants outside; the two were too naive, actually assuming that no one would know what they were doing. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan looked at each other helplessly, but s, could only await Leng shi¡¯s return.


    Xie Zhen opened the lotuscquered purple box, which contained a bright red piece of rogue. Picking up a piece, she started to draw on Xie Xun¡¯s face, telling her, ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t move.¡±


    Xie Xun obediently stayed still.


    After she finished drawing on the rogue, Xie Zhen opened another box. Inside were some finely-ground powder, and remembering how Ah Niang¡¯s face always became whiter after patting it on, she then took a handful of it and spread it on her sister¡¯s face. After that she drew on her eyebrows, put on lipstick... After she finished Xie Xun¡¯s big makeover, Xie Zhen pped her hands, saying, ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±


    Xie Xun excitedly looked into the mirror, but with just a nce she was shocked silly by the strange creature looking back at her, loudly crying out, ¡°Ugly!¡±


    The two sisters had inherited their mother¡¯s skin colour, and originally were already quite pale. After Xie Zhen had spread so much powder, Xie Xun became so much whiter that she looked as pale as paper. In particr, as her cheeks and lips were bright red, coupled with the fact that her eyebrows had been drawn till they were stark ck, it almost seemed as though a female ghost had appeared in the world of the living!


    Understandably, Xie Xun felt sad and started crying. Afraid that her sister would make her look like that again, she decided never to return to the dressing table.


    Xie Zhen also thought that she didn¡¯t look that good, and guiltily said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you draw on me too?¡±


    Whining as she jumped down from the stool, she wouldn¡¯t agree despite whatever Xie Zhen said. ¡°What if I make Big Sis be as ugly as I am?¡±


    Upon saying this, she cried even harder.


    Hurriedlyforting her, Xie Zhen said, ¡°Ah Xun doesn¡¯t look ugly, Ah Xun¡¯s actually very pretty! No one is prettier than Ah Xun!¡±


    Hearing the disturbance in the room, the maidservants rushed inside. The moment Shuang Yu caught sight of the mess they¡¯d made of Xie Xun¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help butugh and ask, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Mumbling, Xie Xun replied, ¡°Big Sister Shuang Yuughed at me, Big Sis is definitely lying...¡±


    Xie Zhen immediately pushed the maidservants out, thinking of ways to deal with the situation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, I just need to say something to Xie Xun, both of you hurry up and leave...¡±


    The two worriedly looked back and said, ¡°But...¡±


    Without even finishing their sentences, they were pushed out of the room by Xie Zhen. They were too afraid to retaliate and identally injure the precious little descendant, so they stood outside, unblinkingly staring at the big gates in front.


    On the other side of the doors, Xie Zhen ran into the inner room, asking, ¡°Xie Xun? Xie Xun?¡±


    At that moment, Xie Xun was standing on a wooden stool, nkly staring at the ground.


    She originally wanted to wash her face, but the copper basin was too high up, and she couldn¡¯t reach it no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she had identally struck her head against the stool, and the jade cicada hairpin had been knocked loose.


    The jade hairpin had fallen to the ground and broke into two pieces.


    Xie Zhen arrived in front of her, and followed her gaze to the ground. Immediately, she was stunned, and gaped widely.


    Xie Xun was so scared that she actually couldn¡¯t recall how to cry, and looked at her helplessly. ¡°Big sis, what should we do...I identally broke the hairpin...¡±


    That had been Ah Niang¡¯s favourite hairpin; she would definitely scold her! Just thinking of Ah Niang sternly teaching her a lesson frightened her till she shrunk slightly, andrge tears came rolling down her cheeks. She cried like she normally would, making herself look pitiful and lovely, but with the strange makeup on her face, her tears smudged he rogue, making her look both embarrassing and ridiculous.


    Xie Zhen was older than her, and so quickly calmed down. Going over to the drum stool, she took a towel from the shelf above it, wet it, and then used it to wash her sister¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, let me think of a solution.¡±


    Saying this, she bent down a little to wipe her face clean, and Xie Xun didn¡¯t dare to move at all, staying still the whole time. She blinked at her sister, face full of hope.


    After Xie Zhen finished wiping the makeup off, she picked up the two broken pieces of the jade hairpin and thought hard for a while.


    What should she do? Ah Niang woulde back soon, and if she saw this scene right after returning, she would definitely get angry.


    Why not they throw it away? If Ah Niang couldn¡¯t find it, then it would just be a matter of time before she forgot about it entirely.


    But what if Ah Niang found out...In the end, she didn¡¯t dare to throw it away.


    After all, she was just a small child. In the eyes of young children, their parents¡¯ things were all strange and mystical.


    Just as she was stuck in a dilemma, Shuang Yu called out from outside. ¡°Second young miss, third young miss, the Madame has called both of you to go to the main hall to wee the guests.¡± Saying this, she opened the door and entered.


    At that moment, Xie Xun was anxiously pacing around, asking, ¡°Big sis, what should we do? Will Ah Niang beat me?¡±


    Chapter 7.2: ident (2)


    In a panic, Xie Zhen wrapped the two broken pieces in a silk shirt, clutching it to her chest, and sneaked out of the room.


    She said, ¡°That won¡¯t happen, after all, there¡¯s still me!¡±


    As they had locked the door, Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan couldn¡¯t go inside. When the two little girls finally came out, they both sighed in relief. Although the maidservants were curious about what they¡¯d been doing in the room, they didn¡¯t have time to ask, as they had to hurry them over to the main hall.


    *


    Apart from Old Madame Gao and a few other Madames, Gao Xun and Gao Tongtong, along with several other children, were all present in the main hall.


    Gao Tongtong had specially dressed up for the asion. She was wearing a set of new clothes that were especially bright, and she¡¯d also patted a thinyer of powder on her face. As she was only eight years old, even though she looked pretty, her appearance still didn¡¯t suit her age.


    Her hair wasbed into a different hairstyle, and she¡¯d pinned a jade cicada hairpin in it. The hairpin was actually quite simr to Leng shi¡¯s own one.


    The moment Xie Zhen and Xie Xun entered the room, the first thing they noticed was the hairpin on her head.


    Leng shi had them separately greet a few elders, before saying, ¡°Ah Zhen, Ah Xun, why don¡¯t you bring these big brothers and sisters over to the Inner Courtyard to y?¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Zhen nodded, and lead the group of children outside.


    On the way there, Xie Xun constantly looked over to the hairpin that Gao Tongtong was wearing, her face full of curiosity. Gao Tongtong assumed that it was because Xie Xun found her to be very pretty after dressing up, and couldn¡¯t help but raise her head higher.


    Xie Zhen also wanted to take a look but was unfortunately stuck with Gao Xun who endlessly chattered on, so she couldn¡¯t turn around at all.


    Seeing her look of delight, Gao Xun asked, ¡°Ah Zhen, where are you taking us to?¡±


    Pointing towards the front, Xie Zhen said, ¡°There¡¯s a small courtyard over there, and inside there¡¯s a pond and a swing. There¡¯s also Big Qiansui and Small Qiansui that Ah Xun and I are rearing; I¡¯ll bring all of you over there to look at them!¡±


    The courtyard was called Spring Flower Dock, and it was specially prepared by Xie Liqing for his two daughters. It was a small garden belonging to the pair, so they could decorate it however they wanted to, and could also rear whatever they felt like rearing. No matter what they did to the garden, Xie Liqing and Leng shi both didn¡¯t care too much. Xie Zhen brought the children over, and they saw that there was actually a small pond, and inside the pond, there were about a dozen carps, along with one big and one small turtle, Big Qiansui and Small Qiansui.


    There was a bridge leading across the pond, and at the other end were some fake mountains. At the foot of these, there were many flowers and lush grass growing. This was Xie Zhen and Xie Xun¡¯s masterpiece. Unfortunately, it was already autumn, and most of the flowers had withered due to the cold, leaving behind a couple of chrysanthemums.


    On the other side of the courtyard were two swing sets. One of them was Xie Zhen¡¯s, and the other Xie Xun¡¯s. Oftentimes the two little troublemakers would swing on these andpete to swing higher than the other, and theirughter could be heard from afar.


    The two younger children, Second and Third Madame Gao¡¯s respectively, immediately ran over to the swing sets, each of them taking up one, and started to swing.


    Xie Zhen pretended to be calm about it and didn¡¯t stop them, but normally she didn¡¯t let anyone touch the swings.


    Gao Xun and her squatted beside the pond, and she hesitated for a while before asked, ¡°Do you know...¡±


    She was mumbling and stuttering, seeming to be quite embarrassed. Anticipating her question, Gao Xun seemed to be anxious for as long as half a day before she finally asked, ¡°Do you know where Gao Tongtong bought her hairpin from?¡±


    Gao Xun asked, ¡°You like that one?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she liked it, but it was just that if she knew where to buy it, then she could find a simr one and bring it back. As long as she ced it on Ah Niang¡¯s dressing table, she wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing.


    Despite this, she couldn¡¯t tell him the truth, and could only heavily nod her head. ¡°I think it looks pretty good.¡±


    Gao Xun thought that his chance had finally arrived, and hurriedly said to the little fairy, ¡°I gave that hairpin to Big Sis for her eighth birthday, so of course I know where to buy it from! If you like it, then I¡¯ll buy one for you tomorrow!¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up, and they sparkled as she asked, ¡°Really? Can you bring me there? I want to look around!¡±


    Gao Xun¡¯s eyes were even brighter than hers as he answered, ¡°Of course, of course!¡±


    Having removed therge burden in her heart, Xie Zhen was full of smiles, and sincerely said, ¡°Thank you! You¡¯re truly a good person!¡±


    Gao Xun¡¯s heart immediately exploded with happiness, and he felt that she was shining so bright that it made him dizzy.


    It was just that he had forgotten, the next day was actually the Mid-autumn festival, and he¡¯d already made ns to go out with Li Yu...Ah, never mind, he could just go with both of them.


    *


    At that time, Xie Xun was still tirelessly following after Gao Tongtong.


    Gao Tongtong was a little annoyed, so she asked, ¡°Why do you keep on following me?¡±


    Xie Xun was shorter than her by a head, so she craned her neck to look at the hairpin, and step by step she followed after her. ¡°Can, can you let me see your hairpin?¡±


    The longer she looked at it the more it looked like Ah Niang¡¯s hairpin, so she wanted to know if Gao Tongtong could give it to her. If they ced it back on Ah Niang¡¯s dressing table, would Ah Niang find out?


    Gao Tongtong had zero interest in the courtyard. She¡¯d dressed up so well just for Xie Rong...but after going round and round, she still hadn¡¯t caught a glimpse of him, and due to her disappointment she was a little impatient.


    Gao Tongtong replied, ¡°No way, don¡¯t follow me anymore.¡±


    Xie Xun widened her footsteps as she ran after Gao Tongtong, and in a businesslike tone said, ¡°I just want to get a glimpse of it...Just a glimpse!¡± Saying this she pointed one pudgy finger up to show that she just wanted one look at it.


    Still, Gao Tongtong waspletely unaffected by her pleas and arrogantly said, ¡°Even one glimpse is not allowed. I really like this hairpin, what if you identally break it?¡±


    Xie Xun rushed to deny this, ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    Again and again she continued to pester Gao Tongtong, and reached out to grab her sleeve, softly pleading, ¡°Big Sister Gao Tong...¡±


    That was Gao Tongtong¡¯s newest set of clothes, so how could she bear to just let Xie Xun grab it like that? At that time she was quite annoyed, and pushed her away, saying, ¡°If I say that you cannot then you cannot!¡±


    Xie Xun lost her bnce and was pushed quite far away.


    It almost seemed like she would crash into the fake mountain. the fake mountain was quite rough and full of rocks, if she crashed into it, she would probably get injured and start bleeding. From afar Xie Zhen saw this scene, and she anxiously ran over, yelling, ¡°Xie Xun!¡±


    When she was rushing over, Xie Xun was already in a familiar embrace.


    Raising her head, she saw her big brother Xie Rong.


    Xie Xun was was slightly aggrieved, and pursed her lips wanting to cry, ¡°Big brother...¡±


    Xie Rong tightly held her and patted her head before turning to look at Gao Tongtong. His expression was stern, and he frowned. Even at a young age, he looked incredibly imposing.


    Even without saying anything, he already made people feel quite pressured.


    Definitions:


    Qiansui: ǧËê means one thousand years old, which is a reference to the long lives of turtles.


    The hairstyle that Gao Tongtong is sporting looks like this:


    Fake Mountain: Basically some rocks stacked together artfully.


    Mid-Autumn Festival:


    An important festival to the Chinese,the festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar when there is a full moon, which is aboutte September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. Most people celebrate with their family and friends by eating mooncakes, carrying and releasing brightly litnterns and watching lion dances. Some people also burn incense to moon deities like Chang E¡¯, who is a famous chinese characeter who some believe to be living on the moon.


    There are also many shops selling sweets and some people also set off fireworks on the streets, which is why Gao Xun nned to go out with Li Yu.

 Chapter 8.1: Mid-Autumn Festival (1)

    <h4>Chapter 8.1: Mid-Autumn Festival (1)</h4>


    In a sh, Xie Zhen had run over, and fussed over Xie Zhen. Thankfully her little sister hadn¡¯t actually gotten injured, otherwise she would have immediately burst into tears.


    She turned her head, and her dark round eyes red at Gao Tongtong angrily.


    Gao Tongtong guiltily looked back at her, before her eyes turned to Xie Rong, and not knowing where to put her hands, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose...¡±


    Xie Rong expressionlessly asked, ¡°What exactly did Xie Xun do wrong to provoke Second Miss Gao¡¯s displeasure?¡±


    If he hadn¡¯te at that exact moment, Xie Xun would have struck the fake mountain. She was only three years old, if something had happened to her, how would he exin it to his parents? Only such a poisonous and cruel person would actually harm such a small child.


    Gao Tongtong had finally found him after so long, yet she¡¯d never thought that they would meet like that.


    As she was already eight years-old, she already knew quite a bit.


    She started to regret her earlier actions; if she¡¯d known that he wasing earlier, she would¡¯ve been nicer to Xie Xun...Afraid that her standing would drop in his eyes, she immediately started making excuses, saying, ¡°She wanted to see my hairpin, but this was the birthday present that Gao Xun gave to me. I was afraid that she would break it, so I didn¡¯t let her see...Later on she wanted to snatch it away, so I identally pushed her...¡±


    Although Xie Xun was still crying, her ears were still sensitive, and hearing this she immediately raised her head, saying, ¡°Big brother I didn¡¯t snatch it, I didn¡¯t...¡±


    Xie Rong looked to her, and used his hand to gently wipe away her tears, asking, ¡°You wanted her hairpin?¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s face was full of tears and snot as she nodded, face full of grievances.


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t mean to me her one bit, and gently patted her little bun, saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, tomorrow Big Brother will get a prettier one for you. Ah Xun already is pretty, so you should have an even prettier hairpin.¡±


    The underlying meaning of his words was that Gao Tongtong¡¯s hairpin didn¡¯t look good enough.


    Gao Tongtong flushed, his words were even more humiliating than a direct admonishment. She immediately felt embarrassed, before she¡¯d dressed up so well, yet he hadn¡¯t even taken a second nce at her.


    After he¡¯dforted Xie Xun, Xie Rong looked at her again, his expression returning to his usual peaceful one. ¡°This is Xie fu, and this is Ah Xun¡¯s house, since Second Miss Gao came as a guest, you should follow proper etiquette. If you don¡¯t know this, then you shouldn¡¯te next time.¡±


    Despite his young age, Xie Rong was extremely protective of his younger sisters. They were his two baby sisters, if any short-sighted person bullied them, then he wouldn¡¯t be polite.


    Gao Tongtong was a prime example of this. She¡¯d been excessively spoiled by her family, and there¡¯d been numerous people who fell at her feet. After being scolded so harshly, her anger and humiliation lead to her spitting out one sentence. ¡°What¡¯s so good abouting, if I can¡¯te then I won¡¯te!¡±


    Saying this she tossed her head back and ran out of the courtyard.


    From afar the two children ying on the swings saw their sister running, and didn¡¯t think much about it, continuing to y.


    Having witnessed the entire scene y out, Gao Xun apologised on behalf of his sister, saying, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, when I go back home I¡¯ll report this to my family elders so that they can talk to her.¡±


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t reply, and carried Xie Xun outside. As he turned around he said to Xie Zhen, ¡°I¡¯ll bring Xie Xun home first, Little Lamb, you should also be careful not to hurt yourself.¡±


    His words not only cautioned her but also warned Gao Xun.


    Nodding her head, Xie Zhen sent her siblings out.


    Having experienced that, Xie Zhen and Gao Xun both didn¡¯t feel like ying anymore, and the two sat beside the pond mncholy.


    Reaching her hand out, Xie Xun prodded Big Qiansui¡¯s head, and it immediately retreated back into its shell.


    Gao Xun asked her, ¡°Why exactly did Ah Xun insist on looking at Big Sister¡¯s hairpin?¡±


    Xie Zhen stiffened, and looked around like a thief. Seeing that nobody was close by, she then quietly said, ¡°You cannot tell anyone else about this.¡±


    Did she want to share a secret with him? Having received this unexpected favour, Gao Xun was stunned as he replied, ¡°Of course!¡±


    As such Xie Zhen leaned close to his ear, and quietly told him the whole truth, before guiltily looking down. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to buy another one for Ah Niang.¡±


    Gao Xun showed an expression of realisation, no wonder the two were so focused on Gao Tongtong¡¯s hairpin...


    Patting his chest like a man, he assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find the exact same one for you!¡±


    Xie Zhenughed at this, making Gao Xun so delighted he felt as though he was floating.


    *


    After giving the Gao family her farewells, Leng shi returned to the room, and with just a glimpse she could tell that someone had touched her dressing table.


    Calling Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan over, she then realised that it was some strange n concocted by the two troublemakers Xie Zhen and Xie Xun. Originally she wanted to call them over and ask what had happened, but the pair of them were extremely secretive, as though they were afraid of others finding out what they¡¯d done, and it seemed as though the words ¡°I¡¯ve done something wrong¡± were written all over their faces.


    Looking at the two reluctant troublemakers in front of her, Leng shi already had a premonition in her heart, and she changed her attitude. ¡°I heard today Ah Xun was treated unfairly?¡±


    Xie Xun used that opportunity toin. ¡°Ah Niang, Big Sister Gao Tong pushed me...¡±


    Leng shi patted her head gently and asked, ¡°Why did she push you?¡±


    Xie Xun shyly replied, ¡°Because I wanted to take a closer look at her hairpin...¡±


    Leng shi lifted her up onto her thighs, and earnestly admonished her, ¡°Next time if you want something, Ah Niang will get it for you. You don¡¯t need to envy other people, alright? You also can¡¯t recklessly take other peoples¡¯ things, let today¡¯s events be a lesson for you, so that next time you¡¯ll remember not to do this again.¡¯


    The two troublemakers obediently nodded their heads.


    Leng shi was not poor, in terms of clothing and good food, she had never scrimped with regards to her two daughters. Even then the household was also quite well-off, and coupled with Leng shi¡¯s habit of spoiling her two daughters, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that her two daughters had been brought up to look pretty and put together.


    Although she was admonishing them, internally Leng shi was thinking of something else. Since the second young miss of the Gao family was difficult to get along with, she should let her two daughters interact with her less in the future.


    Seeing that their mother wasn¡¯t angry, and didn¡¯t look as though she¡¯d found out about her missing hairpin, Xie Zhen hesitated a little before saying, ¡°Ah Niang, tomorrow I want to go out with Gao Xun, is that alright?¡±


    Leng shi didn¡¯t even have to think about it before she replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Xie Zhen let out a disappointed noise, and clinging to her mother¡¯s thigh she raised her round face to look at her. ¡°Why not? Why, why?¡±


    She looked very adorable, and Leng shi gently pinched her nose before saying, ¡°Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so of course you have to stay at home and celebrate.¡±


    The Mid-Autumn Festival was a day to celebrate together, so they should eat mooncakes as a family. Why should she go out to the streets and celebrate? Leng shi disapproved.


    Xie Zhen had already made ns to meet up with Gao Xun, and she couldn¡¯t fail at this point, so she tried and tried until tears finally appeared in her eyes, and she used everything she had to convince her mother. ¡°I¡¯ll only go out for a while; I¡¯ll definitely be able to return before dinner...Ah Niang, please just let me go this once, why don¡¯t you let me out for a while? I swear I¡¯ll be good from now on!¡±


    Leng shi almost relented, but she caught herself and harshly rejected her.


    Just as Xie Zhen was close to giving up, Xie Liqing returned and said he would bring XIe Rong out the next day. As the weather was getting colder, it was a good time to give the children some more winter clothes. Xie Zhen immediately saw the thin strand of opportunity and clung onto it, pestering Xie Liqing to let her go along.


    Xie Liqing was soft-hearted, and she only needed to try for a while before he agreed.


    Xie Zhen happily hugged his thigh, saying, ¡°Daddy¡¯s so nice, Daddy¡¯s nicer than Ah Niang!¡±


    Leng shi could only watch on helplessly.


    *


    On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xie Zhen woke up especially early.


    The night before it had rained, and it was colder than normal, so she found an embroidered jacket to put on, and paired it with a green skirt. Once Shuang Yu helped her wash up andb her hair, she happily bounced towards the main hall. Before going in, she suddenly heard Gao Xun¡¯s voiceing from inside.


    Gao Xun had actually woken up even earlier than her, and had constantly been thinking of their meeting today, so even before dawn he¡¯d already run over to Xie fu.


    ¡°I brought seven to eight servants, they¡¯ll definitely be able to protect Xie Zhen,¡± He said to Xie Liqing and Xie Rong.


    Xie Rong was silent for a moment, before unhesitatingly rejecting him, ¡°No way.¡±


    No matter the number of people he brought over, he was so small and skinny, if something happened how would he be able to protect his little sister?


    Unable to convince Xie Rong, Gao Xun turned over to Xie Liqing, pleading, ¡°Uncle Xie, please believe me...¡±


    Xie Liqing snorted a little, he had simr thoughts to his son, and likewise wasn¡¯t too agreeable. ¡°It so happens that both of us are also going out, if you don¡¯t mind, we can go with both of you?¡±


    Gao Xun was quite disappointed; he¡¯d assumed that he would be able to go alone with Xie Zhen that day. He already had to bring Li Yu along, but now her father and brother wanted to apany them? He deliberated over it for a while before saying, ¡°Where does Uncle Xie want to go? I¡¯ll set a time to meet all of you there. I promised Xie Zhen to buy some hairpins for her.¡±


    Xie Liqing then informed him of their ns for the day, and only after that did he leave.


    Seeing Gao Xun leaving, Xie Zhen entered the main hall, asking, ¡°Daddy, why did Gao Xun leave?¡±


    Xie Liqingughed as he carried her, saying, ¡°Young Master Gao wanted to bring you out, but Daddy rejected him. He said that he wanted to bring you to buy some hairpins, Little Lamb, you want some more hairpins?¡±


    That rascal Gao Xun, how could he just blurt everything out?


    Xie Zhen was angry, but at the same time, afraid that she would be found out, she lied a little, ¡°Ah Xun liked Gao Tongtong¡¯s hairpin, so I wanted to buy it and give it to her.¡±


    Her lie was quite good, and Xie Liqing didn¡¯t ask any further questions as he led Xie Rong and her out of the house.


    The Gao family¡¯s carriage had stopped right outside Li fu, and Gao Xun stared unblinkingly as she went out with her father and brother. She¡¯d even waved at him!


    Gao Xun kicked a little at the ground, wondering why Li Yu hadn¡¯te out yet...If he still didn¡¯te, then he would follow Xie Zhen!


    *


    The Mid-Autumn Festival was a popr one, and the streets were incredibly busy. People wereing and going, and many were yelling loudly. The wide variety of dazzling shops made one unable to look away.


    Xie Zhen followed her father to the tailor, and also helped pick four nice fabrics that he mother liked. For her sister and herself, she picked out two pieces. Despite her young age, her choices were very unique and good, and the colours she¡¯d picked out were endlessly praised by the shopkeepers.


    Xie Liqing then brought the two siblings to a nearby bookstore to buy some books, and in the blink of an eye, two hours had passed.


    The three were at a teashop drinking and chatting when a servant from the Gao family came over and said, ¡°This Lord, my family¡¯s Young Master is already waiting for you downstairs. Could the Second Misse down for a while?¡±


    Xie Liqing was still quite worried, but he couldn¡¯t outright reject him as he was afraid he would identally upset the children, so he carried Xie Zhen and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go down as well.¡±


    Downstairs, Gao Xun had the driver stop the carriage by the road.


    Inside the carriage, Li Yu was confused as he asked, ¡°Why are we stopping here?¡±


    Gao Xunughed mysteriously and said, ¡°We¡¯re waiting for someone.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mind it too much, and instead raised the curtains to look outside, and coincidentally saw Xie Liqing carrying Xie Zhen to walk down.


    The warm and gentle sunlight shone on Xie Zhen¡¯s tender face, and she was smiling happily, looking both adorable and evil at the same time.


    Trantor¡¯s Comments:


    One uber-long chapter! This chapter wasn¡¯t split into two parts as I had a little more time today. We greatly appreciate all your support! I¡¯m honestly dreading all the start-of-year briefings and club day.

 Chapter 9.1: Awkwardness (1)

    <h4>Chapter 9.1: Awkwardness (1)</h4>


    How could it be that smelly girl again?


    Li Yu hurriedly drew the curtains and asked Gao Xun, ¡°The one you¡¯re waiting for; is it her?¡±


    Gao Xun hadn¡¯t realised that he didn¡¯t have a good impression of Xie Zhen, so he excitedly nodded his head, saying, ¡°She only agreed to meet up with me yesterday, and I forgot to tell you. You aren¡¯t angry, right?¡±


    How could he not be angry? He was incredibly so!


    Li Yu made a face, and rose up to leave. ¡°Both of you can y together, I¡¯d rather go home.¡±


    Unfortunately he¡¯d only taken two steps before being dragged back by Gao Xun. ¡°Why¡¯re you going back now? I promised Uncle and Auntie that I¡¯d take good care of you today; what if something happens to you when I¡¯m not around?¡±


    Before, Li Yu¡¯s parents had refused to let him go out with Gao Xun. After all, they were both stubborn and naughty, if a problem arose how could they deal with it themselves? It was only because of the Mid-Summer Festival, coupled with the many servants that Gao Xun brought along, that the two had reluctantly agreed to let them go out together.


    Furthermore, there was only one carriage, so how would he get back home? What if he was kidnapped on the way home?


    Being forcibly restrained by Gao Xun, no matter how much Li Yu wanted to leave, he couldn¡¯t. He was still stuck in the doorway of the carriage, and could be seen from outside. At that moment, Xie Zhen happened to catch a glimpse of him.


    Snuggledfortably in Xie Liqing¡¯s embrace, her bright and adorable face attracted many gazes, and the passers-by couldn¡¯t bear to tear their eyes away from her. There were many children on the street, but none of them were as eye-catching as her. In the middle of the crowd, she was shining bright like a beacon, as though she was an iridescent piece of white jade.


    Upon seeing Li Yu, Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up, and she pointed in his direction.


    Carrying her, Xie Liqing walked over.


    Even from a distance away one Xie Zhen¡¯s delighted exmation could be heard. ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, why¡¯re you here?¡±


    Li Yu had been forced down onto the floor so harshly by Gao Xun that he couldn¡¯t even speak; his face red from the pressure.


    Gao Xun quickly got off him and patted down his clothes before greeting Xie Liqing as his uncle. Then, he said, ¡°Ah Yu¡¯s alsoing with us, after all, the more the merrier!¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t mind this one bit. Instead, she was rather happy. Ever since catching him at the Old Madame¡¯s birthday party, she hadn¡¯t seen Big Brother Xiao Yu again. She¡¯d made regr trips to the Li household, but he¡¯d never oncee out to y with her.


    Li Yu¡¯s lips thinned, and he felt as though he¡¯d been betrayed by his partner.


    Looking around, Xie Liqing saw that there were eight servants stationed around the carriage, and they were all as wide and tall as horses. In just a glimpse, he could tell that they were martial arts practitioners. Still, he was a little worried, and asked Gao Xun, ¡°Where will you be taking Little Lamb to?¡±


    Gao Xun pointed towards the street in front and replied, ¡°The ce we¡¯re going to is right across the road. Uncle, rest assured, I swear I won¡¯t let anything happen to Ah Zhen.¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t that far away, there were many people around...Xie Liqing originally wanted to follow them, but something had suddenly cropped up at the government bureau office and he had to rush over to take care of it. Thinking for a moment, he then told Xie Rong and Steward Wang to stay with the children. After sternly reminding them to stay safe, he rushed off to the office.


    Once he had left, Steward Wang sat in front of the carriage, while the four children stayed inside.


    Xie Zhen was seated opposite Li Yu, with Xie Rong sitting right beside her, while Gao Xun was the furthest away from her. It just so happened that Gao Xun was the one who loved talking to her the most, and braving Xie Rong¡¯s icy gaze, heughed as though nothing was wrong. ¡°Ah Zhen, where do you want to go? I know of a fun ce to go to, do you want to go there?¡±


    Without even waiting for Xie Zhen¡¯s reply, Xie Rong had already spoken for her. ¡°Littlemb cannot go too far away.¡±


    Gao Xun wasn¡¯t deterred, and continued asking, ¡°Do you want to eat some nice food? Yi Restaurant¡¯s crystal steamed buns and sweet-scented osmanthus pastries are must haves...¡±


    Yi Restaurant was quite far away, and if they wanted to go there it would take one hour, a return trip would waste quite a bit of tine. Xie Zhen stonily rejected him, ¡°Littlemb isn¡¯t going there.¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked innocently, showing that her brother¡¯s words had nothing to do with her. ¡°I only want to go to the shop that you mentioned...I want to buy a hairpin for Ah, Ah Xun.¡±


    Her tongue had almost slipped, and she worriedly nced over towards Xie Rong. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed.


    Moving her eyes away from him, she happened to meet Li Yu¡¯s gaze. Smiling at him, she happily asked, ¡°Why did Big Brother Xiao Yue out today?¡±


    Frowning, he coldly answered, ¡°No reason.¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± Xie Zhen had already been treated like this by him before, and she¡¯d gotten used to it, so she didn¡¯t get angry and instead continued talking to Gao Xun.


    *


    When the carriage turned round the bend, it suddenly shook.


    As the carriage went askew, Xie Zhen wasn¡¯t very stable, and her whole body flew towards Li Yu, who¡¯d been sitting opposite her. Her forehead hit his chin, and the two were both in immense pain, and Xie Zhen looked as though she would start crying at any moment.


    ¡°Ow...¡±


    She didn¡¯t even have time to start crying before she suddenly banged against something else, and the sound echoed throughout the carriage. From the sound it seemed that two carriages had collided together, and inside the carriage they weren¡¯t sure about what had happened outside.


    At this Xie Zhen was incredibly frightened, and her two hands clutched at Li Yu¡¯s neck, her head pressed down onto his chest. Voice shaking with repressed tears, she cried, ¡°What happened...What happened outside...?¡±


    With some difficulty, she finally calmed down, but she refused to remove her hands, and she clutched onto Li Yu tightly. Feeling Li Yu move slightly, as though he wanted to stop her, she hurriedly said, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, don¡¯t push me off!¡±


    Li Yu immediately stayed still.


    To be honest he really did want to push her off, but looking at her frightened face, he thought that it would be a little too ungentlemanly to just push her off like that...Forget it, even though he did dislike her, he would just have to bear with it for a while.


    Xie Rong raised the curtains, and rose up to leave the carriage and find out what had happened. ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    Both the driver and steward were still shivering with fear, and with difficulty they managed to stutter through the whole story. Before, just as they were turning round the bend, a carriage had suddenly rushed out and had been headed straight towards them. The driver had yanked on the ropes to get out of the way, but because the situation was so urgent, the carriage identally banged against the wall. At first they¡¯d thought everything was over, but they¡¯d never thought that the carriage would actually turn back around to ram into them again.


    Trantors Comments:


    This is an extra chapter brought to you by our donors, Christine, Linda and Daniel! Right now the counter is back to $1/20. Thanks for all your support! The regr weekly chapter wille out tomorrow!


    Chapter 9.2: Awkwardness (2)


    The driver forlornly said, ¡°The carriage wheels are broken, we probably can¡¯t go any further.¡±


    As such, they could only get down the carriage. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t too far from the jewellery store, and would only have to walk for 15 mins.


    The rest of them didn¡¯t think too much about it and it was only Xie Rong whose eyebrows furrowed.


    Given that the road was so wide, why was their carriage hit?


    Holding Xie Zhen¡¯s hand, and ensuring that she stuck closely to him, he said, ¡°Littlemb, follow me¡±.


    After experiencing that episode of danger, Xie Zhen had be more obedient and followed her older brother closely. ¡°Big brother, why did the people collide with our carriage earlier on?¡±


    Xie Rong likewise couldn¡¯t figure it out, and was worried that it was still dangerous. If it wasn¡¯t for his younger sister¡¯s disappointment, he would have brought her home immediately.


    To console her, he said ¡°It¡¯s probably due to carelessness¡±.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Xie Zhen didn¡¯t continue asking.


    The streets were filled with activity. Before, they hadn¡¯t been able to see it clearly on the carriage, but as they walked on the streets they could truly understand what it meant to be shoulder-to-shoulder with someone.


    Jugglers and acting troupes were everywhere, as well as sweet and pastry sellers. In the end Xie Zhen was still a child, and as she yed to her heart¡¯s content, she quickly forgot the earlier scare and looked around curiously.


    Still, the best performance was held by the opera troupe in front of Li Yuan Chun. From afar, the sounds of the y attracted many people, until the crowd was practically airtight, leaving no spaces in between. Wanting to see, Xie Zhen pulled at Xie Rong¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Big Brother, let¡¯s go there!¡±


    Xie Rong stopped moving and shook his head, saying, ¡°No way, there are too many people there.¡±


    Steward Wang also strongly discouraged her, as that ce was the most chaotic, and it would be a target for troublemakers.


    Xie Zhen continued begging but as they remained unmoved, she had no choice but to give up.


    Gao Xun and Li Yu caught up with them from the back, and in order to please Xie Zhen, said, ¡°If Ah Zhen wants to see, I¡¯ll go with you next time to listen to them.¡±


    Xie Zhen immeditely agreed ¡°Sure!¡±


    Immediately, Xie Rong coldly red over at Gao Xun. Rubbing his nose, Gao Xun pretended not to see it.


    If one were to call Xie Zhen little fairy, then Xie Rong was the cold and emotionless judge. Just one look from him could instantly kill someone; the less courageous would definitely be unable to take it.


    As they walked past the acting troupe, the crowd suddenly dispersed; the crowd like a tide, scaring a few children into moving back. Looking inside, they then realised that the performance had ended, and the opera troupe was getting ready to leave.


    Clutching tightly to Xie Rong¡¯s hand, Xie Zhen braced herself as several grown men knocked into her. She hadn¡¯t experienced that sort of chaos before, and was shocked silly, only remembering to hang on tightly to her brother.


    Steward Wang kept the young master and young miss together and guided them forward, alongside Gao¡¯s household servants who hade to help out.


    However, after the acting troupe finished up, they came towards their direction and just so happened to block their way. Steward Wang¡¯s elbow was heavily hit by someone and as he let go his grip, Xie Zhen was forced out from the protective circle. Taking two steps back, she carelessly looked around and realised that her surroundings had be unfamiliar, and in just a moment, she could no longer spot her big brother or the steward.


    Immediately, tears appeared at the corners of her eyes and she couldn¡¯t help but cry, ¡°Big brother...¡±


    Just then, a pair of hands grabbed her, and brought her into a side alley.


    Thinking that it was a bad person, Xie Zhen struggled and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯re you? Let me go!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s voice came from the front, ¡°Don¡¯t speak!¡±


    Abruptly, she forced herself to stop tearing up. The familiar voice seemed like a lifesaver to her, and as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve, she followed Li Yu into the small alleyway.


    The alley was quite narrow, and only just managed to fit the two of them. Inside, they could even smell the putrid scent of some kind of rotting thing. Li Yu and Xie Zhen hid inside silently, neither of them saying a word. A long timeter, she finally opened her mouth, whispering, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, what happened just now?¡±


    Li Yu himself didn¡¯t know what had happened, but he only felt that the opera troupe earlier made him feel uneasy.


    They had purposefully surrounded them, and blocked their way, forcing them to disperse and lose track of each other. If he hadn¡¯t run away quickly, he could¡¯ve been caught by them.


    Thinking back to Gao Xin¡¯s earlier warnings of illegal ve traders, be furrowed his eyebrows.


    After waiting for a while, he surreptitiously looked out, and only after seeing that the street was rtively peaceful did he bring Xie Zhen out.


    Despite looking around a few times, he still didn¡¯t manage to find Xie Rong and Gao Xun. Thankfully Xie Zhen was quite brave, and didn¡¯t mind it. Walking forwards, she tightly grasped Li Yu¡¯s hand, pitifully saying, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, don¡¯t leave me.¡±


    Startled, Li Yu brushed her off. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hold my hand anymore.¡±


    Before it had been a special situation, so he¡¯d been willing to hold her hand, but afterwards there was no need to anymore.


    Still Xie Zhen disagreed, and again she took his hand. ¡°What if both of us get lost again?¡±


    Li Yu told her it would happen, and brushed her hand off again.


    Despite this Xie Zhen refused to relent, and started pestering him.


    Li Yu wanted to brush her off again, but turning his head he saw that she was about to cry again. If he rejected her, she¡¯d probably really start crying. Then, he suddenly realised that she was afraid.


    Hesitating, he finally relented, and expresionlessly continued to walk.

 Chapter 10: Complete Suffering

    <h4>Chapter 10: Complete Suffering</h4>


    The two children on the streets were especially eye-catching. When the pedestrians walked past, they couldn¡¯t help but nce at them. Sometimes, just a nce wasn¡¯t enough, and they took two and then three more looks. The two children looked to be around five to six years-old, with the little boy dressed in a brocade robe, his defined eyebrows andrge eyes making him seem full of life. His facial features were all delicate, making him look as pretty as a girl. Beside him was a doll-like girl, still in the prime of her youth. Her smile was bright, and her peach-coloured lips were downturned, unconsciously causing others to pity her.


    Seeing the two children walking together, others almost mistook them to be the golden children at the feet of Guanyin Bodhisattva.


    The little girl followed closely behind the boy, often asking, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, do you know where we¡¯re supposed to go?¡±


    He shook his head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Soon enough, she asked again, ¡°So...Will you be able to find my big brother and Steward Wang?¡±


    Forcing himself to remain patient, the boy answered, ¡°Let¡¯s look around first.¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t resist and her voice wavered as she whimpered, ¡°I want my big brother...¡±


    Before he could react, she breathed in heavily and continued walking behind him, wiping off a few errant tears with her sleeve. ¡°I didn¡¯t cry.¡±


    The boy simply hummed in agreement, and walked faster without looking back.


    Before they had gone very far, the littledy couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity and started speaking again. ¡°What if we aren¡¯t able to go back? Will we be lost forever? Will daddy be able to find us?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, hurry up and answer me...¡± She prodded at his hand, but still he didn¡¯t answer, causing her to feel quite uneasy. ¡°I¡¯m tired, can we rest for a while? I want to drink some almond tea and eat some creamy pineapple rolls or lotus pastries... Eh, wait for me!¡±


    Losing his patience, Li Yu snapped angrily, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    After he said this, the person behind him finally went silent.


    He led her down the street before stopping in front of a pastry shop and turning around. However, it would¡¯ve been better for him to have continued, as the moment he turned around he felt somewhat helpless.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, and he lips were tightly pursed. She looked as though she was forcing herself to not cry, even to the point that her eyes were red. Large, round tears shone in her almond eyes, and it looked like if she blinked, the tears would fall down.


    Li Yu hadn¡¯t seen a girl cry before, not lessforted a crying girl, so he was slightly panicked. ¡°What, what are you even crying about? I wasn¡¯t referring to you just now.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t referring to her? Just now, they¡¯d been lost, and she¡¯d needed reassurance, okay? But he hadn¡¯t just ignored her, but also called her annoying.


    Xie Zhen lowered her head to wipe away her tears, feeling like it was quite embarrassing. She normally wasn¡¯t so prone to crying; usually the crybaby was Ah Xun. It was all Big Brother Xiao Yu¡¯s fault for making her cry! After wiping away her tears, she raised her head. Full of grievances, she pointed at him usingly, ¡°You were angry at me just now.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s face didn¡¯t change as he refuted her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    She persistently replied, ¡°You were.¡±


    ¡°No I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You were!¡±


    Li Yu finallypromised, ¡°Oh.¡± He¡¯d learnt to speak like this from her, and it was almost the exact same way she said it.


    The two of them unrelentingly argued with each other. Although Xie Zhen was still angry with him, she still didn¡¯t let go of his hand. Still, she didn¡¯t want to give in and said, ¡°i want to eat some lotus pastries.¡±


    Li Yu kept silent.


    Continuing, she said, ¡°I also want to eat some creamy pineapple rolls.¡±


    These snacks were all specialties from the capital, and were difficult to find in Qing Zhou, and even if they managed to find them they wouldn¡¯t have the same authentic taste as they would in the capital. Li Yu was tortured by her until he had no patience left, and without any other solution, he could only bring her to a snack shop.


    There, he ordered two different snacks¨Csome preserved kumquats and a cake filled with red dates. He didn¡¯t have any money with him, and so could only use a piece of jade hanging on his waist in ce of actual money. The piece of jade was clear and obviously well-made, and looked to be worth at least a few hundred silver pieces, yet he unblinkingly tossed it onto the counter.


    After the baker wrapped the to pastries up, he passed it over to him, and he in turn gave it tot Xie Zhen. ¡°Eat.¡±


    Immediately, Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes sparkled and she stopped being angry at him. After taking a bite of the pastry, her smile was brighter and sweeter than a flower. ¡°Thank you Big Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    As the two walked away hand-in-hand, the baker looked at the piece of jade and tried to figure out which household had produced a child that couldn¡¯t even tell how precious the piece of jade was... It was obviously worth much more than those two pastries!


    *


    The two children were walking alone on the streets, with no adult nearby, making them quite a sight to behold, especially since Xie Zhen and Li Yu were such good-looking children.


    The two werepletely unaware of any danger, and continued to try and find their brother and steward. Coincidentally, they encountered one of the shops run by Gao Xun¡¯s family on the way. Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t forgotten her original goal, and dragged Li Yu along as she rushed towards the shop entrance.


    The shop was filled with countless precious hairpins and jewellery, but unfortunately, Xie Zhen was too short. Even as she tried her best to tiptoe, she still couldn¡¯t see anything. Anxious, she could only describe the kind of hairpin she wanted to the shopkeep. ¡°It¡¯s a white-coloured hairpin with a peacock on it... and a cicada as well?¡±


    The shopkeep was a thirty to forty year-old woman; even past the prime of her youth, she still held a kind of charm. She wore a peony-patterned cloak, and her hairbed neatly and decorated with a hair pin. She smiled warmly, naturally liking the beautiful doll-like girl. After telling someone to bring over a stool, she helped the girl up and asked, ¡°What kind of hairpin are you looking for?¡±


    Standing on the stool, Xie Zhen could immediately see everything clearly. Still, after looking through every piece they had, she still couldn¡¯t find the one that looked exactly like Ah Niang¡¯s. Disappointed, she asked, ¡°Do you only have these few pieces?¡±


    Thankfully, there were fewer customers that day, so the shopkeep was quite patient with her, and patted her head, smiling. ¡°There are still many pieces behind, tell me what you want and I¡¯ll bring it over for you to see.¡±


    Helplessly, Xie Zhen nced at her. Hadn¡¯t she already described it to her? Had she described it wrongly?


    Hesitant, she said, ¡°It¡¯s just... a jade...¡±


    Beside her, Li Yu couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and helped her answer. ¡°A jade cicada hairpin.¡±


    Xie Zhen immediately perked up, her heavy burden removed. ¡°Yes yes yes, that kind of hairpin.¡± Saying this, she hopefully looked up, asking, ¡°Do you have anything like that here?¡±


    The shopkeeper, Madame Zhao, felt like the two children were just too adorable; if it were other children in their ce, she would have definitely have turned them away.


    ¡°Yes, we do have something like that. Wait a little, I¡¯ll have someone go behind and get it.¡± Saying this, she told a servant to go to the back and bring out the hairpin.


    Soon, the servant brought a box over. The shopkeeper opened and asked, ¡°Is this the hairpin you were looking for?¡±


    Xie Zhen hurriedly turned her head. Seeing an identical replica of her mother¡¯s hairpin, she was overjoyed. ¡°Yes yes that¡¯s the one!¡± Jumping off the stool, she faced the shopkeeper and asked, ¡°Can you sell this to me? I want this one.¡±


    Madame Zhaoughed and said, ¡°Of course, but you¡¯ll have to pay 120 silvers.¡±


    Xie Zhen had been sheltered all her life; whenever she wanted something her mother would get it for her, so she didn¡¯t have any use for money. Furthermore she didn¡¯t know one bit about it, and also didn¡¯t know what could be considered expensive or cheap. Thinking back to just now when Li Yu used the piece of jade to pay for their snacks, she took a silk satchel from her waist and asked, ¡°Can I use this to exchange for it?¡±


    Madame Zhao shook her head.


    Unwilling to give up, she took a protective talisman out and asked, ¡°What about this?¡±


    Again, Madame Zhao rejected it.


    After a while, she didn¡¯t have anything else to take from her waist. Still, she was still quite clever, and took the silvery-blue auspicious lock from her neck, asking, ¡°What about this? It¡¯s worth quite a bit.¡±


    Madame Zhao looked it over, and realised that the lock was actually incredibly well made, and that there were four precious rubies embedded in the chain, making it quite valuable. Finally, she nodded her head, and gave the box to Xie Zhen. ¡°Your auspicious lock is more valuable, so I¡¯ll keep it for you first. Later on if you want to buy it back, I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡±


    Having obtained the hairpin, Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about the lock anymore. She had several simr locks, even if she were missing one Ah Niang wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    As she happily bounced out of the shop, she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, how did you know that I wanted a jade cicada hairpin?¡±


    Walking beside her, he answered easily, ¡°Gao Xun told me.¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    Xie Zhen was so angry that her cheeks puffed up with air. ¡°He actually dared to tell me that he wouldn¡¯t tell anyone! Next time I won¡¯t share anymore secrets with him!¡±


    Li Yu nced over at her, wondering: you two have actually shared secrets with each other?


    Eventually, he just huffed. So what if they shared secrets, that had nothing to do with him.


    *


    Actually there had been someone staring at Xie Zhen and LI Yu for a long time, having followed them the moment they stepped out of the alley alone. After listening to their conversation, he knew that they were definitely children from rich households if they were able to readily give up a piece of precious jade and an auspicious lock. If he managed to kidnap them, they¡¯d be worth quite arge sum.


    Even if he didn¡¯t manage to get their families¡¯ to pay the ransom, he could still sell them off to some judge or minister. He¡¯d heard of Masters of some rich families who liked these kinds of pretty boys and girls. These two were especially good-looking; even the word ¡°good looking¡± wasn¡¯t good enough to describe them. When they were older, they would look even better.


    The way the man looked at the two children was simr to how one looked at a money tree [1].


    After following them for a while, he finally made his move. Running over to them, he blocked their way and cried as he knelt on the ground. ¡°Young master, young miss, this servant finally managed to find you, hurry and follow this servant back home!¡±


    Xie Zhen was so frightened by this that she immediately dragged Li Yu back a few steps. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The man answered, ¡°It can¡¯t be that the young miss was so frightened that she actually doesn¡¯t recognise this servant anymore... I¡¯m Steward Wang!¡±


    ¡°Rubbish!¡± Frowning heavily, her lips pursed and she said, ¡°Steward Wang doesn¡¯t look as ugly as this!¡±


    Xie Zhen wasn¡¯t actually being rude, it was just that the man looked far too ugly, with beady eyes simr to those of a rat, along with a mouth full of yellowed teeth. The moment he opened his mouth a putrid smell wafted out. Xie Zhen was incredibly disgusted; she was a clean and hygienic person, and refused to talk to this dirty fellow. ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, let¡¯s ignore him.¡±


    Still, the man wasn¡¯t easily deterred, and he wiped the menacing expression off his face. Looking incredibly worried, he still followed after them, ¡°Young Miss, you¡¯re too scared and confused right now. If you don¡¯t follow this servant, what if you get kidnapped by some bad people? Stop throwing a tantrum and follow this servant back home to find the Master and Madame...¡±


    Seeing him speaking logically, the passers-by didn¡¯t hold any suspicions against him, and didn¡¯t go over to help the children.


    At most, they were slightly puzzled. The two children were dressed to the nines, and with just one look they could tell they were quite wealthy, so why was their steward dressed in rags?


    Li Yu knew that the man was actually a human trader, and told Xie Zhen to ignore him as he led them to a more crowded area.


    He didn¡¯t think that the trader would be so brave; the moment he saw the two children heading towards the crowded area, he was afraid that he¡¯d lose his money, and gritting his teeth he picked Xie Zhen up.


    Xie Zhen found that he was not only dirty but also smelly, and found him extremely disgusting. With a cry, she started struggling. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Li Yu scowled as he yelled anxiously, ¡°Let her go!¡±


    The trader ignored them as he realised they started attracting other peoples¡¯ gazes. He¡¯d actually wanted to take the other one as well, but afraid that he would end up losing all of his money, he decided to leave Li Yu behind and turned tail to run.


    Li Yu was so anxious that his eyes started to turn red, and he desperately picked up the box that Xie Zhen had left behind, threw it at the trader, and then turned to beg the bystanders. ¡°Everyone please block his way! He isn¡¯t our steward!¡±


    Xie Zhen struggled in the trader¡¯s grasp, crying, ¡°Someone save me, Big brother Xiao Yu save me...¡±


    Thankfully, Li Yu¡¯s aim was sure, and at that moment the wooden box struck the back of the trader¡¯s head. His stumbled a little, and a string of curses left his mouth before he continued running down the street.


    Before Xie Zhen could be carried further away, a few passers-by stood in front of the trader and blocked his way, telling him to put the child down.


    The trader actually wanted to run past them, but eventually he was beaten soundly by a young, well-built man. Finally, he decided to run away.


    After tossing and turning for so long, Xie Zhen¡¯s bun came loose, and her clothes also became wrinkled. A few strands of hair hung limply, and she looked extremely pitiful.


    Picking up the box, she saw that the hairpin had broken into two pieces.


    This time, she didn¡¯t cry, and only rubbed her eyes before saying, ¡°It broke again.¡±


    Li Yu felt slightly guilty since he had been the one to break it. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll buy a new one for you.¡±


    She hummed in agreement. ¡°But Ah Niang will still scold me.¡±


    He told her she wouldn¡¯t, and held her arm as they walked. ¡°I¡¯ll help you exin to Aunt Leng.¡±


    After walking for a while, Xie Zhen¡¯s sniffles started to quieten down. After experiencing such a huge shock, even if she was extremely brave she was still quite traumatised. The streets were far too dangerous; she wouldn¡¯t ever go out alone again.


    But would they be able to find her big brother? Would she be able to return home?


    Walking slower and slower, Xie Zhen started to whine, ¡°I can¡¯t walk anymore...¡±


    Li Yu answered, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, you don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    He¡¯d asked around just now; as long as they walked back to the main street, they would be able to find Xie Zhen¡¯s father Xie Liqing. Then they would be able to return home.


    Tired, Xie Zhen suddenly said sweetly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you piggyback me?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t even need to think. ¡°No.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t even as tall as her!


    Xie Zhen whined, ¡°Piggyback me...¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 11 – Little Lamb

    <h4>Chapter 11 ¨C Little Lamb</h4>


    After losing sight of each other, Xie Rong and Xie Zhen immediately searched the surrounding area with the Gao Family¡¯s servants. However, they were all scattered by the crowd. They found everywhere but still could not find Xie Zhen and Li Yu.


    Xie Rong looked anxious. His serious face didn¡¯t show any expression. He told Stewart Wang to go to yamen and inform Xie Liqing that he was still looking for them.


    They just lost a child. Steward Wang said nothing and refused to leave him, either to go back or to stay together.


    Gao Xun came forward and said, ¡°You guys go back. I¡¯ll bring people to find Ah Zhen and Ah Yu.¡±


    The ice knife in Xie Long¡¯s eyes came crashing down on him, making his teeth chattered. He knew that everything was his fault. If he hadn¡¯t insisted on taking Xie Zhen out, there would have been no such incident. He was also very regretful. He was also worried about Xie Zhen and Li Yu, so he tried his best.


    Finally, Gao Xun and Steward Wang didn¡¯t leave. It was a servant who went to yamen and informed Xie Liqing.


    After learning of this, Xie Liqing rushed over, looking anxious. He didn¡¯t bother to teach the child a lesson and led the group to search nearby.


    What they did not know was that Xie Zhen and Li Yu had gone in the opposite direction. They had searched for an afternoon and an evening.


    It would be dark now, and there might be more danger if he didn¡¯te back.


    Xie Liqing was in a bad mood and didn¡¯t dare tell her wife, Madam Leng. However, in the end, Madam Leng was still able to hide it from her. Most of the information she heard from the servants had nearly passed over her.


    What if her precious Little Lamb had lost her, so small and tender?


    Xie Zhen had been a bit more delicate than she was. She remembered that she was only four when she was in the Duck Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, and she had been sick for most of the month by Third Sister Xie Ying in the winter. The girl¡¯s body was strong and she didn¡¯t have anything to do with ying with snow. Only her body was the most honest, and if she met a bit of dissatisfaction, she had to show it. If she was cold, she would be ill and her pinch would turn blue.


    She couldn¡¯t curse her, but only cherished her in her hands.


    Now that their charming daughter had been lost in the street, the more she thought about it, the more desperate she became.


    Xie Liqing didn¡¯t know what was going on in his home, and he was still discussing with the others about finding people in Yamen. At this time, they had no choice but to prepare for the worst. If they were abducted, they would search for the teeth of everyone in the Azure Province, and they had to find two children.


    Li Xiqing and Gao Qing arrived upon hearing the news. Gao Qing dragged his son to apologize to the two of them. Xie Liqing and Li Xiqingg spoke politely, but they were all extremely worried.


    In the twilight zone, as the evening approached, yamen was in a mess, knowing that the Prefect¡¯s daughter was lost.


    The sky gradually darkened, and the red sunset glow lingered in the distance. After struggling for a while, it sank.


    How can two children stay out for the night? They didn¡¯t know. The light in Xie Liqing¡¯s eyes and Li Xiqing¡¯s eyes gradually faded, revealing a thick sense of exhaustion and helplessness.


    Suddenly, the bailiff came in and said, ¡°Sir, there are two children at the door. I wonder if it¡¯s ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Xie Liqing walked out like the wind.


    Li Xiqing hurriedly followed after hearing what he said.


    Fournterns hung in the doorway, and in the dim light two small figures were reflected.


    Li Yu staggered over with Xie Zhen on her back. He was weak, almost dragging Xie Zhen. Xie Zhen was lying on his back, talking nonsense. She was clearly unconscious, but she still stubbornly clutched at his back clothes and pressed against him.


    Xie Liqing walked up to him and grabbed Xie Zhen from his back. He cried out in joy, ¡°Littlemb, father¡¯s good Lamb!¡±


    He didn¡¯t hold back. He was so shocked that her body was boiling hot, like a fireball, and she was still shivering.


    Li Xiqing came over to Li Yu and looked him up and down. He hugged him tightly and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    He was so tired that he could barely talk in his arms.


    He lifted his eyes and saw Xie Liqing holding on to Xie Zhen anxiously. He rubbed her forehead for a moment and then squeezed her palm. ¡°Littlemb, what¡¯s wrong with you? However, his worries rose to the limit in the blink of an eye. He turned his head and ordered, ¡°Quickly go and bring a doctor!¡±


    Li Yu sighed heavily, then said, ¡°She¡¯s got a fever.¡±


    As they walked along the road, Xie Zhen kept saying that she couldn¡¯t walk anymore and wanted to rest. Li Yu thought that she was acting coquettishly, so he ignored her words. Who knew that she would actually fall down to the side of the road without saying a word, and that made Li Yu be scared. He knew that she was in a fever, so he carried her to the door.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the good people he met on the way, he wouldn¡¯t havee here.


    Xie Liqing thanked Li Yu several times and even Xie Rong, who was silent, said thank you. He felt a bit embarrassed ¡­ He hadn¡¯t been so good to her, and he¡¯d hurt her a few times on the way.


    Thinking up to this point, Li Yu looked at Xie Zhen, who was hugged by Xie Liqing and caught the carriage. Her eyes were closed, her small face flushed, her beautiful brows knitted together, and she seemed to be in a bad mood.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, what are you looking at?¡± Li Xiqing told the people to bring the carriage over to bring him home.


    Song was probably in a rush at home. Fortunately, the child was fine and came back safely.


    Li Yu withdrew her gaze and followed him to the carriage. ¡°I didn¡¯t look at anything.¡±


    Sitting in the carriage, he was probably very tired. Hey on the bed and didn¡¯t even want to move. His hands and feet were both soft and sour. That stinking girl is so heavy, he thought, he¡¯ll never carry her back again.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he closed his eyes and asked, ¡°Why is she feverish, Abba?¡±


    Li Xiqing was in a much more rxed mood when she recovered her son. He asked, ¡°Which her?¡± Then, he reacted, ¡°Did you say about Ah Zhen? She¡¯s young and frightened, and the fever is cold today.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have a fever,¡± he said.


    Li Xiqing rubbed his head with a smile as he earnestly exined, ¡°Ah Zhen is a girl, and the girl is already more delicate than a boy. She can¡¯t bepared to her.¡±


    He asked, ¡°What is the pampered?¡±


    Li Xiqing thought for a while. This question was really not easy to answer, ¡°It¡¯s just natural weakness ¡­¡± He needed the protection of a man. He was afraid of being hungry, but he was afraid of being hungry. Same as the newborn. ¡±


    Li Yu thought about it seriously and said, ¡°What animal? Amb? ¡±


    The child normally didn¡¯t say anything, but he remembered the nickname of Xie Zhen. Li Xiqingughed loudly and nodded, ¡°Right, right, you¡¯re just amb.¡±


    He rolled over and curled his lip in disgust.


    He was afraid of being hungry¡­ Wasn¡¯t that she? He had seen newbornmbs, but not as delicate as she.


    When he returned to Xie Mansion, Xie Liqing hurriedly carried Xie Zhen back to his room and asked the doctor toe forward to diagnose her.


    Madam Leng, who has been at home several times, has finally made people look forward toing back. But I didn¡¯t expect my daughter to be so hot. She stood at the head of the bed and snuggled into Xie Liqing¡¯s arms, crying, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t let her go out with you ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day, and that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s my fault,¡± she said.


    After a short while, the doctor¡¯s diagnosis and treatment waspleted. When he stood up, he said, ¡°I was shocked. My pulse was unstable. My daughter¡¯s fever is caused by the shock. I have a prescription here, and the old master ordered someone to follow me back to grab the medicine.


    Xie Liqing hastily thanked the doctor for the payment and sent a man over to grab the pills.


    It waste in the day, and after Madam Leng had taken her medicine, she calmed down. During that time, she was unconscious, and from time to time, she said, ¡°Help me,¡± Madam Leng¡¯s heart was crushed into a ball. She stayed by her bed all night, not daring to leave.


    It was dawn, and the morning light was showing, and Madam Leng felt a deep sigh of relief as she touched the forehead of Xie Zhen. It was a good thing, but it wasn¡¯t hot.


    Shuang Yu served up with the juice, and Madam Leng fed it to her. Just as she was halfway through her meal, she frowned and woke up. Her first sentence was actually, ¡°Kill ¡­¡±


    It was only a day before her ruddy little face was drained of color. She bent down to form the shape of a small shrimp, her long eyshes lowered tiredly, covering the pitch-ck eyes of her. After a long while, she finally realized where she was. She turned her eyeballs in confusion and saw the regretful Madam Leng on the bed. She blinked her eyes and thought that it was an illusion.


    Madam Leng nodded hurriedly. Anywhere ufortable? ¡±


    She¡¯s really her mother!


    She ran into Madam Leng¡¯s arms in surprise and held her neck without letting go. ¡°Mother, mother, am I back? Is this my house? ¡±


    Madam Leng said yes and held her in her arms for a while.


    At first she was d, and then she thought of the grievances she had suffered on the street, and that her clothes were wet at the neckline of the Madame Leng¡¯s neck. She whimpered and began toin, ¡°Our carriage is broken, and we have met bad guys.¡± Little Brother Xiao Yu bought me preserves and mountain medicine cakes. I bought a hairpin for you, butter on, someone wanted to catch me, and little brother Xiao Yu threw him into the box.


    She was incoherent, but Madam Leng understood.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, as long as we¡¯re fine.¡± Madam Leng thought that if a hairpin could change her daughter¡¯s return, she would rather not wear jade jewelry in her life, and she would make Xie Zhen safe.


    After cooling Xie Zhen, Madam Leng continued feeding her the rest of the half-bowl.


    The medicine was bitter, but she didn¡¯t say anything this time. She didn¡¯t even eat a drop.


    Atst, Madam Leng rewarded her with a piece of preserves and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let Ah Xune in with youter, and she came over to arguest night, and I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Xie Zhen had recovered from a serious illness and was not in a very good mood. Xie Xun came in and said a few words to her. She mimicked Madame Leng¡¯s head and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡±


    She had learned from Xie Rong that she had onlye to the streets to buy a hairpin. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, she wouldn¡¯t have lost her fever at all. She wouldn¡¯t have lost her.


    Even the servants of Xie Mansion could tell that Xie Zhen was very obedient these few days. He ran to Xie Zhen¡¯s room every day to help his errand boys work. But she was a child, a third girl. Who dared tomand her?


    She was basically fussy.


    After a few days, Xie Zhe finally recovered and returned to his usual vivacious appearance. The Xie Manor once again heard the two sisters¡¯ughter andughter.


    Winter passed in the blink of an eye. After the end of the year, it would be the The Lantern Festival, and it would be filled with lights.


    There were also guests from the capital.

 Chapter 12 – Lantern Festival

    <h4>Chapter 12 ¨C Lantern Festival</h4>


    The man was King of Dongping.


    Few days ago, King of Dongping had rushed from the fief to the capital with his concubines to celebrate the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday. Now, they just passed by the Yidu County of Qingzhou Province, so came to visit Xie Liqing. King of Dongping and Xie Liqing had dealt with each other before, they admired each other. It was a rare friendship between gentlemen.


    Concubine Dongping wasn¡¯t feeling well. Therefore, he hadn¡¯t brought her out with him in this trip, only brought one concubine.


    The Concubine Madame Qin was about the same age as Madame Leng, her face was beautiful, her body was slim like willow, it looked like she could be blew away very easily. She had a baby in her arms who looked like just a few months old.


    Madame Leng and Xie Liqing received the guests while Xie Zhen followed them. Originally, she wanted to join the fun, but she didn¡¯t expect that King of Dongping would actually give her two beautiful lotusnterns. She took it happily, thanked him sweetly, and told Madame Leng that she would y it with her little sister.


    Madame Leng didn¡¯t object. She touched her head, ¡°Go.¡±


    As she was leaving, Xie Zhen was in front of the Concubine Madame Qin. She narrowed her eyes innocently, smiling at Qin. However, Madame Qin¡¯s gaze was veryplicated. She watched Xie Zhen walking outside the flower door, then withdraw her gaze lonelily.


    Xie Zhen happliy came into the backyard with twonterns in each hands, then saw that Xie Rong and Xie Xun were sitting under the porch, eating sweet dumplings with porcin bowls. There was a small table under the porch, with a thick nket on the ground and stoves around. They sat on each sides, looked veryfortable


    Xie Zhen suddenly became a bit angry. She angrily walked to them, ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you call me when you and Ah Xun were eating sweet dumplings? I want it too! ¡±


    Xie Rong put down the bowl and asked the servant girl to take another bowl of dumpling filling with red beans.


    He had juste here and found that Xie Xun was eating sweet dumplings without the care of adults, he simply sat down to eat together with her. He didn¡¯t expect to be seen by Xie Zhen. The little thing really minded. She puffed out her cheeks and sat between him and Xie Xun, with her tiny lips curving up.


    Xie Xun used a silver spoon to scoop a sweet dumpling, sent to her mouth and said apologetically, ¡°Big sister, eat this.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at it for a moment, then opened her mouth and swallowed.


    After a while, the servant girl Shuang Yu brought up her bowl of dumplings and ced it in front of her. She ate some and finally stopped getting angry. She picked up the two lotus flowernterns behind her and ced it on the table. One of them was given to Xie Xun, another one was left for herself. ¡°This is given to us by King of Dongping. Do you like it?¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s eyes were lit up. Although she liked the Lotusntern very much, she was still more persistent with food. After finishing eating the dumplings, she reached for the lotusntern. The lotuses had a total of threeyers, each one painted in different colors. When the wick inside thentern was lit, the petals on the outside were colorful and pretty.


    The two sisters loved thentern very much, yed in the yard immediately.


    The two little things ran from one end to the other, the crispughter spreading to the Li family next door, making Li Yu, who was eating, hear it clearly.


    Li Yu bit a mouth of sweet dumpling and frowned his eyebrows.


    ¡°What makes them so happy? Couldn¡¯t they just be quiet?¡±


    The parents of the two families had not allowed them to go out after going to the streetsst time, maybe they were a bit scared. Even Xie Zhen was rarely out of the house. Xie Liqing and Madame Leng hade to Li¡¯s mansion to express their gratitude. They even gave many presents to Li Yu, thanking him for bringing Xie Zhen back from the street. Xie Zhen hadn¡¯te. It¡¯s said that she was scared, had been a bit timid recently.


    Hearing theughter, Li Yu didn¡¯t feel that she was timid.


    Wasn¡¯t she very vivid and lively?


    The King of Dongping was ready to leave with his concubine, but they met a heavy snowfall.


    The snow was falling down without any warning, bing heavier. There was a thinyer on the ground in a short time.


    It seemed there would be more heavy snowstorm at night. To be safe, King of Dongping had to stay at Xie¡¯s mansion temporarily, waiting for setting off tomorrow when the weather became better.


    Luckily, there were many rooms in the Xie¡¯s mansion. Xie Liqing quickly ordered the servants to clean up a few empty rooms, burnt up the stove, used the incense to smoke the bedding nkets, and cleaned up, then asked King of Dongpinge in. The Concubine Madame Qin lived in the west wing, because she had a child, so Madame Leng assigned a nannie to take care of them.


    The woman was the nannie of Xie Zhen, and had a lot of experience in caring children. Because she followed Madame Leng for a long time, she was highly respected in the House.


    Madame Qin ced the child on the bed and sat in front of the dresser for a while. She didn¡¯t want to rest. Instead, she put on her fox fur cloak and walked out. Senior Servant Chen followed behind her, handed the stove over, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Lady, be careful of catching cold.¡±


    She stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at the endless snow, her eyes were filled with mncholy, and her face was pale.


    Senior Servant Chen felt strange, so she didn¡¯t try to stop her. She apanied her at the door.


    After a while, she gathered up the fox fur on her shoulders and asked casually, ¡°What is Mrs. Xie doing now?¡±


    ¡°Madam is in the main room, talking to her second and third daughters.¡±


    She nodded and asked, ¡°Is Lord Xie not at home on such a cold day?¡±


    Chen felt strange in her heart, but didn¡¯t show it on face. ¡°Master¡¯s is very busy. He should read in the study now.¡±


    As the concubine of the King of Dongping, why she was interested in what her Master and Madam was doing? Chen had to be careful, but the after questions were all very normal. They were just some ordinary things, like how Madame Leng usually took care of her children, what she did, and how to deal with Xie Liqing, etc.


    She was a person who just had a child, and it was reasonable to ask these questions.


    Chen answered one by one. Qin stood by the door for a long while, and soon, the cold air invaded her body and she couldn¡¯t help sneezing a few times.


    Chen was prepared to send someone to call a doctor, but Madame Qin said, ¡°My maidservants are not familiar with Qingzhou Province, so it¡¯s better if you could go by yourself in order not to dy .


    Since concubine already ordered, she must follow the order as a servant, Senior Servant Chen agreed, first asked the instructions from Madame Leng and then went to street for a doctor.


    When she returned half an hourter, the Qin¡¯s door was closed tightly. The maidservant guarding the entrance said, ¡°Thedy has fallen asleep, so nannie coulde again tomorrow morning.¡±


    Didn¡¯t she need a doctor?


    Senior Servant Chen stood at the door hesitantly. She was a servant, and dared not to break in to disturb her sleeping, but she was afraid that she would be implicated if the concubine was ill. After hesitating for a while, she sighed and went to the main room to tell Leng about this.


    The charcoal fire in the study burned vigorously.


    Xie Liqing was sitting up in front of the warping case to deal with his business affairs. He looked through all the cases in recent days, organized his thoughts, and took notes on paper. Looking up, snow was still falling outside the window. A few snowkes had drifted into the study, fell on the warping case, and melted immediately.


    He rubbed his neck and called for a cup of tea, drank it and sat for a while before getting up and walking out of the study.


    The servant held up an paper umbre for him. He walked out of the yard, after only a few steps, saw a graceful figure ahead.


    The slender figure was obscured by the snow, and it looked even more fragile from a distance view.


    He walked up and saw that it was actually the imperial concubine of the King of Dongping.


    Xie Liqing bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Esteemed Imperial Concubine.¡±


    Qin let him stand up and smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been working too hard, I heard from nannie that Lord Xie is still working on such cold day.¡±


    Xie Liqing smiled frankly. ¡°I appreciate the attention ofdy, but I don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s hard for Bonian.¡±


    The snow gradually became heavier, and encircled the two people like the goose feathers. Many snowkes fell on Xie Liqing¡¯s navy blue robe, and then Qin tried to raise her hand to brush them off for him. He dodged slightly.


    He was just over thirty, just looked the same as when he was younger. Instead, he was a bit more mature and stable, even more beautiful than when he was a teenager.


    Qin¡¯s expression was a bit awkward. She withdrew her hand and took the food box from the maid, ¡°This is the snack I just picked up from the kitchen. I see a pavilion up ahead. If Lord Xie doesn¡¯t mind, can you join me and have some snack?¡±


    Xie Liqing frowned and tactfully refused, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not suitable ording to the etiquette ¡­¡±


    All he wanted to do now was go back to his wife Madame Leng, and hugged his two lovely daughters, and the whole family would sit around the fire. It was too cold outside. He didn¡¯t want to stay longer, and could not stand staying with the Lady.


    Just as he was about to leave, Qin came up with tears in her eyes, ¡°Does cousin really have no feelings for me anymore?¡±


    After a long while without hearing this, Xie Liqing shuddered, and his scalp began to tighten.


    He said, ¡°Lady is now the concubine of the King of Dongping, so you must be careful when you speak.¡±


    Before he could finish his words, the Madame Qin came up to him. Tears filled her eyes and her slender body trembled like leaves in the wind. ¡°Are you still angry at me? You¡¯re angry that I married the king, so now you¡¯re so cold to me? ¡±


    Where and why? He hadn¡¯t thought of that at all. Xie Liqing nced at the servants on both sides. He sincerely treated King of Dongping as a friend. If this matter reached the King¡¯s ears, what could he deal with that?


    At bottom, he could only me his youth for being ignorant.


    Qin and him were cousins. When he was young and had no parents, he had always been living in the mansion of Duke Dingguo. She had a good rtionship with Xie Liqing, often followed after him to call him cousin.


    At that time, Xie Liqing was fifteen or sixteen, the age of first love. He would asionally meet her privately and say a few words, but he also kept to the etiquette of a gentleman, didn¡¯t overstep the boundaries.


    Just when Xie Liqing was prepared to confess to his mother that he wanted to marry Qin, the King of Dongping was chosing his wife. The Qin had followed the girls to the pce, attracted by the king¡¯s mansion. After returning home, she had tried everything to attract the attention of the King, and finally seeded.


    At first, Xie Liqing was depressed for a while, but then he passed. Especially after he married Leng, he understood what true love was.


    Now, he didn¡¯t have affection for Madame Qin. When they met again, he wouldn¡¯t be able to arouse any emotions in his heart.


    He walked past her. ¡°The King of Dongping is a good husband, anddy should not do this behind him.¡±


    Qin hurriedly grabbed his hand, looked pitiful, ¡°You don¡¯t know what he did to me ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Before Xie Liqing could ditched her hand, he raised his eyes and found Leng and Xie Zhen at the end of the path. Leng¡¯s face was calm as she looked in his direction. Xie Zhen was wrapped up in a tight bundle and looked like a snowball from afar. She was wearing a white rolled-up cape and a white swan hat, and her dark eyes were staring curiously over him.


    Xie Liqing¡¯s body was covered in cold sweat, and he hurriedly shook off Qin¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 13 – Snowman

    <h4>Chapter 13 ¨C Snowman</h4>


    Because she was anxious, she used all of her strength to push Madam Qin three steps back. She staggered a little before she managed to stabilize herself.


    Xie Liqing didn¡¯t have time to care about her. He took a few steps forward and timidly stopped in front of Madam Leng. ¡°Chanyu, I ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng looked at him and then at Qin Lou Yue, her lips curving into a meaningful smile. ¡°Howe I never knew you had a deep rtionship with the imperial concubine?¡±


    This t and indifferent sentence made Xie Liqing¡¯s scalp tingle. He was most afraid of the neither hot nor cold of the Madam Leng. It made him feel as if he was being tortured in a frying pan, unable to move up. Sometimes he would rather she had a hysterical temper, or scolded him, and asked what was going on. However, she was not that kind of person. No matter how angry she was, she would only give you a cold look. Even though you didn¡¯t do anything bad, she would still look at you with a guilty conscience.


    Xie Liqing repeatedly waved his hands as he tried to exin. ¡°I just came out of the study and happened to run into the imperial concubine on the way. I was just about to go find you when you came.¡±


    It was obvious in Madam Leng¡¯s eyes that she did not believe him. She only said a few sentences. She¡¯s not blind.


    If nannie Chen hadn¡¯t gone to the main room to find her, she would¡¯ve been worried that something would happen to Madam Qin. Thus, she came to the study to discuss countermeasures with him, so how could she have bumped into the scene just now? Who would have thought that the concubine of Dongping wouldn¡¯t let go of her husband, that shocked Madam Leng.


    What did the two of them have that she didn¡¯t know about?


    Looking at the expression on Madam Qin¡¯s face, it seemed as though she had been wronged.


    Madam Qin was helped forward by the girl and stood behind Xie Liqing. She forced a smile. ¡°I only wanted to invite him to a snack in the pavilion because I happened to pass by this ce and saw how hard he was working.¡±


    Madam Leng lifted her lips and replied politely, ¡°Today, it¡¯s snowing heavily, and concubine won¡¯t pass by here when you return to your room. It seems that concubine has a great deal of leisure and elegance, which is why you happened to pass by.¡±


    Madam Qin¡¯s face stiffened and her smile almost died on her face.


    Madam Leng looked at Xie Liqing and coldly stared at him for a while. Xie Liqing almost couldn¡¯t resist it and wanted to admit his mistake, but a smile appeared in her eyes. ¡°The concubine said you worked hard, but why didn¡¯t you tell me? If you really find it hard, I¡¯ll let a few maids serve you.¡±


    Although she was smiling, her smile did not reach her eyes. There was a hint of anger and threat in her smile.


    Xie Liqing had been with her husband for more than ten years, so how could he not know her temperament? If he dared to say yes, then he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to live a good life in the next few days. He shook his head. ¡°No, no.¡± ¡°How could I possibly find it tiring to have my wife here?¡±


    ¡°Why do I remember that you don¡¯t like snack?¡±


    He nodded approvingly. ¡°Mydy remembers well. I really don¡¯t like it.¡±


    On the other side, Madam Qin¡¯s face was pale. It was even paler than the snowkes falling from the sky. She stood in front of them, frowning in disbelief. ¡°Cousin doesn¡¯t like snack?¡± ¡°I remember that you used to like to eat the Sweet Sour Lotus Root Starch Cake the most. Every time I made it, you would always ¡­¡±


    Today, she had borrowed the kitchen to make the Sweet Sour Lotus Root Starch Cake. She thought that he would really like it, but didn¡¯t think that he didn¡¯t even spare it a nce.


    He used to eat two more each time she made a cookie.


    Why now?


    Xie Liqing frowned. He was truly angry. They were people who had a family, why did they keep pestering each other like this? He said, ¡°That was before. I don¡¯t like it anymore.¡± ¡°concubine, please go back sooner rather thanter. You¡¯ve been out for so long, so it¡¯s still somewhat inappropriate.¡±


    After speaking, he took his wife and daughter and was about to leave. But before he could take two steps, the Madam Qin refused to give up and actually tried to stop them.


    Xie Zhen had been curious for a long time. She stood in front of Madam Leng and Xie Liqing, raising her young and snow-white face. ¡°Is the concubine of Dongping¡¯s king?¡±


    Madam Qin looked down at her and nodded slowly.


    She was even more curious. She tilted her head and blinked herrge eyes. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you apany King of Dongping instead of apanying my father?¡±


    Madam Qin was speechless.


    No one answered her, and she waited anxiously and expectantly for Madam Qin to answer. After a long while, when she still hadn¡¯t gotten an answer, she pursed her lips in frustration. She recalled the scene she saw at the beginning, ¡°You¡¯re even holding my father¡¯s hand, why are you holding my father¡¯s hand? My father¡¯s hand can only be held by my mother.¡±


    As she said that, she turned around and grabbed the hands of Madam Leng and Xie Liqing with her chubby hands. She then ced them together and said, ¡°This is how it should be!¡±


    She smiled contentedly, a smile as bright as a flower in the winter snow.


    That smile stabbed into Madam Qin¡¯s eyes, hurting her. She helplessly watched as Xie Liqing held onto Madam Leng and the little girl as they walked further and further away. Their family of three blended in with the music, making her seem even more lonely.


    -


    -


    When they walked through the moon gate that Madam Qin could not see, Madam Leng decisively shook off Xie Liqing¡¯s hand.


    Xie Liqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He wanted to hold her hand again, but she dodged it.


    He suddenly had a bad feeling and turned to look at the Madam Leng. She looked at him calmly, a sneer on her lips as she asked slowly, ¡°Cousin?¡±


    He had a terrible headache.


    After some thought, Leng said word by word, ¡°And you like Sweet Sour Lotus Root Starch Cake the most?¡±


    It seemed that if he didn¡¯t speak honestly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pass this trial today. For a moment, Xie Liqing didn¡¯t know where to start. He had never told the Madam Leng about this past. After all, he was a little tempted when he was young, so he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Moreover, ever since he had married her, he had experienced so many things. He liked her more and more day by day, andpared to those cousins, their rtionship were even more insignificant.


    He didn¡¯t say it out loud because he felt that it wasn¡¯t necessary. After all, it had been so long. If it wasn¡¯t for the King of Dongping bringing Madam Qin here, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to remember.


    Xie Liqing softened his tone and tried his best to coax her, ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. When have I ever eaten a candy cake?¡± Chanyu, what do I think of you? Don¡¯t you know ¡­?


    Leng Shi gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    He choked and was about to answer when he looked down and saw the little Xie Zhen listening to him.


    Seeing Xie Liqing stop talking, she quickly pulled on his clothes and asked, ¡°Daddy, what are you thinking?¡±


    Xie Liqing immediately realized that he had lost his aged face. He waved his hand to chase her away. ¡°Young children, you are not allowed to listen to adults speak.¡±


    As she spoke, she told nannie Chen to pick her up and carry her back inside.


    Before she had heard enough, she squirmed on nannie Chen¡¯s shoulder and was taken away, though she didn¡¯t want to.


    The only people left in the courtyard were the Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. When Madam Leng saw him, they didn¡¯t say a word, implying: Speak then.


    Xie Liqing coughed. In the courtyard, countless pairs of eyes were watching him. He felt that it was detrimental to his dignity to express his feelings to his wife in public. He wanted to bring Leng back into the house, but she was much more stubborn than him.


    He could only say, ¡°Besides the two girls, I only have you as my only woman in my heart ¡­¡±


    -


    -


    The snow fell all night, and the next day the yard was covered with snow.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun made a snowman together. Xie Zhen stood on a foot-stool, and tried to plug a carrot nose to the snowman. Xie Xun shouted suddenly, making Xie Zhen falling off from the foot-stool.


    ¡°What are you shouting at?¡± she asked her sister angrily as she sat in the snow covered in snow.


    Xie Xian pointed to the front courtyard and suddenly remembered. ¡°The king is leaving today ¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s go, Xie Zhen thought. Anyway, that concubine angered the mother, so it¡¯s better if she left. She patted the snow off her body and stood up again. ¡°You¡¯re going to help me this time.¡±


    Xie Xun nodded his head, no longer daring to shout.


    They made snowmen in the backyard, and the adults saw them off in the front yard.


    Xie Liqing and Madam Leng personally escorted King of Dongping to the door and said some polite words, then gave him some nkets and mattresses. Only then did they get him and Madam Qin onto the carriage. During this time, Xie Liqing didn¡¯t even nce at the Qin family. On the other hand, Madam Qin¡¯s eyes were red, and she kept her head down the entire time without saying a word.


    Madam Leng discovered that she wasn¡¯t carrying a child today. When she looked back, she saw a nannie carrying a swaddling cloth in her arms. Presumably, it was her child.


    King of Dongping was the first to step into the carriage and wave goodbye to Xie Liqing. He nced at Madam Qin, who was sitting beneath the carriage, and a dark light shed across his eyes. Suddenly, he teased her: ¡°What, don¡¯t you want to stay here?¡±


    Madam Qin quickly shook her head and stepped onto the yellow wooden bench to get on the carriage.


    King of Dongping didn¡¯t say much, but his attitude towards her was much worse than yesterday.


    This caused the Madam Leng to think more. Could it be that he knew something? However, his attitude towards Xie Liqing was very courteous and courteous. It was no different from yesterday¡¯s, causing people to feel suspicious.


    As the carriage drew farther and farther away, Xie Liqing took off his cloak and draped it over the Madam Leng before leading her back into the house. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly head back. Don¡¯t stand here and catch a cold.¡±


    As they walked, Madam Leng asked, ¡°How is the rtionship between King Dongping and the princess?¡±


    Xie Liqing said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that ¡­.¡± ¡°However, I heard that Dongping empress¡¯ personality is quite resolute and decisive, and that she treated the entire manor with subservience.¡±


    She had a fierce personality, but her temper was quite straightforward. There was not even a speck of sand in her eyes.


    Yesterday, after listening to Xie Liqing¡¯s exnation, Madam Leng had been puzzled. Why did she want to go back when she had squeezed her head to enter the royal pce with so much difficulty? From the looks of it, Madam Qin must have suffered a lot from Dongping Empress and found it difficult to get along with her. Only then did he remember how good Xie Liqing was.


    Madam Leng nced at Xie Liqing, her gaze clearly doubting his gaze.


    Xie Liqing immediately tried to curry favor with her. He really loved her. Despite being in the courtyard, he lowered his head and sucked her lips. ¡°Right now, your husband only likes you. You¡¯re the only person in his heart.¡±


    Leng¡¯Er let out a soft groan as she bit her lips.


    -


    -


    In the backyard, Xie Zhen and Xie Xian, with Xie Rong¡¯s help, finally made a snowman.


    The snowman also wore a Xie Zhen¡¯s swan fur hat, with round face te, two ck eyes and red lips. Xie Zhen pointed to the snowman and said, ¡°Does it look like Ah Xun?¡±


    Xie Xian pursed his lips. ¡°I should miss her.¡±


    They talked for a long time about who the snowman looked like. One said it looked like Ah Xun, one said it looked like an older sister, and in the end neither of them coulde to a conclusion. She turned and ran to the verandah, the soft suede boots making a thumping sound on the nks. ¡°I¡¯ll ask mother to take a look!¡±


    With that, she ran to the Leng Residence¡¯s main building.


    There were no maidservants at the door. She pushed twice but didn¡¯t manage to open it. The door was locked from the inside. Curious, she knocked on the door. ¡°Mother?¡±


    But no one answered.


    She was about to call out again when she heard a strange sounding from inside. She put her ear to the fan and heard only a low wheeze and a low moan from her mother.


    What was that sound?


    She was curious and wanted to hear more, but she was picked up by Shuang Yu. Shuang Yu¡¯s face turned red as she carried her away from the door. ¡°Second Miss, Young Master Li hase to see you.¡±


    When she looked up, she saw Li Yu, in a ck fur cloak, standing on the other side of the portico, looking at her with a small, white face.

 Chapter 14 – Snowball Fight

    <h4>Chapter 14 ¨C Snowball Fight</h4>


    Li Yu noticed her sneaky actions just now. He frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He wanted to wait in the main hall, but the maid took him out into the backyard. Shuang Yu said she was here, and he followed her here, and from a distance he saw her with her ear to the door, and he did not know what she was eavesdropping on.


    This was the first time he took the initiative to look for her, and Xie Zhen was very surprised. She went up and grabbed his hand to walk back, ¡°Come and help me listen. What happened to my mother and father?¡±


    How could Shuang Yu really let them hear them in the corner? If the old master and madam were to know, would she still be alive? She hurriedly stopped them at the door with a flushed face and tried to coax them, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. Master and Madam are fine ¡­¡± ¡°Since Young Master Li hase to find you, why don¡¯t I take you to another room to take a seat?¡±


    ¡°Are they really all right?¡± Xie Zhen asked curiously.


    Shuang Yu, after all, is an innocent girl. Knowing that master and madam was in love in the house, she was naturally embarrassed to stand too close to her, so she went around nearby for a while. She didn¡¯t expect that she would actually let this girl in and cause a lot of trouble for herself. She hurriedly nodded, ¡°I¡¯m really alright.¡±


    She managed to coax the two away, and before she left, he muttered, ¡°But I heard something.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and asked, ¡°What did you hear?¡±


    When she thought of the pleasant, painful voice of her mother, she repeat it to him innocently, ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah.¡±


    Shuang Yu hurriedly covered her mouth in fright. Little mistress, is this something you can say!?


    If she still remembered this scene when she grew up in the future, wouldn¡¯t she regret it?


    Fortunately, Li Yu was also a child, so he didn¡¯t understand what Xie Zhen meant. The two of them quickly opened the page and returned to the yard where the snowman had been sitting. The snowmen were still there, but Xie Xun was nowhere to be seen. Xie Rong was the only one left in the yard, rubbing the snowballs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Xun, brother?¡±


    Xie Rong put the snowball aside and stood up to brush off the snow on his shoulders. He then looked behind her with a smile.


    The next moment, Xie Zhen felt a chill on her neck and a snowball hit her.


    She clutched her neck as she turned around, and sure enough, Xie Xun was wrapped in a red cotton-padded jacket. She was standing under the cedar tree, smirking. ¡°Sister, you idiot!¡±


    This little bastard actually dared to bully her? She tried to look angry, but she couldn¡¯t hold back a grin. She bent down, picked up her snowball, and threw it in the direction she was standing. The snowballnded on Xie Xun¡¯s satin boots, and she screamed as she dodged to the side. When she got to her feet, she crouched down and rubbed a small snowball. She threw it with a wave of her hand, just in time tond on Xie Rong, who was behind Xie Zhen.


    She immediately stood properly and admitted her mistake, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    As soon as he said that, she went back to rubbing the snowball and messed up with Xie Zhen.


    Of course, Xie Rong wouldn¡¯t really get angry with them. The two of them threw snowballs to each other, while he made snowballs for them under the tree,ughing as he watched them y.


    Li Yu came here for talking to Xie Zhen, but she actually started to y and made him waiting for a while. In the end, he was so unlucky that he was hit by Xie Zhen¡¯s snowball.


    He only saw a sh in front of his eyes, wiped his face, and saw a sly smile on Xie Zhen¡¯s face, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, are you alright? Why don¡¯t you dodge? ¡±


    He wanted to hide, but she had thrown it in front of him. Where could he hide?


    It was obviously she threw to him on purpose!


    Li Yu countered bluntly. Unfortunately, Xie Zhen¡¯s body was too agile, like a small fish, and he couldn¡¯t hit Li Yu. In the end, the two sisters worked together to deal with him. One was in the front and the other was behind, forcing him into a dead end.


    Li Yu glowered at her: ¡°Xie Zhen!¡±


    This was the first time he called her by her name.


    ¡°Huh?¡±Xie Zhen blinked her watery eyes.


    Even if she pretended to be innocent, he wouldn¡¯t let her off!


    Li Yu jumped up and threw himself on top of her without any warning. He held her shoulders tightly, stared at her for a long time, then suddenly bent his head and bit into her apple red and white cheeks. Her skin was very smooth. Li Yu bit into it a few times but didn¡¯t manage to bite it. Just as he was about to exert more force, she let out a soft and thin groan. It was like a kitten.


    Li Yu immediately stopped. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he was a little reluctant to take the bait.


    He hadn¡¯t been able to control his strength a few times when he bit her, and her tongue was wet and tickling against her cheek, and it hurt a little with his teeth ttering. Xie Zhen was unable to breathe due to his pressure. Her eyes were filled with a pool of water. His pink lips slightly opened in astonishment and resistance, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu is so heavy ¡­¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s spirits were lifted. She stood up abruptly and patted the snow off his body: ¡°You were heavy when I carried youst time.¡±


    With two teeth marks and a face full of saliva, she sat up and wiped it with her sleeve. She couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s so dirty.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s face turned greener. ¡°It¡¯s not dirty at all.¡±


    The little girl was the cleanest. Although she liked big brother Xiao Yu, that didn¡¯t mean she could be bitten on the face by him. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her dress carefully, then stood up and ran back to her room.


    ¡°Where are the you going?¡± asked Shuang Yu.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wash my face!¡± she said from a distance.


    Li Yu pursed his lips in displeasure.


    When she was finally finished washing her face, Shuang Yubed her hair again, wrapping two thin beads of gold with little bells hanging on either end of the chain. The bells nged as they walked.


    The house was burning with charcoal, and the room was warm andpletely different from the world outside. He took off his brocade peony brocade coat. Inside, he wore only a red jacket and a nt and half an arm, and he ran around the room in soft boots. Fearing that she might catch a cold, Shuang Yu forced her to put on the coat, but she refused to listen.


    Xie Zhen walked up to Li Yu with great interest, he had long forgotten about the displeasure from before, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, what do you want?¡±


    Li Yu also felt that she wore too little. She was clearly more delicate than others, and she often fell ill with fever. Why didn¡¯t she take good care of herself? However, he didn¡¯t want to be nosy. He let the maidservants from the Li Residence in and took a box of rosewood from her hands and ced it on the table. ¡°Last time, I broke your hairpin. I said I wouldpensate you with one.¡±


    As soon as he opened the box, she saw her hairpin.


    She shouted, ¡°Where did you buy it, big brother Xiaoyu?¡±


    Li Yu said that he didn¡¯t buy it. He pointed to the gold iid circle in the middle of the hairpin, ¡°This is the one you boughtst time. I got someone to fix it up.¡±


    As soon as he said it, Xie Zhen realized it was true. The indirection of the gold was engraved with ripples of water, perfectly natural and unobtrusive. Xie Zhen held the hairpin and looked around, admiring Li Yu, feeling guilty about throwing the snowball at him.


    Unexpectedly, what was more guilty was, that Li Yu took out a longevity lock from his pocket, it was exactly the one Xie Zhen was in the jewelry store with.


    He said, ¡°Is this lock yours? I¡¯ve got it back.¡±


    Of course he wouldn¡¯t tell her that he¡¯d sent someone to get it back. He just felt that this lock was pretty, so it was a pity that it could be casually given to others.


    His thoughts were the same as Leng Ning¡¯s. Ever since Madam Leng found out that Xie Zhen had given the longevity lock with silver-dotted blue cloud to the jewelry store owner, she had not only mentioned her name once. She put it on his neck happily and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Xiaoyu!¡±


    When she saw the sweat on Li Yu¡¯s face, she asked doubtfully, ¡°Are you hot?¡±


    He shook his head.


    She learnedter that it was water after the snow had melted. The snowke on his face was roasted by the heat of the room and quickly melted, turning into droplets of water that dripped down.


    Shuang Yu had borrowed Xie Rong¡¯s clothes to get him to change, but he refused to do anything.


    Xie Zhen took out her soft silk handkerchief, stood in front of him, and began to carefully wipe the water drops off his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said in a somewhat fawning tone.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t say anything and apparently didn¡¯t ept her apology.


    She rubbed harder, her small, pretty face almost touching his, her long, raised eyshes quivering slightly as they brushed against the bridge of his nose. She said, ¡°Brother Xiaoyu bit me just now, but I wasn¡¯t angry.¡±


    Li Yu said, ¡°Because you deserve it.¡±


    And why wasn¡¯t she angry? She hated him for being dirty. Li Yu thought.


    If he hadn¡¯t been entrusted by his parents, he wouldn¡¯t havee at all ¡­ Remembering Li Xiqing and Lady Song, Li Yu finally remembered the main purpose of his visit today. ¡°Next month, my family is going to burn incense at the Puyin Temple, and there¡¯s a forest of peaches at the back of the mountain. Mother asked me to ask you two, do you want to go see the peach blossoms together?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but try to calm her down. ¡°You¡¯d better go ask Aunt Leng first.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to be losing interest in the matter. She gave a cheerful grunt of acknowledgment. Wiping the water from his face and neck, and then standing him in front of the fire for a long time, they would let him go home.


    After Li Yu left, Xie Zhen immediately ran to the main house to find Leng.


    At this moment, the door was open. Madam Leng sat in front of the mirror, while Xie Liqing was behind her, brushing her hair.


    Xie Zhen ran to her, and said, ¡°mother, mother, I have something to show you!¡±


    Madam Leng looked no different from her usual self, but her eyes were full of happiness, adding a few traces of beauty to them. Not only did her cold temperament not sh with them, it was also a perfect match.


    She asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    As if offering a gift, she held the hairpin in front of her and asked expectantly, ¡°Is it exactly the same as the hairpin of mother? I bought this for youst time, but unfortunately it broketer on. Brother Xiao Yu picked it up again. Isn¡¯t he very good¡­¡±


    The little girl kept bbering, but Madam Leng listened patiently.


    She smiled. ¡°Very powerful.¡±


    She pointed to the longevity lock on his neck. ¡°Brother Xiaoyu also found this for me.¡±


    Her tone was extremely proud.


    Seeing that Leng was smiling, Xie Zhen told her the purpose of Li Yu¡¯s visit today. After listening, she agreed without any hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ve been in Qingzhou for so long, I didn¡¯t take a good look around. I took advantage of this opportunity to take you out for a walk.¡±


    Xie Zhen was happy and shouted. The bell on her head of the flower chimes up and down, making a clear and melodious sound.

 Chapter 15 – Go To The Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 15 ¨C Go To The Mountain</h4>


    After the New Year, Xie Zhen was six years old. As a girl, she would grow up fast. She was much taller thanst year.


    The summer shirt she had brought back from the capital was already small for her. When Madam Leng took it to her, she made a gesture, causing her cuffs and pants to both be shorter than before. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll let nannie Chen go out to buy some materials and make you some new clothes.¡±


    There was no one who didn¡¯t like the new clothes, and even Xie Zhen was no exception. She happily held Leng¡¯s face and kissed it, ¡°I want to wear a dress, a dress with flowers and birds!¡±


    She was talking about the white flower-patterned embroidered dress of Madam Leng. Madam Leng had only worn it once during the birthday celebration of the Old Ancestor of Duke Dingguo, but this little girl had taken it to heart and wanted a dress that was exactly the same as hers. ¡°When the littlemb grows up, I¡¯ll give you that dress, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really, really?¡± she said, pestering her.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true.¡± Leng said.


    She really liked that dress. She wanted to grow up quickly, and it would be best if she could be as tall as Amma and wear a beautiful dress.


    The next day, nannie Chen brought someone to measure Xie Zhen¡¯s height and Xie Xuan¡¯s height. That afternoon, someone brought the materials into the house for them to choose from. Xie Zhen chose seven or eight cloths, and his skirt and tunic and robe were all made, so I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t need any more clothes for a year.


    Xie Xun was an undecided girl. She chose what Xie Zhen said was good, and ended up with four or five shirts for spring shirts.


    Xie Rong pointed two colors at the same time. As for the others, they were all decided by Madam Leng.


    Madam Leng let nannie Chen to record it. ¡°By the end of this month, you have to have all your clothes made. Otherwise, if the weather gets warm next month, you won¡¯t have any clothes to wear.¡±


    Nannie Chen quickly replied with a ¡°yes¡± before leading the maidservants away.


    After the snow melted, there were several sessive spring rains in the Qingzhou Province. Each one was more lingering than thest. The raindrops fell on the eaves and made a tinkling sound. However, it did note down very fast. It kept going for half a month. On thest day at the end of the month, the weather finally cleared up.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun had been stuck in the room for half a month. They had been bored to the point of hair growing out of their hair. After the rain had stopped, they yed around the entire Xie n mansion once more. Only then did they feel satisfied.


    That afternoon their clothes arrived, and together Xie Zhen made a dozen or so clothes andid them out in a long row on the chaise bed. She picked them up one by one. There was a short dress made of delicate green and red silk, as if it were made from clouds, as well as a dress made from Heavenly Blue Lake crepe and a dress made of goose yellow silk. Because the weather was hot, most of the clothes were worn during the spring and summer, so it was rtively cool.


    She tried them all, and all of they were the right size, and for a moment it was clear that the rain had darkened her mood. At once she selected the clothes she would be wearing in the next few days. They were a cherry blouse and a white dress, and she wore a pair of sandaled shoes, along with the essories of the day, which she had chosen even better than the one that L?nnnnnnnnell had prepared for her.


    One had to say, this youngdy had quite the unique talent in dressing up.


    On the seventh of February, when she had changed her clothes, she sat in front of the mirror and let Shuang Yu brush her hair.


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    Today, she did not have a flower bud on her head. She had tied her hair into two small ringlets with a red ribbon. The ribbons were hanging down from both sides, making her look more like a jade doll in a New Year¡¯s painting, cute and adorable. Shuang Yu knelt down and put on the perfume bag and the safety amulet for her, sincerely sighing, ¡°Miss will definitely grow up to be a devastatingly beautiful woman.¡±


    Xie Zhen does not know what is devastatingly beautiful, she only knows the double fish is praising oneself, smilingly ept.


    Originally, Madam Leng had been worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to clean herself up well, but she didn¡¯t expect that she would not only make herself beautiful, but also dress up Xie Xun. The dress was very soft against her, like a new sprout in the spring, white and tender, and one wanted to pull her out of the ground and take her home and taste her slowly.


    Her daughter seemed more beautiful thanst year, and her features were more delicate. The daughters of others were born beautiful, and the older they grew, the less beautiful they would be. The only difference between her family and others was that she grew more and more beautiful, more and more beautiful every year. She was already so beautiful even though she was only six years old. She wondered how beautiful she would be in a few more years, and whether this would bring about disaster. Madam Leng began to worry.


    Why parents were always worrying? Daughter does not look good to worry, Daughter looks too good to worry, it is really a dilemma.


    Of course, Leng wouldn¡¯t tell her. She just needed to grow up properly. No matter what she looks like, she¡¯s her precious daughter.


    Today, Xie Liqing asked for a day¡¯s leave from the yamen to apany his wife and daughter out.


    When the family of five arrived at the door, the Li family¡¯s carriage was already prepared.


    The two families set off at the same time, rushing towards the Temple of Puning, which was located five miles away from the city. Five Li Mountain was about five Li away from Yidu County, and it would take the carriage about an hour to travel there. They mainly brought the children to the green fields. They stopped and walked on the road, and after two hours, they arrived at the foot of Mount Wuli.


    Only then did the Xie Family learn that the old lords and madams of the Gao Family were also in the temple.


    ¡°The Gao Family originally didn¡¯t n to serve incense, but then they somehow changed their minds and actually came even earlier than us,¡± Madam Song said.


    Madam Leng, on the other hand, did not have any objections. She did not have a deep impression of the Gao Family, so it was the same whether they came or not. Xie Xun, on the other hand, was pushed by Gao Tongtongst time, so far she was a little afraid toe out, hiding behind Xie Rong.


    Xie Rong told her not to be afraid, and held her hand as they walked up the mountain. ¡°With big brother here, no one will dare to bully you.¡±


    The mountain path was slightly rugged. The horse carriage could not move halfway up the mountain. The rest of the road had to be walked on its own. Xie Xun was too young, so the nannie carried her along with the master and his wife, followed by Xie Zhen and Li Yu, and finally Xie Rong. Xie Rong was followed by several other servants who were also closely following behind him to protect their safety.


    Xie Zhen refused to be carried by nannie Chen. She wanted to be hand in hand with Li Yu, ¡°Big brother Xiaoyu, wait for me ¡­¡±


    Li Yu walked faster than her and refused to stand with her.


    Today, when they stood together at the door, he noticed that she had grown a little taller. Li Yu, who was more than half a year older than she was, suffered a heavy blow. He didn¡¯t pay her much attention along the way.


    Was she a bamboo shoot? How could she grew so fast after just a few rounds of spring rain?


    Li Yu hid his hands in his sleeves and wouldn¡¯t let her hold them.


    Who would have thought that this naughty girl would automatically reach into his sleeve, grab his hand, and forcibly open his fingers to sessfully grasp his hand.


    Li Yu had probably never seen anyone so thick-skinned. He was immediately shocked, unable to shake it off.


    Xie Rong followed the two children, not saying a word to stop Xie Zhen, only helping her to avoid harm when she was about to fall. However, Xie Rong wasn¡¯t that friendly with Li Yu ¡­ In Xie Rong¡¯s eyes, it was his sister who always treated him passionately. Yet, Xie Rong¡¯s response was neither cold nor hot. He really didn¡¯t know what was good for him.


    After walking for more than half an hour, they finally arrived at the summit of the mountain.


    At first, Xie Zhen was able to persevere for a while before she was finally unable to move any further. She spread her arms and ran to nannie Chen to ask for carrying her. Her delicate appearance was so adorable that nannie Chen¡¯s heart trembled. She didn¡¯t grumble at all as she carried her up the mountain in one breath.


    Arriving at the entrance of the Temple of Puning, there was a monk waiting for him.


    Temple of Puning had been built with the Li family¡¯s money. The temple master treated the Li family as honored guests, and when he found out that they wanted to borrow a room, he immediately arranged a few rooms in the backyard for the monks to lead them there. The room was clean and clean, the windows were bright and clean, the bedclothes, tables and chairs were all present, it was a good ce to stay.


    The Xie Family had a total of three rooms. Madam Leng and Xie Liqing stayed in one, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun stayed in one, Xie Rong stayed in one by himself. After everything had been arranged, Madam Leng then led them to the Main Hall to pray. Inside the hall, the treasure was solemn, and the eighteen Arhats had different postures. Under this solemn and dignified atmosphere, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun suddenly became much more docile.


    A mother and daughter were kneeling on a prayer mat in front of them. When they stood up and turned around, they discovered that it was Madam Xu and Gao Tongtong.


    Madam Xu smiled and said a few words of greeting to Leng, taking Gao Tongtong with her.


    Gao Tongtong was mercilessly mocked by Xie Rongst time, and she felt so indignant that she didn¡¯t want to see him again in her life. However, when she saw him today, she couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by him. She felt that he was much more handsome and taller than he was a few months ago.


    Xu walked a few steps and found her daughter still staring after him. ¡°Tongtong, what are you looking at?¡±


    Gao Tongtong quickly recovered her wits and caught up with her. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not looking at anything.¡±


    After paying respects to Lord Buddha, Madam Leng led them back to their room to rest.


    After all, they woke up early today and climbed up the mountain for another half an hour. Everyone must be very tired, so they might as well rest for a while and then go to the back of the mountain to look at the peach blossoms in the afternoon.


    He didn¡¯t expect that when he woke up in the afternoon, it would start raining. The fine raindrops were like needles as they dug into the soil of Mount Five Mile. The rain was light and intermittent, and it did not stop until evening.


    Their ns were disrupted and they could not get out. They had to stay in the temple.


    In the middle, Madam Xu took Gao Tongtong, and the two adults talked in the back room, while the children yed under the veranda. This time, Gao Tongtong was smart and was so polite to both Xie Zhen and Xie Xun that for a moment Xie Zhen thought she was out of her mind before she turned into a different person.


    Xie Xun also felt apprehensive, because after the previous example, no matter how she tried to curry favor with them, the two sisters never had much enthusiasm.


    Gao Tongtong apanied them all afternoon with her face, but they showed no sign of it. She was a proud person, and it was already very difficult for her to do this. She angrily flung her sleeves and turned to leave.

 Chapter 16 – Caught Fire

    <h4>Chapter 16 ¨C Caught Fire</h4>


    The next morning, the rain on the mountain finally stopped.


    The sky was blue, and the sun was high in the sky. It was a good day for travelling. The Xie Family and the Li Family met at the back gate of the temple. Just as they were about to depart, the Gao Family¡¯s people came over, saying that they wanted to go with them to see the peach blossoms. Madam Xu brought Gao Tongtong, Madam Zhao brought Gao Xun, and a few maidservants followed behind. It seemed that they hade prepared.


    Madam Song was polite. ¡°The more people, the more lively it will be. Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    The garden was not far from the temple, and they were led by a small monk who walked for about a quarter of an hour. The children were rather obedient and didn¡¯t cause any major troubles.


    Xie Zhen was always by Xie Rong¡¯s side. It was probably because the road down the mountain was not easy to walk. She closely followed Xie Rong. ¡°Big brother, slow down.¡±


    Xie Rong was not Li Yu. Xie Zhen told him to slow down, he would be sure to slow down, and sometimes directly carried her along the road. So along the way, the little girl, Xie Zhen, did not put much effort at all. She was the most spirited in her time in the peach orchard, and Xie Xun fell asleep on the nannie¡¯s shoulder instead.


    The peach orchard had a total of tens of mu. Thousands of peach blossoms bloomed at the same time, forming a beautiful scenery in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Peach petals scattered with the wind. From afar, it looked like a pink ocean rising and falling. Waves surged up, bringing with them a strong fragrance of flowers. Xie Zhen came to a peach tree and looked up at the petals above him, perhaps stunned by the spectacle, and stared for a moment.


    A petal floated down from above, spinning andnding on her forehead. The petals were covered with water droplets that had remained fromst night, covering her forehead with ice-cold water. She reached out to pick them, and a bit of bright red flower juice was imprinted on the ce where the petals fell, like cinnabar that had been intentionally pressed.


    When she smiled and turned her head, the peach blossoms behind her became a foil.


    At such a young age, she already possessed such a beautiful disposition. No wonder Gao Tongtong called her a little fox spirit, it was true. She was not that kind of demure and imposing beauty. She was so beautiful that she was a little bit like a demon.


    Now, she was standing under the Peach Blossom Tree, wearing a white dress. She smiled with her pair of clear eyes and waved at them. ¡°Big brother and mother, quicklye over. The flowers on this tree are very fragrant!¡±


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing did as they were told. Xie Rong also slowly stepped forward, leaving behind a group of people who were looking at them with infatuation.


    With the Xie family gone ¡­ Each one of them was prettier than the other. It was truly a beautiful painting. God was so unfair that those with good looks had gone to their families.


    Gao Xun stood on the spot, staring at his little fairy. He didn¡¯t even hear Madam Zhao cry out several times.


    Madam Zhao helplessly knocked on his head. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°How many times have I called you?¡±


    Only then did he regain his senses, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze. ¡°What did mother call me?¡±


    Madam Zhao pointed ahead. ¡°The little Young Master of the Li family has already been there. Aren¡¯t you going over?¡±


    Gao Xun then saw that Li Yu hade to Xie Zhen, his face turned sideways, there was not much expression on his jade-like face. But Xie Zhen liked him and always talked to him, which made Gao Xun very envious.


    Ever since he had taken them out into the street, but had nearly lost them, he had been ashamed of himself, and he had not had the nerve to look for her. But when he saw her today, he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He walked up to her and mumbled for a long time, then called her name, ¡°Ah Zhen¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Xie Zhen¡¯s attitude towards him didn¡¯t change at all. She was as friendly as ever. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gao Xun felt relieved. He only felt that the depression that had been pressing down on his heart for the past few days hadpletely disappeared. His entire person felt much more rxed. He said what he had been thinking for a long time, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I almost lost youst time ¡­¡± ¡°If something like that happens again in the future, I will definitely protect you well!¡±


    Xie Zhen had almost forgotten it, but now that he mentioned it, her rosy face instantly turned pale.


    It was not really a beautiful memory, and she would rather not remember it.


    ¡°I mean it!¡± Gao Xun stopped forward and gave a promise.


    Xie Zhen really didn¡¯t want to continue this topic. She quickly thought about it, then suddenly remembered to settle the score with him. ¡°You clearly promised me to keep it a secret from everyone, so why did you tell big brother Xiaoyu about the hairpin?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want Li Yu to know, but she felt that since he had promised her, she shouldn¡¯t tell others.


    Gao Xun suddenly felt he was in the wrong. He looked at Li Yu guiltily. ¡°I ¡­¡± His gaze was obviously begging Li Yu to speak up for him.


    But as if he didn¡¯t see it, Li Yu turned to look at the luscious peach blossoms behind him, leaving Gao Xun alone to face Xie Zhen¡¯s usation.


    In the end, Gao Xun was scolded by Little Fairy until his head drooped and he admitted his mistake. Even so, his heart was still happy and willing.


    Gao Tongtong was close to Xie Zhen, and she followed her wherever she went.


    There is a small building in the depths of the peach garden, built with bamboo, all four sides wind, elegant and elegant. A bamboo table was set up in the middle, and even the teacups were made of bamboo tubes. Not only did they not seem to conflict with the surrounding peach trees, they evenbined the two colors red and green perfectly.


    The women stopped in the small building to drink tea and talk.


    Not long after, the serving maid brought out several tes of cantaloupe fruits and a peach blossom wine, pouring a small half cup into each of the cups.


    Madam Leng takes a sip, sweet in the mouth, between the teeth seem to contain a piece of fragrant peach blossom, swallow down the stomach, still taste endless.


    Madam Xu also took a sip, but her attention was not on the peach blossom wine, but rather on the outside of the small building. ¡°Tongtong really has a good rtionship with your daughter¡­¡±


    Not far away, beneath a tree, she saw Gao Tongtong following Xie Xun. Wherever the nannie went with Xie Xun, she followed.


    Those who didn¡¯t know would think that their rtionship was really good.


    Xie Xun felt that today Gao Tongtong seems to always follow him, wherever she goes she will go, and she also showed a lot of enthusiasm to him, asking questions and questions.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t want to answer at all, because she was asking strange questions.


    For example, ¡°What are you ying at home?¡±


    And, ¡°What is Xie Rong doing? He went to school and invited Teacher, how did you do your homework? What does he usually like? ¡¯


    As he spoke, he ran over to his older brother.


    Xie Xun was too young to remember this much, so she quickly lost patience and shook her head like a rattle drum. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Gao Tongtong didn¡¯t lose her patience. ¡°You tell me this, and I¡¯ll buy you a snack at Ruyi.¡±


    Xie Xun puffed out his cheeks and shook her head firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Only God knew how determined she was to refuse the good food for her brother. She was four years old and didn¡¯t know what it was like to hate a person, but she subconsciously rejected Gao Tongtong.


    She wanted to go to Xie Zhen, but after a few steps, she was blocked by Gao Tongtong. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll get my servants to buy it for you when I get back. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you like about Xie Zhen and Xie Rong, and I¡¯ll prepare it for you?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s beautiful eyes were widened, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Gao Tongtong took a deep breath. ¡°Is there anything he doesn¡¯t like?¡±


    Xie Xun said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Gao Tongtong finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She bent down and poked her forehead. ¡°Howe you don¡¯t know? That doesn¡¯t know. Are you stupid?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have much strength left at first, but Xie Xun took a half step back, stepped right on top of a protruding rock, staggered, and sat straight on the ground. Ignoring her, the nannie hurriedly helped her up, dusted off the dirt on her body, and asked worriedly, ¡°Where does it hurt, Miss?¡± ¡°Did you fall?¡±


    Xie Hun rubbed his buttocks and said it hurts.


    In the small building, Madam Leng and Madam Xu noticed the situation here and immediately got up and rushed over. Leng carried Xie Xun over and asked her what was going on.


    Gao Tongtong rushed in front of her and said, ¡°I was ying with Ah Xun. I only touched her lightly, but she fell over. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    Her sincere apology made it hard for the adults to say anything.


    However, Madam Leng¡¯splexion did not look too good. Her daughter had been through so many mishaps because of her, but she had never been able to develop a good impression of this little girl.


    Due to the presence of the Madam Xu, Madam Leng only said, ¡°In the future, just pay more attention.¡±


    Madam Xu was still reasonable, so she pulled her daughter along to apologize a few times. This matter was over just like that.


    After the adults left, there were only a few children left.


    With Xie Xun and Xie Rong behind him, Xie Zhen¡¯s pretty face was full of anger as she red at Gao Tongtong. ¡°Did you bully Ah Xun again?¡±


    How could Gao Tongtong admit, ¡°I already said she was not standing steadily on her own, what does that have to do with me?¡±


    Xie Xun leaned into Xie Rong¡¯s arms and rubbed his neck before saying in a troubled tone, ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    Xie Rong hesitated, then touched the back of her head. ¡°Ah Xun is not stupid. Ah Xun is the second cleverest person in our family.¡± The first, of course, was Xie Zhen. As an older brother, he never argued with them, and then asked, ¡°Who said that about you?¡±


    Under Xie Rong¡¯s guidance, Xie Xun started to exin what had happened.


    Xie Rong¡¯s face was extremely unsightly. He put her on hisp and stood up to look at Gao Tongtong. ¡°Does the second miss of Gao Family think you are very smart?¡±


    Gao Tongtong, who was still confronting Xie Zhen, didn¡¯t notice what was going on behind her. ¡°What?¡±


    Xie Rong asked again, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t you even guess what I like and whether or not my lessons are good?¡±


    Gao Tongtong waspletely dumbfounded as he looked at him, at a loss.


    Xie Rong continued, ¡°If you want to know more about my situation, you should be kinder to my sister. Otherwise, not only this time, but the next time, and the next time, she won¡¯t tell you.¡± He looked down and rubbed Xie Xue¡¯s head. ¡°Is it right, Ah Xun?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded vigorously, perhaps because she felt that it was not enough, and added: ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Gao Tongtong, who blushed, could not wait to find a hole in the ground and nevere out again.


    When they returned to the Temple of Puyin at noon, Madam Leng had a discussion with Xie Liqing, nning to depart early tomorrow to return to the estate.


    After the temple fasts, all three children were exhausted, and Leng sent them back to their room to rest. She and Xie Liqing were not sleepy, so theyid on their beds and talked for a while.


    After a while, when they were about to fall asleep, the window outside suddenly lit up, and the firelight illuminated the sky.


    Xie Liqing stood up and looked out the window. He saw that the source of the fire wasing from the Main Hall. It wasn¡¯t far away, and he could almost hear the crackling of sparks.


    He was shocked. ¡°Why is the main hall burning?¡±


    As he spoke, he went over to take a look.


    Afraid of his impulsiveness, Leng hurriedly put on her clothes and followed him.


    The children were still sleeping soundly. Madam Leng had the maidservants take care of them, so she didn¡¯t need to wake up.


    Not long after Leng and Xie Liqing left, Xie Zhen woke up. She couldn¡¯t find her father and mother, and when she heard Shuang Yu say they were ahead, she noticed a red glow on the horizon. The fire grew stronger, until half the sky was red.


    Most of the people living in the temple had gone off to catch the fire, and neither Madam Song nor Li Xiqing were there. The backyard suddenly became extremely quiet.


    Xie Xun was still sleeping and they couldn¡¯t wake her up no matter how hard they tried.


    She was a little afraid by herself, so she didn¡¯t think much of it. She ran to his room, which was the closest to hers.


    Li Yu¡¯s door was tightly shut, and there were no maids outside.


    The door was unlocked, and Xie Zhen pushed it open and stepped inside.


    ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, are you there?¡± she asked softly.


    However, just as she entered the inner room, before she could see what was going on inside, a hand came out from behind her back and covered her mouth.

 Chapter 17 – Assassination

    <h4>Chapter 17 ¨C Assassination</h4>


    Outside the house, Shuang Yu cackled twice, but no one answered.


    At first she thought Xie Zhen was talking to Li Yu, so she didn¡¯t go in, but after a while they didn¡¯te out.


    Only then did she realize that something was wrong, and she entered the room.


    ¡°Second Miss?¡±


    However, there was no one in the room. She walked around the screen and looked inside, but there was no sign of Xie Zhen and Li Yu!


    Panicking, she searched the room inside and outside, but she couldn¡¯t find Xie Zhen.


    How was this possible, she had seen the second miss enter the room just now? Howe she disappeared in the blink of an eye! Only now did she notice that the bed was a little messy and the window was slightly open. It was obvious that someone had just left.


    Shuang Yu hurried out of the room and chased after him. ¡°Second Miss, Young Master Li!¡±


    The people in the temple were all busy fighting the fire, so no one noticed her situation. She didn¡¯t dare to dy any further and hurriedly ran to the front to notify Xie Liqing and Madam Leng.


    Unfortunately, it was already toote. Xie Zhen and Li Yu had already been taken away.


    Xie Zhen was carried on someone else¡¯s shoulder, a rag stuck in her mouth, and she couldn¡¯t even scream. The man who carried her walked on the rough mountain road, making her stomach hurt. She was clearly extremely afraid, but she didn¡¯t dare to cry out. She was afraid that if she made a sound, the other party would kill her.


    Just now, she had gone to Li Yu¡¯s room to look for him. As soon as she entered the room, before she could see what was going on inside, a hand had covered her from behind.


    The hand was rough and dry with a thick cocoon on it. It was obviously not Li Yu¡¯s hand.


    She was about to struggle when she saw another person pick up Li Yu and re at her fiercely, ¡°If you dare to shout, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    The fair of eyes were so sharp and fierce that she immediately shut her mouth in fear.


    Li Yu had not expected her toe. He was calmer than she was, but he was still a child after all. He couldn¡¯t help but yell at her: ¡°Why are you standing there? Why don¡¯t you run?¡±


    Without any hesitation, Xie Zhen broke away from the hand and turned to run.


    She thought that if she ran away, she could find her parents to save big brother Xiao Yu. She didn¡¯t want to die here.


    But before she reached the door, the person carrying Li Yu regretted it. He raised his chin towards his partner and said, ¡°Bring her with you, and we¡¯ll settle it together.¡±


    The two people carrying them were both dressed in ck with their faces covered. Their facial features could not be seen clearly, and one could only tell that they were martial artists that they were not weak. They each carried a child to the halfway point of the mountain. Originally, they wanted to resolve this problem on the spot, but they felt that they were too close to the temple and could easily be seen through.


    They nearly bounced out Xie Zhen¡¯s breakfast and lunch out of her stomach before they stopped and threw her and Li Yu to the ground.


    The back of her head hit the trunk of the tree, and her upper and lower teeth caught her tongue, and the pain made her tear up.


    She sobbed and forced herself not to cry as she subconsciously reached out to grab Li Yu.


    Li Yu was slightly better off than her. At least he wasn¡¯t injured. He quickly got up and stood in front of her. He lifted his delicate eyebrows and looked at the two men in ck, ¡°Who are you two? What are you going to do?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t looked closely just now, but now he caught a glimpse of the sunlight. This brat really did look simr ¡­ The one in the Forbidden City ¡­


    Even though he was still young, he could already see the outline between his eyebrows. As for his overbearing attitude, ordinary children would never be able to learn it.


    No wonder someone had tried to get rid of him.


    One of the burly men in ck grabbed him by the arm and lifted him up. Did I bring you here to drink tea? ¡±


    As he said this, he took out his sabre from his waist, the cold de edge reflecting a dazzling light under the sunlight. The light pierced into Li Yu¡¯s eyes, causing him to subconsciously close his eyes, and then he felt a chill on his face. When he opened his eyes, the de slid down his cheek all the way to his chest.


    Seeing that the man in ck was about to stab into Li Yu¡¯s chest, Xie Zhen hurriedly shouted, ¡°No!¡±


    After saying that, she got up from the ground and stumbled over to the man in ck. Holding onto his leg, she lifted up her delicate and innocent face, which had two pairs of watery eyes like ck grapes. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t kill Brother Xiaoyu, I beg you, don¡¯t kill him ¡­¡±


    The ck clothed person had never seen such a cute girl before. Regardless of whether it was the daughter of a famous n or the princess, there was never a person who was so lovable. He was stunned for a moment before recovering and kicking her aside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the next one will be you!¡±


    Originally, they didn¡¯t intend to kill her, but she had broken their action, so when she went back, she would definitely say something that she shouldn¡¯t say to others. In order to reduce the trouble, it was better to silence her immediately.


    Li Yu¡¯s shoulder was in so much pain from being grabbed that it seemed as if his bones were about to break. He clenched his teeth and said, ¡°You dare ¡­¡±


    You dare to touch one of her fingers.


    At this time, he was still young and did not know the meaning of the second half of the sentence. He only felt angry. He was angry because he was somehow implicated, because she was injured because of him.


    The man in ck sneered. He probably thought that it wasughable to be threatened by a child, and didn¡¯t even bother to exin himself.


    The sword cut through his clothes and stabbed into his chest.


    Li Yu frowned and asked, ¡°Why did you kill us?¡±


    The man might think he was dying, or he might think he was talking to a child, but he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why? There¡¯s no such thing as¡¯ why ¡®. If someone wants you to die, you can¡¯t live on!¡±


    He stabbed the de deeper as he spoke.


    Li Yu clenched his teeth in pain. The feeling of his flesh being cut was exceptionally clear. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sorrowful cry.


    However, when he tried to pierce Li Yu¡¯s chest, he suddenly stopped. The man in ck¡¯s eyes were wide open as he looked down at the long de that suddenly appeared in his chest. Blood was dripping from the tip of the de. It wasing out from his chest.


    It was another man in ck.


    That person didn¡¯t pull out the de. Instead, he grabbed the handle and spun it around. The pain immediately made the other party roll his eyes, release Li Yu, and fall to the side stiffly.


    The man opened his mask, revealing a cold and handsome face. The man opened his mask, revealing a cold and handsome face. He looked at the notpletely dead ck clothed person on the ground and gently opened his thin lips. He said, ¡°To even chase and kill a child, she truly has a venomous heart.¡±


    The man in ck stared at his face. He wanted to say something, but was unable to. In the end, he rolled his eyes and died.


    Both Xie Zhen and Li Yu were pampered little ancestors, so they were stunned when they saw such a bloody scene. Xie Zhen, in particr, stared dumbly at the man who made his move and asked, ¡°Why did you kill him? Aren¡¯t you guys on the same side? Did you betray him?¡±


    The man drew out his sword and handed it to the others who appeared behind him. ¡°We are not in the same group.¡±


    Waves of guards rushed out of the forest and knelt respectfully behind him. Who was he?


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to let us go?¡± Xie Zhen asked in a low and frightened voice.


    The person actually nodded. His expression didn¡¯t change. Instead, he spoke with a hint of mercy, ¡°Go as far away as possible from the capital.¡±


    At a time like this, even if Xie Zhen didn¡¯t understand what he had said she was going to nod and say, ¡°Uh-huh, we¡¯ll go!¡±


    That person took another deep nce in this direction, his gazending on Li Yu¡¯s face. His expression changed unnoticeably, and he quickly regained his calm expression. He then turned around and led the group of people away.


    Li Yu¡¯s chest had a hole pierced through. Although it wasn¡¯t deep, it was still a wound that was constantly bleeding.


    There were only the two of them in the wilderness, and for a moment, Xie Zhen felt as helpless and lonely as ever. Facing the injured Li Yu, she didn¡¯t know how to save him.


    Xie Zhen folded his hands and covered his injured area, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, will you die? Don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll take you back to Auntie Song.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but cough. This movement involved a wound to his chest, causing him to grimace in pain. His earlier calmness was long gone.


    Sweat appeared on his forehead, probably due to his earlier fear.


    Poor Xie Zhen had been terrified. They didn¡¯t know where they were being taken, but they had the feeling that they were going so far that they couldn¡¯t even see the temple. The sun was about to set, and if they didn¡¯t get back to the temple soon, they would be eaten by the wolves and tigers.


    ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, get up. Let¡¯s go back quickly ¡­¡±


    Li Yu nodded and followed behind her, clutching his chest.


    There were weeds on both sides of the road. Some were even half the height of a human, making walking very difficult. Moreover, the mountain was not yet civilized, and the road was full of gravel. It was very difficult to walk on it.


    Xie Zhen held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked for a while. She felt that it was harder and harder for her to drag Li Yu, until she couldn¡¯t drag him any longer. She turned around and saw Li Yu lying on the ground, unmoving. The weeds on both sides of the road were almost dripping with his blood.


    ¡°Brother Xiaoyu!¡±


    ¡°Are you dead?¡± She screamed, fearing he would die just like the man in ck. She shook his arm in panic. ¡°Say something!¡±


    After a long while, Li Yu let out a slow breath and said leisurely, ¡°How can I talk to you if I¡¯m dead ¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t die.¡± she muttered, as tears trickled down her face.


    Li Yu nodded.


    He didn¡¯t want to die here.


    This time he could not move, and Xie Zhen could not bear to leave him behind. She put his arm around her shoulders and dragged him forward.


    He was taller than she was, so it wasn¡¯t hard to help him up. But as time went on, she got tired.


    No matter how good the children¡¯s feet were, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the mountain tonight. Not long after Xie Zhen helped Li Yu to walk, the sun went down. The forest was quickly enveloped by ayer of darkness. It was pitch ck all around, and only a bit of light remained on the horizon.


    Xie Zhen was panicked and kept asking Li Yu, ¡°What should we do? What should we do?¡±


    At this moment, the wound on Li Yu¡¯s chest had already solidified and was no longer bleeding. Moreover, he was numb from the pain, so he could no longer feel any pain. He was about to say something when he heard a wolf¡¯s howl in the far valley.

 Chapter 18 – The Village

    <h4>Chapter 18 ¨C The Vige</h4>


    The howls of the wolves were especially clear in the empty valley at night.


    Xie Zhen trembled and subconsciously approached Li Yu.


    They were both children, and although Li Yu was more mature than she was, he couldn¡¯t help but be afraid. Now thest of the western sun was gone, and the woods soon grew dark, and the cold night light fell through the leaves on the ground at their feet, sprinkling the ground with silver dust. There was no light around them, and they could only see the road in front of them by the light of the moon.


    Li Yu did not hesitate this time and held her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to hide.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked around, afraid that a beast might suddenly pop out from a corner. She had never seen wolves, but when other parents threatened their children, they said they would let the wolves take them if they didn¡¯t listen, and she kept that in mind and was afraid of animals like jackals and tigers and leopards.


    After walking for a while, probably attracted by the smell of blood on Li Yu¡¯s body, the howls of wolves grew closer and closer.


    Her thin legs were sore from walking, but she dared not say she was tired, because Li Yu was even more pitiful than she was and he was wounded. She blinked, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes, ¡°Big brother Xiaoyu, are you still in pain? Do you want me to carry you?¡±


    Li Yu shook his head without thinking. ¡°No need.¡±


    He was a boy, and older than her, so how could he let her to carry him? And now it doesn¡¯t hurt much. Since Xie Zhen¡¯s so stupid and thin, carrying him on her back will only slow her down.


    Not far ahead was a vige, with smoke rising from the chimneys of several houses. If they reached the vige before the wolves, they might be able to save their lives.


    After Li Yu told this idea to Xie Zhen, she immediately got excited and walked faster than before, ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and followed her.


    In fact, he couldn¡¯t even move anymore. He had lost too much blood, and he had already reached his limit. He felt the sight before him grow more and more blurry, and his vision became more and more dim. Finally, his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.


    Xie Zhen heard the sound and turned her head, and fear and helplessness surged through her. She burst into tears.


    She squatted in front of Li Yu and called out, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, Brother Xiao Yu ¡­¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t even have the strength to look down on her. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°You can leave by yourself.¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    She was a child and did not understand any logic. All she knew was that they were goodpanions. If she wanted to leave, she could only leave together. If she wanted to live, she could not leave him behind. Even if Li Yu walked slower and slower, she had never thought of abandoning him and running away, leaving him here alone.


    As the wolves drew nearer, she look back and see, through the misty tears, eyes glowing green in the distance.


    She bit her lower lip and frantically wiped away her tears with her sleeve. She grabbed Li Yu¡¯s arm and carried him onto her back. After she saw the road clearly, she used thest of her strength to move forward.


    Li Yu¡¯s voice was weak and filled with disappointment. ¡°Do you want to die?¡±


    She shook her head, choking, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, and Brother Xiaoyu can¡¯t die either. We¡¯re going home together.¡±


    She ran out of breath and slowly lost her strength, but she still refused to let go of Li Yu. Li Yu¡¯s legs were dragging on the ground. Just as he was about to persuade her to give up, she slipped and fell down the hill with him.


    During this period, Li Yu was pressed down to the point that his wound was pressed. With a stuffy groan, he fainted.


    As soon as she got to her feet, a torch lit up the road around her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    This man was from a nearby vige. He had no firewood when he was cooking, so he came out to look for them. He didn¡¯t expect to see two children.


    At most, he was six or seven years old. One of them had a injury in his chest , while the other waspletely exhausted. Just looking at them made one¡¯s heart ache.


    How old were them to suffer such a tribtion?


    The savior¡¯s surname was Wang, and he was ranked fourth in the family, and was named Wang Laosi. Seeing the poor children, he took them home.


    In order to deal with the wolves on the mountain, the vigers had built fires around the vige. Every few dozen steps, there would be a fire, and the wolves would not dare toe close at night.


    Wang Laosi¡¯s wife,Madam Wang Yang, was still waiting for the firewood. When she went out to wee him, she saw that he was carrying firewood on his shoulder and two children were lying on the donkey cart behind him. She couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wang Laosi told her everything that had happened, and she carried the two children into the house without any word. Seeing that their clothes had been cut by thorns, he changed them into the clothes of his own children. Coincidentally, the Wang family also had a boy and a girl, both as old as they were.


    Li Yu was wounded in the chest and couldn¡¯t be dyed. Wang Laosi went to invite the vige doctor early in the morning.


    Madam Wang Yang had Xie Zhen¡¯s hairbed again. Her original hair was all messed up, and the woman didn¡¯tb the rich family¡¯s messy bun, so she put two simple braids on her head and left them on her sides. Madam Wang Yang sent her daughter and son to fetch a basin of water, wiping their faces and their hands. Only then did she realize that the two of them were born with delicate and exquisite breasts that could tell with a nce that they weren¡¯t the children of an ordinary family.


    She sighed. She didn¡¯t know who had caused the two jade dolls to suffer like this.


    When everything was ready, she let her children take care of Xie Zhen and Li Yu and went back to the kitchen to cook.


    Xie Zhen woke up due to a burst of fragrance. Her hands and feet were aching, and she didn¡¯t even have the strength to open her eyes. She was so hungry that she slowly lifted her eyelids.


    She could see the two standing by the bed at first nce. They were staring at her with curiosity and suspicion, and even a little surprise.


    Xie Zhen ignored them and immediately looked for brother Xiao Yu.


    Fortunately, Li Yu was lying beside her. His chest had been bandaged and he had changed into a clean set of clothes. He looked a little better than before.


    The little girl at the head of the bed said, ¡°Father got a doctor and spent twenty coins.¡±


    Her tone was filled with heartache.


    ¡°You saved us?¡± Xie Zhen asked.


    The little girl nodded, ¡°Father saved you.¡±


    She said sincerely, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The little girl smiled and shyly hid behind her brother.


    When dinner was ready, Li Yu was still sleeping.


    Xie Zhen had dinner with the members of Wang family, which consisted of ordinary farmers¡¯ dishes, fried bamboo shoots and leek eggs, and because of their arrival, Madam Wang Yang made a chicken stew mushroom. The meal is not as delicate as at home, but Xie Zhen is not picky and eats better than ever.


    Halfway through her meal, she suddenly thought of something and embarrassedly pointed to the dishes on the table. ¡°Can I save some for big brother Xiaoyu ¡­¡±


    As she was afraid that they would not agree, she quickly added, ¡°He doesn¡¯t eat much, just a little bit.¡±


    Madam Wang Yang¡¯s heart ached uncontrobly, ¡°Eat it, there is something else for him.¡±


    Xie Zhen thanked her happily and went back to her meal.


    After supper, it waspletely dark. There weren¡¯t many other things in the vige, just a lot of houses. Madam Wang Yang cleaned up an empty room for them, ced a soft pillow on top of a mattress, and carried over two quilts, ¡°You can sleep here tonight. If you need anything, go call me from the next room.¡±


    Xie Zhen lifted her head, with tears in her eyes. She said, ¡°When I get home, I will tell my father and my mother thank you properly.¡±


    Madam Wang Yang rubbed her head, ¡°Tomorrow, let the vigers ask where your home is. You can definitely go back, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    She cried, ¡°Hmm ¡­¡±


    After Madam Wang Yang left, the room sank into silence and darkness.


    Countryside oilmps were expensive, and ordinary people didn¡¯t want to use them. Normally, they would go to bed after nightfall.


    Xie Zhen groped her way to Li Yu¡¯s side, leaned close to him, and tentatively called him ¡°Brother Xiao Yu¡±. Li Yu didn¡¯t answer, but she felt at ease. She fell asleep beside him not longter.


    When she woke up again, it was already the day.


    The sunlight stabbed in through the window. She curled up and groaned. When she opened her eyes, she met Li Yu¡¯s gaze as he stared at her.


    She eximed in surprise, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    Li Yu was awake for a long time, but her hands and feet were wrapped around him, making it impossible for him to get up. He wanted to push her away, but he thought of that she stubbornly carried him on her back yesterday. Forget it, letting her hug him for a while isn¡¯t a big deal, Li Yu thought to himself, so hey quietly, waiting for her to wake up.


    Then she realized she was still holding him, so she quickly let him go and sat up. She asked, ¡°Are you hungry? Does it hurt? Yesterday, Auntie Yang saved us and called a doctor for you ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she saw Li Yu looking at her strangely, making her feel inexplicably nervous.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Yu reached out to grab her ponytail with a puzzled expression. ¡°How did your hair be like this?¡±


    If he didn¡¯t say it, she wouldn¡¯t realize it. She put all her attention to the dinnerst night and had fallen asleep after dinner, and hadn¡¯t noticed that her hairstyle had changed. There was no mirror, and she looked down and saw two thick ck braids of braids.


    She said, ¡°Aunt Yang probablybed it for me.¡± She then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡±


    Li Yu turned his head away and said, ¡°So ugly.¡±


    In fact, it was not as ugly as he said. Her skin was white and her little face was beautiful. No matter how bad it was, it would always look good. Even if it was an ordinary ponytail, the way shebed it was indescribably adorable and adorable.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t care about it, and wanted to get off bed.


    She was used to be served by the maidservants and nannie, so when there was no one around, she could not put on even a pair of shoes. In the end, she simply ced them on her feet and went straight to Madam Wang Yang¡¯s room to call for help.


    Madam Wang Yang and Wang Laosi woke up early and heated up water for Xie Zhen and Li Yu, taking care of them with a simple wash.


    Madam Wang Yang went to cook dinner. Breakfast was millet congee with a few simple side dishes and the most proficient fried radish cake.


    The turnips were thest of the winter, and they didn¡¯t fried much, so everyone got two. Xie Zhen was not full, Li Yu gave her his one, pursed his lips, and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Xie Zhen refused it, and gave it back to him. ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood. You need to eat more.¡±


    Li Yu frowned and pinched her bowl again. ¡°If I let you eat it, then eat it.¡±


    The two of them pushed and turned, but in the end, Madam Wang Yang gave them her one and the two of them finally stopped.


    Madam Wang Yang knocked on the heads of her two children, educating them, ¡°Look at how good their rtionship is, then look at you two. All you know how to do is fight all day long.¡±


    The two children stuck out their tongues.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t hear her. She was concentrating on her meal.


    But Li Yu heard it. He turned to look at Xie Zhen, then turned around after a while. He lowered his head and took a bite of radish frying cake, but didn¡¯t retort.


    After breakfast, Wang Laosi was about to go to the vige to find a way home for Xie Zhen and Li Yu.


    Before he could go out, he was stopped by a tall and muscr man who was dressed as a servant.


    ¡°Did you see two children, five or six years old?¡± he asked.


    Wang Laosi quickly sized this person up. He recalled how his two children were in dire straits yesterday and did not know whether he should tell the truth or not.

 Chapter 19 – Suffering

    <h4>Chapter 19 ¨C Suffering</h4>


    Just as Wang Laosi opened his mouth, ¡°No ¡­¡±


    Behind the squire¡¯s back, a head poked out, boyish and unshakable: ¡°I smell Ah Zhen, they must be here!¡±


    Wang Laosi thought to himself, does this brat have a dog nose? He can even smell it ¡­ As he was thinking, he slipped through the crack in the door and stood in the yard, shouting, ¡°Ah Zhen, Ah Yu, are you there?¡±


    Soon, Xie Zhen and Li Yu came out of the house with faces full of disbelief.


    They had never thought that someone woulde here, and this person was Gao Xun. How did he find me? Xie Zhen was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes, and she took the initiative to rush over and join him. ¡°How did you know we were here? Only you are here? Where¡¯s my father and mother? Where are they?¡±


    Gao Xun took out a piece of silk he had prepared earlier and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I came with my parents. They¡¯re nearby. We¡¯ve been searching this hill for an entire morning and we¡¯ve finally found you ¡­ Don¡¯t cry, Uncle and Auntie are fine, but they¡¯re worried about you. Alright, you guys quicklye back with me.¡±


    She nodded and calmed herself down, and then pulled Li Yu over. She said to Gao Xun, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu is injured. We need to find a doctor for him as soon as possible when we get back.¡±


    Gao Xun didn¡¯t ignore it, so he hurriedly ordered a servant to go back to Temple of Puning to get a doctor, so as to avoid wasting time.


    When he was done, he realized that both of them were wearing coarse hemp, especially the ponytail on Xie Zhen¡¯s head. At first nce, they really did look like little girls from the countryside. It was just that her appearance was too beautiful, and she could not conceal her natural wealth and noble temperament no matter how hard she tried.


    Gao Xun looked at their attire and could not help but ask with his handsome face, ¡°Why are you guys wearing this set of clothes?¡±


    Xie Zhen opened her arms, and said reluctantly, ¡°our clothes have been cut by the grass. Aunt Yang lent them to us¡­¡±


    Madam Wang Yang¡¯s daughter was one year younger than her. Her clothes were smaller on her body, revealing her delicate white wrists. Under the sunlight, they were as white as white jade. It was just that her wrist had been scratched with several red lines from the rough cloth. Her skin was delicate and delicate, making her unable to wear such rough clothes. However, after wearing it for the entire night, there was not a single word ofint.


    Gao Xun clearly wanted to look at her hands, but he had no choice but to hold himself back. His face was red as he said, ¡°The carriage is at the vige entrance. I will bring you there right away.¡±


    As he was leaving, Xie Zhen said ¡°hold on¡±.


    She searched her entire body and only found a small jade-green fish. She didn¡¯t know if it was worth money or not. He could only ask Gao Wenshu, ¡°Do you have any money with you?¡±


    Gao Xun was too focused on finding them. Where would he find the money? He could not bear to disappoint him, so he searched every guard, barely gathering seven or eight taels of silver and dozens of copper coins. He fumbled around on his own body, found a jade ginseng pendant and a small pearl, and handed them all to her. ¡°Only these valuable things, what are you going to do with them?¡±


    She grinned gratefully. ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter!¡±


    She turned around and ran under the eaves. Lady Wang Yang and her two children were standing in front of the door of the living room. Xie Zhen held a handful of gold and silver jewelry in front of her, and her smile was as bright as a small sun: ¡°Aunt Yang, these are all for you. Thank you for treating big brother Xiao Yu, and thank you for letting us eat and sleep!¡±


    Madam Wang Yang had never seen so many jewels in her life, so how could she dare to ept them? She nervously rejected, ¡°No, no, it was just a small effort ¡­¡±


    However, he did not know what kind of noble people they had saved. It was only natural that he would receive such a reward.


    She refused to ept it, but Xie Zhen was a smart girl, so she immediately stuffed these things into Madam Wang Yang¡¯s daughter¡¯s hands. Before the other side could react, she was already far away.


    The little girl stood in the courtyard with her eyes curved in a smile,pletely different from the dejected look she had yesterday. The warm spring sun shined on her body, coating her body with ayer of golden fur. She looked extremely soft.


    Madam Wang Yang was about to thank them with the two children, but they already got into the carriage and drove off.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really met a noble person ¡­¡± Madam Wang Yang sighed with emotion.


    Sitting in the carriage on the return journey, Xie Zhen¡¯s heart immediately calmed down.


    The terrifying fear from yesterday was still fresh in her mind. She could still remember the widened eyes of the man in ck when he died, as well as the howls of wolves one after another ¡­ She didn¡¯t expect that she would be able to escape. She even felt that she had gotten a great bargain.


    After the suffering, both Xie Zhen and Li Yu seemed to have be much closer to each other all of a sudden.


    The two of them didn¡¯t notice it themselves, but the onlookers Gao Xun could see it clearly.


    They sat together. Although Li Yu wasn¡¯t very excited, he didn¡¯t frown as he usually did, and he didn¡¯t ignore her. He even exchanged a few words with her. Gao Xun looked back and forth between them in surprise. He wondered what had happened to them, how their rtionship had suddenly improved.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t notice his eyes at all and started to carefully care about Li Yu¡¯s injuries, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, does it still hurt?¡±


    Li Yu shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    Xie Zhen was almost crying, ¡°you lost so much blood yesterday, I thought you were going to die¡­¡±


    When Gao Xun heard this, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°Blood?¡± ¡°Why are you bleeding?¡±


    He remembered that he had forgotten to ask them why they hade here, what they had experienced yesterday, who had taken them away? He only knew that after the great hall of Temple of Puning was set aze, the maid cried out in rm from the backyard, saying that the two of them had been kidnapped by the criminals.


    The couple from the Xie family and the Li family nearly fainted when they heard this. They immediately sent all of their servants to search the mountains, searching without stopping for a single night.


    It wasn¡¯t until this morning when he tried everything to beg his parents for help that the Second Master of Gao family finally agreed to take him out. Who would have thought that he would actually be the one to find him.


    Xie Zhen told him what had happened to her the day before, and he was scared, and he didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d gotten there.


    Gao Xun felt both heartache and admiration for her. ¡°You carry Ah Yu on your back.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and pursed his lips without saying anything.


    He asked, ¡°Who are those people?¡± ¡°Why should I kill you?¡±


    Xie Zhen was also confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, there¡¯s one more person who helped us, and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on ¡­ ¡°They are clearly in the same group!¡±


    Gao Xun still wanted to ask something, but the carriage had already arrived at the vige entrance and was converging with the carriage of the Second Master of Gao family.


    When the Second Master of Gao family learned that Gao Xun had found them, he heaved a sigh of relief. Seeing that the two children were unharmed, he hurried back to the temple to inform everyone that there was no need to look for them.


    Back at Temple of Puning, the Xie family and the Li family had long heard the news and rushed to the entrance of the temple to wee them.


    Seeing a carriage from a distance, before it could reach them, Xie Zhen¡¯s smiling face poked out and shouted from afar, ¡°Father, Mother!¡±


    At the same time, the tears of Madam Leng burst forth, tears of joy streaming down her face.


    They were really two children who had suffered many disasters. They had nearly met danger when walking down the street, and now, they could be robbed in a temple. Fortunately, she found it in time. Otherwise, she really didn¡¯t know how to survive.


    Without waiting for the carriage to steady itself, Xie Zhen impatiently rushed into Leng¡¯s arms, holding her and acting pitifully, ¡°Mother, I was scared ¡­Someone is trying to kill us, and the wolf as well. Brother Xiao Yu and I are both very scared.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll protect you ¡­¡±


    Yesterday, Shuang Yu had said that they had been taken away by the ck clothed men. Xie Liqing had immediately sent people to investigate the identities of those people, but the criminals hade and left without a trace. A day and a night went by without a clue.


    What kind of person would go against a child? Or was it because of their master¡¯s grudge, that he took revenge on the child?


    Madam Leng still couldn¡¯t figure it out. They had just arrived in the Qingzhou Province and they didn¡¯t have any enmity with anyone, so how could there be anyone who wanted to harm them?


    She forgot one thing. Xie Zhen had been taken in Li Yu¡¯s room, apparently for Li Yu¡¯s sake.


    Xie Zhen was only implicated.


    The Li family¡¯s couple knew this very well. After taking Li Yu from the carriage and seeing his chest injury, they both felt anxious and distressed. They carried him to the backyard of the temple.


    Li Yu was tired as well, so he didn¡¯t refuse and justid on her shoulder. Looking back, just in time to see Xie Zhen like a lostmb, nestling in the arms of Leng¡¯s rub, satisfied and aggrieved.


    In the backyard, the doctor opened the gauze bandages he had wrapped around his chest and made a new diagnosis. The vige medicine was rough, and the herbs had not been meticulously ground and were not good for healing wounds. The doctor also prescribed two sets of medicine for external use and told him to drink and change his medicine every day so that he wouldn¡¯t have to move around too much. The wound wasn¡¯t very deep and would only take half a month to heal.


    Only then did the Song Family rx. After sending off the doctor, she carried Li Yu and sat on the bed, unable to recover from her shock for a long time.


    The atmosphere in the room was rather heavy. Li Xiqing stood by the window with her hands behind her back as if she was thinking about something.


    Li Yu moved in Lady Song¡¯s arms. He raised his head and asked, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After a long time, the Song Family hugged him even tighter. With a trembling voice, they asked, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what do the people you captured look like?¡±


    Li Yu was stunned. ¡°They¡¯re covering their faces. I didn¡¯t see them.¡±


    After a while, Song asked again, ¡°What did they say?¡±


    Li Yu tried hard to recall that the two men in ck hadn¡¯t said anything along the way. When they wanted to kill him, they had said a few more words.


    ¡°He said someone wanted me dead.¡± Li Yu¡¯s voice was hoarse as he repeated slowly, ¡°His partner said that someone was trying to kill us all¡­¡±


    The more Madame Song heard, the more terrified she became. She turned her pleading gaze towards Li Xiqing, who was beside the bed.


    Li Xiqing was also confused. He frowned and said, ¡°Stay at home and have a rest, don¡¯t go anywhere. As for these matters, just leave them to me and your mother. ¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dad, who are they? Why did you kill me?¡±


    Li Xiqing sighed: ¡°It¡¯s probably the sin I created in the past, it has nothing to do with you, you shouldn¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ¡°Rest well.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and nodded.


    In this period of time, Madam Song and Li Xiqing kept a close watch on him. In addition to the excuse of recuperating, they didn¡¯t allow him to take even half a step out of the house, and there were quite a few servants in the yard as well. Li Yu had been injured for more than half a year, but he had actually recovered a long time ago. It was just that Madam Song and Li Xiqing imed that he was not well and that no one should visit him.


    Li Yuy in bed almost sick, asionally remembering the two ck braids that Xie Zhen had in the farmyard, and the scene of her crying and calling him ¡°don¡¯t die¡±.


    He asked, ¡°can I go to the Xie family?¡±


    Madam Song said, ¡°Ah Zhen was also frightened. I think we should go there in a while.¡±


    He did not speak again.


    In the blink of an eye it was winter, and he had only met with Xie Zhen once before, on the day Xie Liqing celebrated his birthday. Without time to talk to him, Xie Zhen smiled at him from a distance and was led away by Leng.


    The weather was getting colder and colder day by day. After a heavy snowfall, the entire Qingzhou Province waspletely covered in white and a vast expanse of whiteness was everywhere.


    On this day, Li Yu was sitting under the portico, reading a book by the fire. On the other side of the wall was the noisyughter of Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, making it impossible for him to calm down. Just as he was about to stand under the wall and protest, a maidservant called out to him, ¡°Young master, the cousin mistress are here.¡±


    Li Yu subconsciously frowned. Obviously, he was extremely unhappy.


    The maidservant then said, ¡°Madam requests that you go to the main room.¡±


    He knew that he couldn¡¯t hide anymore, so he could only drop the book and slowly follow behind the maidservant.


    As soon as he arrived at the living room, a seven or eight year old girl rushed out from within. She wore a silver and red flowery jacket and a cotton dress. Her voice was loud and cheerful, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re finally here!¡±


    Li Yu retreated repeatedly, almost being knocked to the ground by her.

 Chapter 20 - Special

    <h4>Chapter 20 - Special</h4>


    He unknowingly be in Qingzhou Province for two years.


    After her seventh birthday in her family¡¯s own yard, Xie Zhen received gifts from her parents, a pink lute ne and a jubnt silver hat. There was also a gift from the Old Master of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion that came from the capital. It was a piece of turquoise with 18 pieces of fruit. The price was extraordinary and had the effect of dispelling evil and eliminating disasters.


    Of all the children in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, the old master loved Xie Zhen the most. He had been talking about her for the past two years, and he was always asking her when she would be going back.


    However, Xie Zhen was still too young to leave her parents, and probably she wouldn¡¯t be able to go back in the short term.


    Since she couldn¡¯t go back to the capital, she sat down on her desk and began to write letters to the old man. Xie Liqing patted her head in gratification. ¡°If you have any words you won¡¯t write, you can ask father.¡±


    ¡°I can write. Don¡¯t look down on me, daddy.¡±


    She wrote down more than half of the pages in a grand manner, not allowing anyone to look at it. She sealed it with a piece of me paint and handed it to Xie Liqing, asking him to help her send it to the capital.


    After Xie Liqing went out to deal with it, he heard some news along the way.


    Li Xiqing¡¯s sister came back from her mother¡¯s home and brought back a seven or eight year old daughter. It was said that this grandaunt had married a merchant three years ago, who had been flooded by the sea and had yet to return. The merchant¡¯s mother insisted that she had killed her son, that she had beaten him and cursed him, and that she was not well enough to live in her mother¡¯s house, and that now she could not bear it any longer and came to her brother¡¯s house.


    This was not something rare, as the neighbors nearby already knew what they should know.


    When Xie Liqing told the matter to the Master Leng, they tidied up the needlework in the basket. ¡°Then take some time to take a look.¡±


    Xie Liqing also had the same thought. After all, they were neighbors, so they should often move around. Ever since thest incident between the two families, the Li family had be more cautious. This was especially so for the Li family. Normally, they would rarely see each other even when they went out of their homes.


    At dinner, Xie Liqing talked about it at dinner.


    ¡°I want to go, I want to go!¡±


    She and Li Yu hadn¡¯t seen each other for several months, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal if they were to stay in someone else¡¯s house. However, their two families were separated by a wall, so it was rather bizarre.


    Xie Liqing asked the other two children, ¡°What about you two?¡±


    Not even lifting her head, Xie Zhen continued to eat, ¡°Siser is going, I¡¯m going as well.¡±


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t have any objections. Of course, he would follow his sister to protect her.


    Thus, this matter was decided. Tomorrow morning, they would be guests at the Li family¡¯s residence. Xie Liqing had someone hand over the invitation card first, in case the time came out too abruptly.


    There was a light snowfall at night, and when I woke up in the morning I stopped. There was a thinyer of snow on the ground, which melted when the morning sun shone.


    It was colder than yesterday, and Madam Leng, fearing that the three children would be frozen, made them each wear an extra dress. Xie Zhen put on her beige foxfur cloak,bed her head, and stood in the sun, white as snow, almost melting with the snow in the yard.


    She wasughing like a little sun, and she led Xie Xian around in the front, turning her head from time to time to urge her father and mother to hurry up.


    With the two families so close to each other, she didn¡¯t feel like they were moving slowly.


    When they arrived at the Li family¡¯s residence, Li Yiqing and the Madam Song were already waiting for them in the main hall. In addition, there was also a woman dressed in green satin, whose appearance was somewhat simr to Li Xiqing. She should be her younger sister, Madam Li.


    Madame Li had been humiliated by her mother-inw for many years, and her manner was somewhat restrained. When she saw Madam Leng and Xie Liqing, she gave a deep bow. ¡°Greetings to the Prefect and Madam.¡±


    Madam Leng nodded at her, neither cold nor warm.


    This caused Madam Li to feel even more terrified. She even thought she didn¡¯t like her and felt even more awkward standing to the side. Only Madam Song knew of her temperament. She pulled her towards herself warmly and greeted her with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er is not feeling well. I stayed at home with the old master to take care of him. I didn¡¯t have the time to visit you, so I let you guyse first.¡±


    Madam Leng smiled. ¡°Everyone is the same. How¡¯s Yu¡¯er? Is thest injurypletely healed?¡±


    Speaking of this, Madam Song had a lingering fear. With wet eyes, they said, ¡°It¡¯s great now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    Leng wanted to say something, but Xie Zhen stuck her head out from behind her and asked curiously, ¡°Aunt Song, where is brother Xiao Yu? Where is he?¡±


    As soon as she entered the house, Xie Zhen looked around, but she couldn¡¯t find Li Yu. Now, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, so she blinked her big, watery eyes and asked.


    Every time Madam Song saw the Xie family¡¯s children, she would love them dearly. She carry Xie Zhen out from behind Leng¡¯s back and stroke her flower bud. ¡°Did the littlemb miss Yu¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the little girl grew quite a bit taller. Her face was even more beautiful thanst year. Her lips and teeth were white, and she was quite pretty. It was like the flower bud of a plum blossom in the garden. That delicate and beautiful look was hidden under the flower bud, making one eager to know what she would look like when she bloomed.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er is reading in the study in the backyard. I¡¯ll get the maid to take you there to find him.¡±


    As she spoke, she called over a maidservant named Jin Lv and led them to the backyard.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun walked ahead, and Xie Rong followed behind them. The ground was a little muddy after the snow melted, so it was easy for him to slip. He had to watch them closely.


    There was a small yard in front of the study door, and under the tree in the yardy a dog which a servant had raised. Xie Xun took a liking to it as soon as she saw it. She squatted under the tree and yed with it, unwilling to leave.


    Xie Zhen had to said, ¡°then our brother will stay here with you. I¡¯ll go in myself.¡±


    Xie Xun looked up at her, smiling, and said ¡°yes¡±.


    A few more steps and she would be in the study. The maidservant was about to open the door and invite her in, but she quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No need.¡±


    Jin Lv was puzzled.


    She smiled cunningly, stepped quietly under the window, and peeped in with one eye closed. Sure enough, he saw Li Yu sitting at the head of the table, with his head lowered, earnestly reading a book. She giggled silently and tapped the fan with her hand.


    Li Yu looked up, but there was no one outside.


    He thought that it was his cousin Ouyang Yi, so he frowned unhappily and ignored her.


    Who would have thought that not long after, the voice rang out once more with three more ¡°Du, Du, Du¡± sounds.


    He didn¡¯t even look up.


    After a few more rounds, Li Yu finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. His voice was full of anger as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me!¡±


    After a while, a small head slowly appeared from under the window. The little girl¡¯s eyes were still smiling as she rested her head against the windowsill, her voice soft with usation and coquetry, ¡°Why is brother Xiao Yu so bad with me?¡±


    Li Yu was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect it to be her.


    He subconsciously exined, ¡°I thought ¡­¡±


    Halfway through his words, he looked at her smiling face and recalled her prank from before. He intentionally put on a stern face and asked, ¡°Why are you at my house?¡±


    She stood outside the window, her head tilted to look at him, and a delicate smile on her lips was innocent. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    It was probably because her smile was too pretty, or perhaps it had been too long since she hadst seen him. Li Yu¡¯s face heated up for no reason, and he said dryly: ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe in?¡±


    She made an ¡°oh¡± sound, as if she had just realized something.


    She disappeared from the window, and presently came running in through the door, surrounded by foxfur, and delighted with the whiteness of her smile.


    Li Yu moved aside, making room for her quietly.


    The little girl was very impolite. She stood beside him and asked, ¡°Auntie Song said you¡¯re reading a book. What are you reading?¡±


    Li Yu said, ¡°The Book of Changes.¡±


    There was a book on the table with all kinds of eight diagrams drawn on it, which she had seen in Xie Liqing¡¯s study, but it was soplicated that she had not been able to read it until now. After turning two pages, he turned around and asked, ¡°What is brother Xiao Yu doing at home recently? Why didn¡¯t youe to me?¡±


    There was a stove burning inside, much warmer than in the yard, and before long her face was flushed, so white and rosy that it made one want to take a bite. Li Yu suddenly remembered the snowball fight in the Xie family¡¯s yard that day. When he bit her, her face was as smooth as a peeled egg ¡­


    Li Yu looked away and said seriously, ¡°Teacher will test me in a few days. I am memorizing.¡±


    Li Xiqing had hired a teacher for Li Yu two years early in the morning. Li Xiqing was a businessman, but he valued his son¡¯s homework. He disciplined him very strictly in this regard.


    ¡°Will youe to me when you¡¯re done?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t say anything.


    She was a little disappointed. ¡°Are you really not going? My father bought me a really big kite. After the snow melts, we will go fly the kite. That will be really fun.¡±


    With that, she added, ¡°If you don¡¯te looking for me, I won¡¯t be interested.¡±


    Li Yu thought that she must be lying, how could she not be interested? He could hear her every day at home, and sheughed so happily.


    He picked up the book again and straightened his posture. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also note looking for me?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought for a second while holding his head. It seemed like it was true. However, she would never admit it. Forcing logic was her strong point. ¡°Auntie Song said you¡¯re not well. Mother told me not to disturb you, so I didn¡¯te.¡± She blinked, almost ingratiatingly. ¡°Are you all right now? Can you y with me?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the line of words and nodded in acknowledgement.


    She didn¡¯t know what question he was answering.


    The two little fellows chattered on, and an hour passed unknowingly. The golden silk thread standing outside the door was extremely rare. Normally, if the mistress cousin was here, she would have been chased out by the young master before long. Why would the second daughter of Xie family be treated in apletely different way?


    Xie Zhenpletely had no idea about what was special about her. Li Yu was reading a book, and she was lying on her stomach while she drew pictures on a piece of paper with a pen. Soon, she drew a plum tree.


    Li Yu took a nce at the painting and felt that it was too ugly. He took the brush from her hand and said, ¡°This should be done like this ¡­¡±


    Before he had even started painting, a loud voice came from the entrance, ¡°Cousin!¡±


    His hand shook and spilled all the ink onto the paper.


    The corner of Xie Zhen¡¯s mouth twitched as she pointed at the huge ink andined, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu¡¯s painting was even uglier, destroying my painting ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, someone rushed out from behind her and grabbed Li Yu before walking out.


    ¡°Cousin,e quickly, I¡¯ll show you something good!¡±


    Xie Zhen looked up and met a pair of bright eyes. It was Li Yuqi¡¯s cousin Ouyang Yi.


    Ouyang Yi had clearly seen her. At first nce, she thought that she was the person in the painting. She blinked her eyes and realized that she was a real person.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ouyang Yi raised her eyebrows and asked.


    As Xie Zhen was about to answer, she looked down and saw her and Li Yu holding hands.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Li Yu did not show it on his face, but he quietly shook off Ouyang Yi¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 21 - Angry

    <h4>Chapter 21 - Angry</h4>


    The scene was familiar to Xie Zhen.


    It was as if she had seen a simr scene not long ago.


    After thinking hard, she finally remembered when King of Dongping and his concubine hade to borrow a ce a year ago. Dongping King¡¯s concubine had held her father¡¯s hand, and then his mother saw it. This was how her father had broken free.


    When she thought about it again, Dongping King¡¯s concubine also called her father ¡°cousin¡±.


    Cousins can just hold hands? She vaguely remembered that her mother had been unhappy, so she was a little upset now. As for why she was unhappy ¡­ She couldn¡¯t tell. In short, she subconsciously thought that Li Yu could only hold her hand. How could he hold someone else¡¯s hand?


    After Li Yu got rid of Ouyang Yi, for once, she didn¡¯t continue to pester him. Instead, he focused all of his attention on Xie Zhen and asked again, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    If it had been before, she would have answered, but today she deliberately dawdled, puffed out her cheeks, and blew out the ink. ¡°My name is Xie Zhen.¡±


    Her voice was soft and soft, trailing a long tail sound. It waspletely different from Ouyang Yi¡¯s round and proper tone. With just four words, it made people feel as if they had just heard a melody.


    Ouyang Yi had clearly noticed this as well. She was a beautiful little girl who was much more beautiful than him. If she stood right in front of her, she would be immediately suppressed.


    It was like the difference between clouds and mud.


    Ouyang Yi recalled the scene when he first entered the room and looked at the painting on the table. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that my cousin doesn¡¯t like someone elseing into his study?¡±


    Her tone was as if she was saying, ¡°Only I cane in.¡±


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t that serious. When Li Yu was reading in the study, there would usually be no maids entering the room to disturb him. It was only when Ouyang Yi arrived that he would asionallye to the study room to harass him, which was why Li Yu had set this rule. In aother words, Li Yu just didn¡¯t like Ouyang Yiing into his study.


    Li Yu subconsciously looked at Xie Zhen. Seeing that she didn¡¯t react, at that moment, he was worried that she would get angry.


    After a while, she said, ¡°I came to y with big brother Xiao Yu, why can¡¯t Ie in?¡± Why don¡¯t you tell me anything about yourself when you¡¯ve asked me so much? ¡°Who are you and what is your name?¡±


    Li Yu secretly let out a sigh of relief. But on second thought, how could she possibly be angry? He had never seen her angry in all the time they¡¯d known each other, and she smiled every time they met, as if all the good things in the world had happened to her.


    Ouyang Yi grunted and was very dissatisfied with her changing the topic. ¡°My name is Ouyang Yi. I¡¯m Li Yu¡¯s cousin.¡±


    As she said that, she suddenly remembered something and stopped pestering Xie Zhen. She grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand and ran out, yelling, ¡°Cousin,e with me!¡±


    Li Yu frowned. He was still not used to her swift and decisive personality. He held the doorframe and stopped in front of the door, ¡°If you have anything to say, don¡¯t hold my hand. I will walk by myself.¡± He shook her hand off.


    Ouyang Yi was the only daughter of Madam Li. Since she was born seven or eight years ago, Madam Li had never been able to give birth to a son. In addition, Lady Li¡¯s husband always went out to do business, so he didn¡¯t have the time to discipline his children. Lady Li was also rtively weak, and as time passed, Ouyang Yi developed her current barbaric personality.


    This was the first time that Ouyang Yi had been rebuffed so harshly. In the past, Whatever she did, he had never given her so little face, although he was impatient, at most he would show a nasty face.


    Why? Because there was an extra person in the room?


    Ouyang Yi did not think that way. She was stunned for a moment before she quickly said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t hold you back, how would you know where to find me?¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Li Yu saw the figure in the room. He forced himself not to turn around and said, ¡°This is my house, I know it better than you.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the study, his delicate face filled with displeasure.


    When Xie Zhen came out of the study, the yard was empty.


    Xie Xun and Xie Rong were nowhere to be found. Li Yu had also left with Ouyang Yi. She was the only one left in the previously bustling courtyard.


    She kicked at the edge of the door and pursed her pink little mouth. ¡°Brother Xiao Yu is a bad guy.¡±


    Didn¡¯t he want to reading books? Wouldn¡¯t the teacher test him? Why did Ouyang Yi just call him and he ran out? To say that he didn¡¯t have the time to y with her, he must be lying.


    Why would Ouyang Yi make him leave? Was it because they were cousins?


    The more she thought about it, the more unhappy she became. She took out the Plum Blossom painting she had just put away, tore it up, and threw it into the flower bed under the veranda.


    Jin Lv watched her from behind, and felt amused. A child is a child, willful, once she was a little displeased, she would take things out.


    After a few steps, Xie Zhen turned to her. ¡°Do you know where Ah Xun and our brother are?¡±


    Jin Lv had been standing by the door, so she could see everything clearly. ¡°The Third Miss of Xie family chased after that lopsided dog. Eldest Young Master Xie followed them. He should still be in the courtyard by now. If Second Miss wants to find them, this servant will have someone ask them for you.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t say a word, which was a tacit agreement.


    The two adults from the two families in the front courtyard were still talking. It seemed that they had no intention of leaving.


    For a while she walked aimlessly around the yard. She was not familiar with the Li familypound, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to lose her sense of direction. They were surrounded by rooms and courtyards, as well as numerous moon gates and long corridors. The Li family was very big and wealthy, and the mansion was built in a very grand manner.


    Walking along a cobblestone path, and going further in, there was a small dpidated courtyard filled with fallen branches and fallen leaves. There was nothing to see. Just as Xie Zhen was about to leave, Ouyang Yi¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Cousin, shall we put it back?¡±


    Huh?


    She could not help stopping.


    After a while, Li Yu¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°You can do it yourself.¡±


    What are you putting it back? Xie Zhen was very curious, but she was too embarrassed to get closer. If she was found out, wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? She stood in a dilemma at the entrance of the courtyard. With a pinkish white and tender bun¡¯s face, she had to put on a serious and grown-up appearance. When Jin Lv saw her, she couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Before she finishedughing, she was red at by Xie Zhen, who immediately covered her mouth and took two steps back tactfully.


    The conversation continued in the courtyard. Ouyang Yi¡¯s voice was loud and clear. ¡°The tree is so high, I can¡¯t go up there! What if I fall?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t answer.


    She continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold me? I put the bird back in the nest so it wouldn¡¯t freeze to death. ¡±


    Oh. The bird had fallen.


    Xie Zhen pouted. What¡¯s so strange about that? Birds often fell from the trees in the house, and her brother climbed them and put them back, without her or Ammu having to do it. How could Ouyang Yi be so stupid? She couldn¡¯t even do such a simple task like climbing trees, to think she was still so arrogant just now.


    She didn¡¯t know if Li Yu carried her or not, and she turned around and left first.


    Not longter, Jin Lv found the whereabouts of Xie Xun and Xie Rong.


    Jin Lv told her, ¡°Eldest Young Master of Xie family and the third miss are in the backyard of prune garden. This servant will take you there.¡±


    Xie Zhen said yes.


    Prune garden was located in the southeast corner of the backyard, where dozens of prune trees were nted. When winter arrived, especially after snowing, the entire courtyard was covered in white snow, making the flower buds on the prune trees more delicate. One red and one white, embellished this bleak winter.


    As she followed Jin Lv, Xie Xun was circling thepdog under a prune tree.


    The dog was tired from its run, and its speed was slowing down. It soon fell to the ground, paralyzed on the ground, unable to move anymore. Xie Xun and the dog were covered in snow. ¡°Got you!¡±


    Xie Rong stood under the tree with his arms crossed, looking rather helpless.


    He was twelve years old, and already had the appearance of a young man. His facial features had faded from his youth, and he had be even more handsome. His straight body leaned against the tree, and a few kes of snow fell from his shoulders. From a distance, he looked like a painting.


    Xie Zhen was in a much better mood. She spread his arms and shouted, ¡°Brother!¡±


    Xie Rong turned around and saw her. He smiled as he held her in his arms. ¡°How did the littlemb manage to find us here? Where¡¯s Li Yu?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xiao Yu left with his cousin and left me alone in the study.¡±


    The girl did mind, though she didn¡¯t say anything along the way.


    Xie Rong rubbed her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Brother will take you.¡±


    She made a crisp sound of agreement.


    Xie Xun finally managed to subdue thepdog and came up to her with the puppy. He must have been tired from running, for beads of sweat appeared on his nose. ¡°Sister will y with me. Can we give it a name?¡±


    The dog was tired, too, and listlessly let Xie Hun hold it and give up struggling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run too far,¡± Xie Zhen swiped her sweat, and said. ¡°Don¡¯t run too hard. Mother said it was easy to get sick.¡± Then, she began to seriously think of a name. She tilted her head and asked, ¡°What name? Do you know whose dog it is? What if its owner doesn¡¯t agree? ¡±


    Xie Xun hadn¡¯t thought about it, so she tightened his grip on the dog. ¡°But¡­¡­ I like it. I want to take it home with me, okay? ¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, and said, ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t like dogs.¡±


    Xie Xun was on the verge of tears. She raised her head and continued to look at Xie Rong.


    But Xie Rong was even more ruthless than Xie Zhe. ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡±


    Madam Leng is allergic to the fur of these small animals, once close to the body will itch all over the body, if serious can also give a rash. This was the reason why the two sisters had never been able to raise small animals, even though they liked small animals.


    Xie Xun¡¯s mouth fell open. She was about to say something, but then she heard a loud voice from behind her. ¡°Where¡¯s my Qiu Qiu?¡±


    This voice was only from Ouyang Yi.


    Sure enough, the few of them turned around and saw Ouyang Yi and Li Yu at prune garden¡¯s entrance.


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s eyes narrowed as she noticed the dog in Xie Xun¡¯s arms. ¡°Why are you holding my Qiu Qiu?¡±


    ¡°This ¡­ this is your dog?¡± Xie Xun timidly dodged to Xie Rong¡¯s side.


    When Ouyang Yi became excited, she could not control her voice. ¡°Of course it¡¯s mine. Could it be yours? Give it back to me!¡±


    Just a moment ago, she had been searching for thepdog, but she didn¡¯t manage to find it. However, after hearing the servant girl say that it was running over, she rushed over. She didn¡¯t expect that it would be carried in someone else¡¯s arms.


    As Xie Xun was about to cry, Xie Zhen was about to say something, but the dog suddenly got the strength to scuttle out of Xie¡¯s arms, obediently crouching beside Ouyang Yi and wagging its tail. Not only that, it even called out to Xie Xun. Its bearing were exactly the same as Ouyang Yi¡¯s.


    Xie Xun had just been told that she couldn¡¯t raise a dog, and now Ouyang Yi had given her a beating. Now that her little friend had ¡°betrayed¡± her, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears, crying out loud.


    Ouyang Yi, on the other hand, did not feel the slightest bit guilty and added fuel to the fire. ¡°Who told you to mess with other people¡¯s dogs ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen pushed her away, warning her sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t bully Ah Xun!¡±


    The usually soft littlemb was angry and dignified.


    Ouyang Yi took two steps back and just happened to be standing beside Li Yu.


    In the situation just now, Li Yu didn¡¯t even have the chance to intervene, so he could only stand behind and watch. He didn¡¯t expect that Xie Zhen would misunderstand him and think that he and Ouyang Yi were on the same side.


    The angry look in her eyes made him feel a little uneasy.


    Just as he was about to speak, Xie Zhen said to Xie Rong, ¡°Brother, I want to go home.¡±


    Xie Rong said yes and led her and Xie Xun out.


    When she passed by them, she didn¡¯t even greet them.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± Li Yu asked after a moment of hesitation.


    Xie Zhen stared at him, with her big bright eyes no longer smiling.

 Chapter 22 - Argument

    <h4>Chapter 22 - Argument</h4>


    This time, Li Yu knew that she was truly angry.


    But why was she angry? Because he didn¡¯t help her? Didn¡¯t she always have a smile on her face?


    However, no matter how much she loved tough, she had a temper.


    She was a protective person, and would never back down when it came to matters rted to her family. She could not bear to watch Ouyang Yi bully Ah Xun and order her around. That would make her very angry.


    Li Yu was not on her side, and he was on the same side as Ouyang Yi. This made her even more unhappy. She thought back to how he had left her in the study with Ouyang Yi to take a look at the bird, and then she pushed Li Yu aside and said, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, if you don¡¯t want to y with me, I won¡¯t y with you anymore! Go away, I want to go home!¡±


    As Xie Xun continued to shed tears, she turned her head to re at thepdog on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t be smug, we don¡¯t care about you!¡±


    Not only was the dog not intimidated by her presence, but it barked even louder.


    Xie Xun was timid and wailing even more.


    ¡°Please watch over your dog,¡± Xie Rong said to Ouyang Yi as heforted Xie Xun.


    Ouyang Yi put her hands on her hips and revealed acent expression. ¡°If it insists on screaming, how can I control it?¡±


    Originally, she thought Xie Rong would have nothing to do with her, but she didn¡¯t expect that he rolled up his sleeves expressionlessly and said, ¡°Since you can¡¯t control it, let me help you manage it.¡±


    Before Ouyang Yi could understand it, he carried one of the dog¡¯s hind legs in one hand and a piece of Xie Zhen¡¯s silk in the other as he walked under a prune tree.


    The dog began to bark in rm, but then it was lifted up into the air, and a leg was lifted upside down, without a trace of majesty.


    Ouyang Yi chased after him. ¡°What are you doing? Give me my Qiu Qiu!¡±


    Xie Rong acted as if he didn¡¯t hear anything. He used a piece of silk to coil the dog¡¯s back twice, hanging it upside down on the prune tree and tied the silk with a dead knot.


    The dog pped its forelegs and wailed in a sorry posture.


    Ouyang Yi was fuming with rage as she argued with Xie Rong. However, Xie Rong remained unmoved and had no intention of letting the dog go. She could only turn around and beg Li Yu for help, ¡°Cousin, quickly get someone to chase them away!¡±


    She turned her head and noticed that Li Yu¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good either.


    Li Yu was pushed away by Xie Zhen just now and staggered two steps back. He had never been treated like this before, so he was stunned for a moment, ¡°You¡¯re not ying with me anymore?¡±


    ¡°No, you bullied Ah Xun with Ouyang. I¡¯m not ying with you anymore!¡±


    Her aura was extremely strong, and it was obvious that she was really angry. However, it was unknown whether it was because Xie Xun had been bullied, or because Li Yu had left her behind.


    She had made up her mind to go home, but Li Yu had no face to ask her to stay, so he stood in front of her, refusing to leave.


    She met his eyes for a moment, then cleverly walked around him and continued on out of prune garden.


    Li Yu still didn¡¯t know what he was wrong about, but he didn¡¯t want her to leave. After all, it¡¯s been a long time since they metst time, and they had been ying well, right? He took hold of her hand and blurted out, ¡°Mother let you stay for dinner, and Aunt Leng has agreed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat with you. I hate Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s face stiffened as he looked at her nkly.


    He almost asked her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you missed me?¡± Unfortunately, he did not have the courage to ask, what if she said something more hurtful? His heart was pierced by the words ¡°I hate brother Xiao Yu¡± and a cold wind blew in, sending chills down his spine.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± she said, fearing he didn¡¯t hear her clearly.


    Li Yu¡¯s face instantly darkened.


    He felt like he had made a joke out of himself, and he red at Xie Zhen, like he wished he could eat her whole. ¡°Then you can leave, don¡¯te looking for me in the future!¡±


    Xie Zhen turned around and walked away, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see me, then don¡¯t!¡±


    So she took Xie Yun out of prune garden, under the lead of Jin Lv back to the main hall. One of them insisted on going home while the other cried till her eyes were red. Madam Leng thought that something serious had happened and nervously asked them the reason, but the two little fellows, whether it was nned beforehand or something else, refused to say anything. Their mouths were shut tight like everyone else¡¯s.


    Madam Leng had no other choice, they could only bid farewell to Madam Song and promist to visit them another day.


    When they got home, Leng called Xie Rong into the room and asked him a few questions.


    After Xie Rong left, she had gotten a clear grasp of the situation. She knew that it wasn¡¯t a big deal but quarrels between children. She was finally able to rx.


    However, this was not a small matter for Xie Zhen. She was furious. Brother Xiao Yu told her not to visit him in the future, then she wouldn¡¯t. Who would go, who would be a puppy!


    The snow melted, and it grew warmer.


    After the spring, everything revived, hundreds of flowers bloomed, and the yard was filled with colorful flowers, exuding an exuberant vitality.


    In this period of time, Xie Zhen did what she said she would. She didn¡¯t even go to the Li family to look for Li Yu once.


    At first because she was angry, then because Xie Xun was sick and had been in bed for most of a month, she was too worried. A month passed in the blink of an eye.


    Today was a sunny day with a breeze blowing. It was a rare good day.


    Xie Zhen remembered the kite Xie Liqing had made for her years before, and she was so excited that she moved it out of the storeroom to fly it in her own yard. It was a goose kite with a bamboo skeleton, bigger than three Xie Zhens, and she couldn¡¯t lift it on her own, so she asked for Xie Rong¡¯s help.


    Xie Rong took them to the back yard, where he taught them how to fly it.


    The backyard was big enough for them to run around without a care. However, there was only a wall separating it and the Li¡¯s backyard. The other side clearly heard what happened on this side.


    With one hand holding the cotton thread and the other holding the kite, Xie Zhen ran ahead happily. ¡°Look, brother, I¡¯m flying a kite!¡±


    She turned around and smiled. All the flowers in the yard were overshadowed.


    The kite flew higher and higher in her hand, and the goose, circling above her head, ran after her. Xie Xun followed behind her, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration. ¡°Sister is so amazing!¡±


    Xie Zhen was so proud of herself that she wanted to put the kite higher, but before she could react, the kite was blown into the Li ¡®s next door.


    She tugged at the broken cotton thread and looked at Xie Rong with a mncholic expression. ¡°Big brother, what should we do?¡±


    This was a kite her father had given her. She really liked it, but she hadn¡¯t yed with it enough yet.


    Xie Rong told her not to worry, so he went to the Li family to get it back for her.


    When Xie Rong left, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun stared at the wall, hoping that their brother would appear at the wall with the kite. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed. The one who appeared on the wall wasn¡¯t Xie Rong, but Li Yu, who had a smelly face.


    Xie Xun was too sick to stand in the wind for too long, so the nannie carried her away first, leaving Xie Zhen and the maidservants in the courtyard.


    Xie Zhen blinked to make sure she wasn¡¯t wrong, that the boy was Li Yu.


    But why did he show up on the wall? Didn¡¯t he stop ying with her?


    While Xie Zhen was thingking about it, Li Yu held up the kite and asked her, ¡°Do you still want it?¡±


    The two little fellows were still in an awkward position. They held their breaths, unwilling to admit defeat. She hesitated, pursed her lips, and nodded.


    Li Yu snorted softly, ¡°Thene up and get it.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked up at him and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just throw it down?¡±


    At that moment, the expression on Li Yu¡¯s face changed. But he happened to be facing the sun, she couldn¡¯t see him clearly. She heard Li Yu saying: ¡°Do you want it or not? If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll throw it away. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw it away, I want it!¡±


    She had some of the women carry thedder and put it in the corner, and they circled around below, carefully supporting her in case she should fall. She climbed up thedder and looked up. Li Yu was on the other side. The two were too close, even their eyshes could be counted.


    There were beads of sweat on Li Yu¡¯s forehead and nose, not just because he had been in the sun for too long, or something else. He had been looking at her with a glint in his eye, probably still angry with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m up here. Can you give me the kite?¡± she asked innocently.


    She really didn¡¯t smile at him.


    Li Yu was angry and frustrated. He had already given her the kite himself, so why wasn¡¯t she smiling?


    Last time, he had been taught a lesson by Madam Song and been told that he shouldn¡¯t have left her alone in the study room. After thinking about it for a while, he felt that he had done something wrong. If he didn¡¯t leave her in the future, wouldn¡¯t she forgive him once?


    Noticing hisck of movement, she couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°My kite¡­¡±


    Li Yu had no reason not to give it to her. His expression became more and more unsightly as he handed the kite to her. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    The kite was too big for her to keep her bnce, so she had to climb down thedder first. However, just as she took the next step, Li Yu grabbed her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xie Zhen looked at him confusedly, but got to understand immediatly.


    This wasn¡¯t what Li Yu wanted to hear. After being silent for a long time, he didn¡¯t dodge this time and looked straight at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would take me to fly kite?¡±


    He did not realize that there was a hint of anticipation and a subtle hint ofint in his words.


    Xie Zhen tilted his head and asked, ¡°But didn¡¯t you tell me not to meet you in the future?¡±


    Li Yu choked. Since when did she be so obedient?

 Chapter 23 - Agreement

    <h4>Chapter 23 - Agreement</h4>


    When the kite left her hand, Xie Zhen reached out and said, ¡°Hey, my kite¡­¡±


    She was afraid that the kite would break, so she tried to struggle free of Li Yu¡¯s grip and climb down thedder.


    But Li Yu wanted to say a few words to her and refused to let her go. He grabbed her hand tightly. ¡°I¡¯m not done speaking!¡±


    He didn¡¯t control his grip, and the pain in her wrist stopped him with a groan. Fortunately, the kite was caught by the maidservants below, so it didn¡¯t break. She felt assured and turned to face Li Yu: ¡°What else do you want to say to me?¡±


    Thedder shook a little from the pull, startling the women below, and they held thedder a little harder.


    The two kids were lying on the top of the wall, surrounded by servants. They were extremely nervous for them, and the two of them didn¡¯t know what they were suffering for. They were still talking to each other as if there was no one around.


    When Xie Zhen looked down and saw a red mark on her wrist, her mouth curled up.


    In the sunlight, her skin was like bitty cream, white and tender, almost transparent. Only the piece that Li Yu held in his hands turned red. It was incongruouspared to other ces, especially her pitiful expression, which made it seem as if he was bullying her.


    Li Yu hadn¡¯t thought that she would be so weak. He had only lightly gripped her hand, how could he have hurt her?


    He pulled her hand over and rubbed it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± She pulled his hand back and tucked her hand under her sleeve.


    She was still angry with him, not sure if it was because he hurt her or because he had left her in the study thest time. Actually, she wasn¡¯t a narrow-minded girl. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t be angry, but once she got angry, it would be extremely difficult to hiss her off.


    Li Yu hadn¡¯t coaxed or apologized to anyone before. Even after several attempts, he still couldn¡¯t say those three words.


    He wouldn¡¯t let her go. She was a little dizzy from the sun.


    ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡± she asked.


    He was not used to her not bothering him anymore.


    Li Yu said, ¡°My family has bought a new courtyard outside the city. The scenery there is good, and it is suitable for flying a kite.¡±


    No response.


    Didn¡¯t she understand what he meant? Why is she so stupid!


    Li Yu was a little angry. He stared at her fiercely: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fly a kite? Your courtyard is so small, how can you fly a kite?¡±


    Xie Zhen:¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After a while, Li Yu¡¯s face turned even redder when she looked at him. He turned his head, revealing only his red ears. ¡°I can take you there.¡±


    Was he inviting her?


    ¡°Why is your face so red?¡± Xie Zhen revealed his embarassment.


    He raised his arm to cover half of his face, revealing only a pair of sword-shaped eyebrows and a pair of glittering eyes. ¡°Are you going?¡±


    Xie Zhen was curious, and she couldn¡¯t help taking a few more nces.


    She thought for a moment, then asked seriously, ¡°Will you leave me alone?¡±


    Li Yu lowered his arm and said decisively, ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What about your cousin?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t go.¡±


    Li Yu had never told Ouyang Yi about this matter. He kept avoiding her these days, so why would he take her to the courtyard to fly a kite?


    Just when Li Yu was waiting for Xie Zhen to agree, Ouyang Yi¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind him, ¡°Cousin, who are you talking to?¡±


    He turned around and frowned.


    Ouyang Yi was standing a few steps away. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Xie Zhen, who was standing on the other side of the wall. ¡°Why is it you? What are you talking about with my cousin?¡±


    Xie Zhen stuck out her tongue at her. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you!¡±


    As she spoke, she climbed down thedder and soon she was standing on the ground. Li Yu hadn¡¯t had her answer. He was both anxious and angry at the same time. Why was she so anxious to leave so quickly? Angry that Ouyang Yi had reallye at the wrong time, he stuck his head out and looked down at her. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me if you¡¯re going or not!¡±


    Xie Zhen:¡°I¡­¡±


    Just as she said that, Xie Rong returned from the outside with nothing in his hands. He probably couldn¡¯t find her kite. He called out to her from afar, and she immediately ran over, ¡°Brother, I found my kite!¡±


    Li Yu was so angry. He secretly scolded her in the heart. He called out to her: ¡°I¡¯lle to you on the eighth of next month!¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t look back, and he didn¡¯t know if she heard him.


    In the days that followed, Xie Zhen could always see Li Yu on the wall.


    And his reasons were strange. Either the thing had fallen in her yard, or the bird he kept had flown over. It was fine that he was lying on the wall by himself, but he always liked to call her up.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t really like it at first. ¡°Why do we have to stand in the sun and talk?¡±


    But Li Yu always had a way of tricking her and then saying something that didn¡¯t make sense. Like what do you like? What do you hate? Why? Why do you hate me?


    Xie Zhen answered, and he didn¡¯t seem satisfied. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What are you asking me all this for? I don¡¯t know,¡± she said.


    Her face was as white and transparent as it had been a few days before. A pair of jet ck eyes stared at him gloomily. They were young and naive, making others want to bully them.


    Li Yu really wanted to bite her face again. He was so angry that she forgot what she had said and let him think about it all the way until now.


    He lowered his eyes and asked her, ¡°Do you still hate me?¡±


    Because of the low voice and the noise Xie Xun made in the yard, it was hard for Xie Zhen to make out what he was saying. ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was unknown which of his weak points had been stabbed. He suddenly raised his head and aggressively asked, ¡°I wanna know, do you still hate me?¡±


    It turned out that the words ¡°I hate you¡± that Xie Zhen said that day had always been engraved in his heart. In this period of time, she wasn¡¯t as friendly towards him as she used to be, and she hadn¡¯t called him brother Xiao Yu. He had always thought that she still hadn¡¯t forgiven him.


    But he hadn¡¯t even apologized to her, how could she forgive him?


    This time, Xie Zhe heard clearly. She had never been questioned so bluntly before. Her pretty face blushed and became a bit ufortable. Immediately, a bad idea shed through her mind. She bit her lip and gave a sly smile. ¡°Bad boy.¡±


    Her appearance was lovely.


    Li Yu¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t y with me. You¡¯re always criticizing me, and you bullied Ah Xun with someone else.¡±


    Li Yu tried to defend himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t bully Xie Xun.¡± After a pause, he finally found an opportunity to mention the matter of the study. ¡°That day in the study, it was I ¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say aplete sentence for a moment, so Xie Zhen put her hands to her cheeks and waited with her big, dark eyes open.


    Li Yu watched her eyes, but he was even more speechless.


    ¡°I ¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He turned his head, and said seriously, ¡°Whatever, don¡¯t hate me!¡±


    Xie Zhen thought he was going to say something. She had been waiting for a long time, puffed up her cheeks and purposefully said, ¡°I hate you, I just hate you. Hate!¡±


    Li Yu was truly angered, ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡±


    She grunted. ¡°None of your business!¡±


    As she spoke, she ignored him and climbed down thedder. She sessfullynded in nannie Chen¡¯s arms, made a face at him, turned her head, and ran off.


    Li Yu almost crawled over from the wall to catch her, but just as he was about to take action, Ouyang Yi discovered him.


    Ouyang Yi, who was standing below, asked with dissatisfaction, ¡°Cousin, why are you climbing the wall again? I¡¯m going to tell uncle and aunt!¡±


    Li Yu had no choice but to stop halfway and look unwillingly in the direction where Xie Zhen was running. He thought that if he caught her next time, he would make her take back what she said today.


    -


    Recently, it had been raining continuously for quite a few times, as if there was no end to it.


    After the rain stopped, it was already the sixth day of the new year. During thest few days, Xie Zhen stayed inside the house and didn¡¯t go out. She didn¡¯t even see Li Yu on the wall in the backyard. Today, it is a good day, the sun is shining brightly, there were no clouds, Xie Zhen is going to the backyard to see Xie Rong fishing. She was wearing a white silk blouse and a flowery skirt with a pair of embroidered shoes with gold piping. As she was walking past a wall, a voice suddenly came from the top of the wall: ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at 9:00 at your door the day after tomorrow.¡±


    She looked up and saw Li Yu staring at her.


    She patted her chest, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, you scared me!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s expression eased up slightly as he said with a taut face, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± After that, he descended from the top of the wall and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Xie Zhen touched her head. She didn¡¯t know when she had made a agreement with him.


    At night, she specially ran over to the Leng¡¯s room to talk about it, but didn¡¯t expect the Leng to reject her. ¡°If it¡¯s just the two of you, you can¡¯t go.¡±


    After all, she and Li Yu had ran into two idents when they were together out, so she had no choice but to ept this.


    Xie Zhen coaxed and pestered Madam Leng, but She never allowed it.


    The next day, Madam Song made a special trip. They said that the ce was very safe. There were more than ten servants inside and outside, and the yard was clean. Only then did Madam Leng reluctantly agree.


    However, Madam Leng still did not feel at ease. After all, she had learned her lesson, so she arranged seven or eight maids and women for Xie Zhen to apany her.


    On the eighth day, the sky was clear and it was suitable for travelling.


    Xie Zhen said she hated Li Yu, but she was looking forward to flying a kite with him.


    She had cleaned everything up and waited, but Li Yu never came to pick her up.


    She thought he had some business to do, but instead she waited until it was dark.

 Chapter 24 - Separate

    <h4>Chapter 24 - Separate</h4>


    The dusk came, and the moon was rising over the west mountain. It gradually darkened.


    She was waiting all day, but Li Yu didn¡¯t show up.


    Didn¡¯t he say that he was going to take her to fly a kite? She sat on the stone steps in front of the house and yed with her kite. She held the goose kite in her hand for the entire day. She looked at it from left to right. ¡°Why isn¡¯t brother Xiao Yu here yet?¡±


    Madam Leng came out of the living room, afraid that she would catch cold, so she had the maidservant dress her a cape. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s something urgent at home. Littlemb, don¡¯t wait. Come with me to my room.¡±


    After seeing her daughter wait for the whole day, how could Madam Leng not feel sorrry for her?


    But this child had a stubborn temper. No matter how she tried to persuade her, it was useless. She held to wait for Li Yu toe. In the afternoon, Madam Leng sent someone to ask the Li family to see if anything had happened. However, the gate was tightly shut, and no one showed up even after knocking for an hour. The servant came back to report that there was no body in the house. Leng exined this to Xie Zhen, who did not believe it, ¡°He already told me he woulde to pick me up. He will definitelye!¡±


    She insisted to wait.


    Madam Leng let out a long sigh. There was no one in the house, perhaps the entire Li family had gone out. How could Li Yue to pick her up? How could this child be so stubborn?


    After dinner, Xie Zhen was really tired and finally realized that Li Yu won¡¯t show up.


    She was a little dejected. Looking at the dark night sky, she threw the kite to the ground and stomped on it angrily, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu is a big liar!¡±


    After she vented her anger , she looked down at the crumpled kite and sniffed at her nose in the dim light of the porch light.


    When she thought that daddy had bought it for her, she silently picked up the kite from the ground, stroked it with her meaty hands, smoothed it out, and hugged it to her chest.


    Madam Leng stood at the end of the corridor and softly cried out, ¡°Littlemb, follow me back to the house.¡±


    She called out to her mother in a soft voice and quickly threw herself into Madam Leng¡¯s embrace, rubbing her head against her stomach. ¡°Brother Xiao Yu lied to me ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng rubbed her head,forting her, ¡°He might have something to do ¡­¡±


    She moaned, still unwilling, ¡°But he told me ¡­he¡¯ll be here to pick me up today ¡­.¡±


    Madam Leng could only reply, ¡°Then next time you meet, ask him why he didn¡¯te today.¡± He¡¯ll apologize to you. ¡±


    Brother Xiao Yu wouldn¡¯t apologize. He had never apologized to her before.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to see him next time.¡±


    Finally, she added, ¡°I won¡¯t y with a big liar.¡±


    Leng felt that it was funny. A child always likes to say angry things, but what could be taken seriously? Perhaps after a few days, the two of them would get to y together again.


    During the few days when Xie Zhen and Li Yu had been lying on the wall talking, Leng had heard from the servants. Just a moment ago, she had said that she hated him, but it was not long before they reconciled. As long as they did not hurt themselves, Madam Leng would just turn a blind eye to them and let them go.


    But this time, no one thought that what she said came to truth.


    After three to five days, the Li¡¯s house still did not have any movements.


    Normally, there would be servants entering and exiting the Li Mansion, or merchants looking for Li Xiqing to discuss business. However, these few days, the gate was tightly shut, so no one came or left.


    Not only that, there wasn¡¯t even a single sound from the house.


    Although the Li family was not noisy, there would always be some conversations going on. This time, not only was there no sound, it was as if there was not even the slightest trace of a human being.


    Both Madam Leng and Xie Liqing felt that it was strange. They thought that the Li family had left, but as neighbors, why didn¡¯t they say anything about their departure?


    A monthter, even Xie Zhen noticed that something was wrong. ¡°Mother, has it been a long time since Madam Songst came to our house?¡±


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing looked at each other andforted her, ¡°Tomorrow, I will bring you to Aunt Song.¡±


    She said yes, but she was still very concerned about Li Yu¡¯s failure to make an appointment. She pouted and said, ¡°But I won¡¯t talk to brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    Madam Leng couldn¡¯t help butugh. Her daughter¡¯s appearance was truly adorable. She couldn¡¯t help but pull her into her embrace and give her a good massage.


    The next day, after discussing the time with Xie Liqing, the family paid a visit to the Li Mansion.


    They stood in front of the gate for a long time, the brass knocker knocking and knocking, but no one came to open the door for them.


    Xie Zhen leaned against the door and muttered, ¡°Why is no one opening the door?Where are they?¡± She pped the door board twice and let out a long sigh. Her melodious voice was sweet and melodious. ¡°Is there anyone here?¡±


    Still no response.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he hasn¡¯te back from a long journey. Let¡¯s go home first ande back another day.¡± Madam Leng said to Xie Liqing.


    Xie Liqing nodded in agreement. Before he left, he said, ¡°Since they want to travel far, why didn¡¯t they tell us ¡­¡±


    Before he could take two steps, a person appeared behind the stone lion at the entrance. She looked haggard and dejected, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°They won¡¯t being back.¡±


    It was a seven or eight year old little girl. Madam Leng almost couldn¡¯t recognize her.


    Only when she took a closer look did she realize that wasn¡¯t this the miss who had borrowed a ce in the Li¡¯s Mansion earlier? How could she be left alone?


    Just as Madam Leng was about to approach, she retreated. ¡°Don¡¯te again. Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin are gone. They will nevere back.¡±


    Xie Liqing asked her what she meant, but she didn¡¯t want to say anything more. Her body was trembling, as if she had gone through a great deal of fear.


    The little girl who was clearly full of confidencest month had now turned out to be like this. This huge contrast was even more bewildering.


    Xie Zhen rushed out, and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense, I don¡¯t believe you!¡±


    The two of them didn¡¯t like each other. As soon as Xie Zhen appeared, Ouyang Yi stared with her eyes wide open. ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense!¡± Only then did she seem a little more lively.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t believe her. Li Yu had said taking her to fly a kite a few days ago, so how could he nevere back? ¡°Brother Xiao Yu is just on a long journey. He¡¯ll be back! He¡¯ll be back in a few days!¡±


    Ouyang Yi was also very persistent. ¡°If I say he won¡¯t, he will not!¡±


    In the end, the two little girls stood at the entrance and started arguing, giving off the impression that they would never stop until the other party was convinced. In the end, Ouyang Yi was forced into a corner. She rushed up the stairs and took out a key from her pocket to open the redcquered door. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go in and take a look yourself!¡±


    The door creaked open.


    Behind the heavy wooden door was the courtyard.


    Xie Zhen had visited this courtyard many times. She remembered every step of the way, but she had never been so unfamiliar with it. The yard had been deserted for a month, and weeds were growing out of it. The stone pirs under the veranda were broken, and the veranda copsed.


    There was no one in the yard. It was empty, so quiet that even their voices responded.


    She ran into the living room and looked inside and out. There was nothing but pear wood tables and stools. She went to Li Yu¡¯s room, which was even more spacious and empty. Not a single trace of that he used to live here was left behind.


    He had left.


    Xie Zhen walked out of the house and asked Ouyang Yi, ¡°Why are they leaving?¡±


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s eyes reddened and she turned her head, rufusing to talk.


    Xie Zhen grabbed her sleeve and whirled it around. ¡°Why? Why did brother Xiao Yu leave?¡±


    Ouyang Yi was annoyed by her questions and pushed her away. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it because he hates you?!¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked, and stood there, helpless.


    Perhaps it was due to her extreme disgust, Ouyang Yi¡¯s tone turned poisonous as she viciously said, ¡°Cousin hates you the most. If it wasn¡¯t for you, he wouldn¡¯t have moved away!¡±


    After a long moment, Xie Zhen rubbed her eyes. ¡°He said he was going to take me to fly a kite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡±


    But, but he never said he hated her.


    Even when she had pestered him before, he had never said he hated her.


    Xie Zhen was hurt and stood at the door of Li Yu¡¯s room for a while before leaving with Leng and Xie Liqing. She walked very slowly. She turned to look back repeatedly at every step. The radiance in herrge eyes gradually dimmed. Finally, she steeled her heart and did not turn her head back.


    After the people left, Ouyang Yi did not move for a long time.


    It wasn¡¯t until Madam Li came to find her that she burst into tears.


    What she said was not true. She was deliberately deceiving them. It was she who hated her the most, and that was why she wanted to hurt her, hurt her.


    Why should Xie Zhen be happier than others? Why did her parents love her and make her a happy family? She would make her sad.


    The day before Li Yu wanted to take Xie Zhen to the courtyard in the suburb, Ouyang Yi found him. She wanted to go with him no matter what he said.


    Li Yu did not agree, so Madam Song told him: ¡°Ah Yi has no father, no home, and now can only rely on us. You are her cousin. If even you treat her badly, who else can she rely on in the future?¡±


    Ever since Ouyang Yi had moved into the Li Mansion, Madam Song had often said these words to him. She was his cousin and he should take good care of her, though he was reluctant, he didn¡¯t want to go against his parents.


    Only that time did he want to take only Xie Zhen with him.


    Li Yu had an argument with Madam Song. That day, he went alone to the vi. However, there was an ident on the way, and he was almost picked up by a few gangsters. Fortunately, Li Yu had four or five servants with him, helping him escape. After Madam Song and Li Yiqing brought him back, a group of masked men in ck stormed into the Li Mansion on the same night.


    They came silently and took the lives of dozens of people in the mansion.


    Madam Song and Li Xiqing had brought Li Yu along to escape through the back door. Li Xiqing gave Ouyang Yi and her mother some money to run for themselves. There was no time to make proper arrangements due to the urgency of the situation, and Li Xiqing didn¡¯t even exin it to them.


    Ouyang Yi and Madam Li didn¡¯t have anywhere to go, so they set up a temporary residence nearby.


    Ouyang Yi would asionally wander around the Li Mansion in hopes of catching sight of her uncle, aunt, or Li Yu. When she went back today, she happened to meet the Xie Family.


    She said those words on impulse.


    She lied. Li Yu didn¡¯t hate Xie Zhen at all.

 Chapter 25 - Growing Up

    <h4>Chapter 25 - Growing Up</h4>


    When Xie Zhen got home, she was frustrated for days.


    Li Yu left without a word. He didn¡¯t even say goodbye.


    Did he really hate her? Then why invited her to fly a kite? After thinking about it for a few days, she still couldn¡¯t figure it out. In the end, she made herself sick andid on the bed for more than ten days.


    She used to be a little chubby, but now she was skinny.


    When she got better, she had the goose kite put away in the storehouse, and she never took it out again. Once, when she was passing by a corner in the backyard, she had someone bring her adder. Sheid on the top of it and stared at the courtyard for a long time before silently climbing down again. She snuggled in Leng¡¯s arms for a long time without making a sound.


    ¡°Li Yu is gone, but Gao Xun is still here.¡± Madam Leng felt her sadness, ¡°Gao Xun has been looking for you these days. Why don¡¯t you see him? ¡±


    Ever since Gao Xun learned that Li Yu had left without saying a word, he hadined about him to the depths of his bones, scolding him from head to toe.


    ¡°I¡¯m suffering, Mother,¡± she said gloomily.


    At such a young age, she actually knew what suffering meant. Madam Leng couldn¡¯t help butugh as she kissed the space between her eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? There will be more people leaving you in the future, how can you care about any of them? Do you know what it means that peoplee and people go, littlemb? ¡±


    She raised her wet eyes. ¡°A lot of people?¡±


    Leng nodded, ¡°There are so many people in everyone¡¯s life, someing, some leaving. This is normal, we can¡¯t avoid it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, normal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very normal thing,¡± said Madam Leng.


    She thought for a moment. Was it normal for brother Xiao Yu to leave?


    She hugged Madam Leng¡¯s waist, still brooding over one thing: ¡°But brother Xiaoyu said he hates me.¡±


    Madam Leng brushed her nose, slowly saying, ¡°Didn¡¯t you often say that you hate brother Xiao Yu? Do you really hate him? ¡¯


    She was silent, a little boyishly stubborn. ¡°I didn¡¯t hate him, but I hate him when he left.¡±


    Madam Lengughed softly, pretending to be relieved. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough. You guys are even. You don¡¯t owe each other anything.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked up, blinking, and suddenly felt that her words made sense.


    Her gloomy mood improved as she grinned and leaned towards Leng, saying tiredly, ¡°Mum, Kiss me ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng let out a ¡°you¡± with a helpless expression, but a smile appeared on her face.


    Gao Xun came to the Li Mansion several times, but never saw Xie Zhen.


    On this day, he persevered and did not expect to be invited to Spring Flower Dock. Surprised and flustered, he hurried over, just in time to see Xie Zhen swinging slowly by herself.


    He stepped forward and said cheerfully, ¡°Ah Zhen!¡±


    She looked up and smiled at him. He didn¡¯t think the flowers around him looked as good as she did.


    The swing brought her forward, then swung slowly back and stopped. He saw that she had lost a lot of weight, and the flesh on her face had reduced. When she smiled, a faint pear vortex appeared on both sides of her, making her look so beautiful.


    Xie Zhen pointed to another swing and said generously, ¡°Ah Xun is not here. You can ride on her swing.¡±


    Gao Xun sat on it, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to see me again.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Xie Zhen was puzzled.


    He rubbed his nose and looked across at the Li¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Because I have a good rtionship with Ah Yu ¡­you yed with me only because you like Ah Yu.¡±


    Now that Li Yu was gone, there was no connection between them anymore. She definitely didn¡¯t want to see him again.


    So when she promised to see him today, he was overjoyed.


    Unexpectedly, Xie Zhe shook her head and righteously said, ¡°Even without brother Xiao Yu, I will still y with you!¡±


    Gao Xun¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Really?¡±


    She said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Gao Xun was finally relieved. He chuckled. His little fairy was willing to talk to him, and she was willing to smile at him, not because of Li Yu, which made him feel very satisfied.


    Thinking about Li Yu, he felt a little indignant, ¡°But Ah Yu actually left without saying a word. He really doesn¡¯t have enough sense of brotherhood! If I see him again in the future, I will beat him up for sure.¡±


    He turned around and asked, ¡°What do you think about punching him, Ah Zhen?¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°You beat him up, I¡¯ll just watch from the side!¡±


    Gao Xun waved his fist and began to depict the scene in his mind. His father had recently hired a martial arts master to teach him martial arts every morning. He had been studying diligently. In the future, he would definitely beat Li Yu, that brat, to the point where heid on the ground, crying out in pain.


    After he imagined it, he was in a better mood. He went around behind her and grabbed the two ropes on the swing. ¡°I¡¯ll gave you a push. Do you want to fly?¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, he pulled the rope back and gently pushed her forward. Over and over, Xie Zhen flew higher and higher.


    The wind blew past her ears, and every time she rose, she could see the scenaries far away. In the distant blue sky, the wind was gentle and clear. She looked down and said to Gao Xun, ¡°A little higher, a little higher!¡±


    Hearing this, Gao Xun pushed harder.


    Her clothes fluttered in the wind as her dress drew an arc in front of his eyes.


    Apanied by her cheerfulughter, this scene was deeply engraved in his heart. He hadn¡¯t forgotten it after many years.


    Li Yu¡¯s departure did make her sad for a while, but after she figured it out, she slowly forgot about it.


    She was too busy growing up to remember so much in her little mind.


    Moreover, Gao Xun woulde to the Xie Mansion every few days. He would either bring her knickknacks or good food. He told her jokes, making herugh out loud.


    In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed, and she had unconsciously grown from a young and immature child to a young girl.


    She even rarely remembered the name Li Yu.


    On the day of her fourteenth birthday, after a meal with her family, Xie Zhen insisted on measuring each other¡¯s height with Xie Rong. She stood in front of Xie Rong and gestured with her hand. Then, she looked at Xie Xun with an expression of anticipation. ¡°Have I grown taller? Have I grown taller?¡±


    Xie Xun held a cup of apricot tea in her hands and shook her head honestly.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She looked up at Xie Rong in disappointment. ¡°Why is it that brother is getting taller and taller, but I haven¡¯t grown for the past two years?¡±


    She had grown up fast when she was young, almost the tallest girl of her age, and she had been proud of herself. She didn¡¯t expect that after she was twelve years old, she would have stopped growing. The girls around him were still growing up, and only she was still the same as when she was twelve.


    She was not short, but it was a little too small to stand beside the tall and slender Xie Rong.


    At the age of neen, Xie Rong¡¯s facial features were extremely mature and handsome. He had reached the age of getting married. Many of the officials¡¯ wives wanted to betroth their daughter to him, but the Xie family did not express their views. Therefore, they could only secretly feel anxious.


    Xie Zhen had asked what kind of girl he liked, but he thought for a long time and then said only one word: ¡°Someone congenial to me.¡±


    She was still the same as when she was a child. She was full of clever ideas. The only thing that had changed was her face which had lost its infant fat. The cocoon had be a butterfly, making people unable to look away from it.


    Her face was exquisite, and every part of her was perfect. Her skin was like ice and snow, and she was like a fairy.


    However, she was not the little fairy that Gao Xun spoke of. Instead, she was more like a little fox. Sometimes, She threw a tantrum at Xie Rong, and He would tell her in all seriousness, ¡°Littlemb, you can¡¯t talk to anyone like this in the future.¡±


    She was confused. ¡°what?¡±


    Xie Rong thought for a long time, but he still couldn¡¯t find a suitable adjective.


    Her voice was soft and sweet. If she were to continue acting coquettish with others, any man would get crazy about her.


    Moreover, her face was beautiful, and just this fact alone was enough to attract many men to covet her.


    Madam Leng was bing more and more cautious with her two daughters. She didn¡¯t allow them to go out often. When they went out, they had to put on a tight veil to prevent anyone from seeing them. Although the others knew that the Xie Family had two peerless daughters, they didn¡¯t know how exactly peerless they were.


    In these two years, it could be said that Xie Zhen didn¡¯t grow up at all. At least in one ce on her grew fast.


    In the night, her chest hurt, and when she touched it gently, it trembled miserably¡­ If not for her mother saying that this was a normal reaction, she would have thought that she was sick.


    Madam Leng had sewn several Abdomen wraps up for her in a year. In the end, even she was embarrassed. ¡°Mother, in the future, let me make my underwear¡­¡±


    Madam Leng looked up with a smile. ¡°What, you know how to sew?¡±


    She said she couldn¡¯t, so she snuggled up to Madam Leng. ¡°I was just afraid that Mother would be tired.¡±


    Madam Leng was worried that the needle would pierce her, so she asked the maidservant to take the workbox further away. She stroked the hair by her temple and said with emotion, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up so much in the blink of an eye. You know how to care for your mother?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use me wrongly, I have always cared for you.¡±


    Madam Leng shook her head andughed softly.


    The mother and daughter chatted for a while before a maidservant came in from outside. ¡°Second Miss, Young Master Gao is here. He is asking for see you.¡±


    The Young Master Gao mentioned by the maidservants was indeed Gao Xun. They had grown up these two years, and they had been dating less frequently than when they were children. Still, Gao Xun came to see her asionally, sometimes to talk, sometimes to drink tea, like old friends for years.


    Xie Zhen let go of Leng¡¯s hand, stood up and said, ¡°Mother, I will go to the main hall.¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to leave.


    Madam Leng called out to her, wanting to say something but hesitated. In the end, she didn¡¯t say anything. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Go.¡±


    As her daughter grew bigger and bigger, what a girl cared about the most was her reputation. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for her to continue getting along with Gao Xun like this. Leng wanted to ask her what she thought about Gao Xun. If she really liked him, they would discuss it and settle the marriage matter with the Gao Family.


    Leng knew Gao Xun was of the highest moral character, and that he had fallen in love with Xie Zhen for the past seven or eight years. If the littlemb were to marry him, there was nothing to criticize.


    On the other side of the room, Xie Zhen came to the main hall and began to climb the stairs. At first nce, she saw the tall and muscr figure in the room.


    Perhaps it was because of his martial arts practice, Gao Xun¡¯s body became stronger every day. He was only sixteen, but just by looking at his back, he was already a man.


    He had broad shoulders and solid back, but he did not look rough.


    When he heard the voice, he looked back, and his eyes fell on her face, unabashed with fascination and wonder.

 Chapter 26 - Get Back To The Capital

    <h4>Chapter 26 - Get Back To The Capital</h4>


    Gao Xun ns to join the army, and Second Master of Gao Family had some friendship with Qingzhou governor, who was just enough to promote him in the army.


    He¡¯d been busyst few months, and he hadn¡¯t seen her for days. Today, he finally had the chance to see her. He stared at her for a long time, but still couldn¡¯t move his eyes away.


    Xie Zhenughed at him, ¡°What are you looking at me for? Haven¡¯t you seen me for a long time, so you don¡¯t know me?¡±


    Gao Xun regained his senses and coughed dryly. He took a sip of the tea and cleared his throat.


    He could not believe her change. That was because she grow more charming in these two years. It had only been a few days, and her face was even more beautiful than thest time.


    She sat at the table across from him, sipping the fresh-picked Biluochun Tea, her mouth full of the aroma of tea. ¡°How is your military affairs going on?¡±


    Gao Xun retracted his thoughts and ced the small teacup on the table. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much all right now. In two days, I¡¯ll be going to live in the army for a period of time.¡±


    In the army, he wanted to do a good job. He was a person who had ambition and knew how to climb higher step by step. He was not willing to be in such a small corner of the Qingzhou Province and the army was the first step he took. When he heard that the capital was prosperou, he thought that he must go to the capital for the rest of his life.


    Xie Zhen had no idea about it.


    In fact, she also felt that the military camp was very suitable for Gao Xun. He was not the material to study, he was free to do as he pleased, and did not like restrictions, only the military can meet these conditions. They had grown up together, and she knew many things about him, what he wanted, what was right for him, and she had always supported him.


    It was a long time since theyst met, so the two of them sat and talked for a while. Both of them were talkative, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about not having a topic to talk to.


    Late in the afternoon, Gao Xun decided to say goodbye.


    He had said he was leaving a quarter of an hour ago, but he had no intention of leaving even now. He looked like he had something to say. He opened his mouth a few times, but no sound came out.


    ¡°Do you want to tell me something?¡± Xie Zhen asked.


    Gao Xun finally nodded with an unreadable expression on his face. ¡°You should know that for the past few days, my mother has been selecting for my marriage ¡­¡±


    He had reached the age of marriage. Sincest year, Madam Zhao had been nning to choose a good wife for him. All the influential families in Qingzhou were picked. Madam Zhao asked him which family he liked the most, but he said he didn¡¯t take any of them. Madam Zhao was angry. She thought that he wouldn¡¯t marry for the rest of his life. Recently, she was truly worried. If he joined the army, wouldn¡¯t getting married and having children be even more hopeless? That¡¯s why she forced him a little harder these days.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You still don¡¯t like them?¡± Xie Zhen felt funny.


    Gao Xun looked at her and nodded earnestly.


    She spread out her hands and shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t like this, and you don¡¯t like that either. What kind of girl are you looking for?¡±


    When she smiled, her eyes were curved, as bright as the stars.


    Gao Xun watched her for a moment, then asked with a smile that was not a smile, ¡°How about a girl like you?¡±


    Xie Zhen was very surprised.


    Gao Xun was hurt by her reaction. He put one hand on his cheek and a smile yed around his lips. ¡°Ah Zhen, we¡¯ve known each other for so long. Have you ever considered marrying me?¡±


    She shook her head almost without hesitation. ¡°No.¡±


    No matter how close they were, she never thought about it. She thought that they were just ymates without any lust in their hearts. They could not be any purer.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you think of it?¡± Gao Xun¡¯s eyes darkened.


    She was stumped by his question. Why ¡­ She racked her brains, but a sh of inspiration suddenly shed across her mind. ¡°Mother said that I¡¯m still young, so I¡¯m not in a hurry to get married!¡±


    She was obviously using an excuse to stop him.


    Gao Xun looked at her in disappointment, as if she had abandoned him.


    He had made no secret of his love for her thesest few years, and had given her every hint, but she was a first-rate fool, and there was always a reason to send him away. In fact, she had taken him for a good friend and had no other thought. But he was stubborn, and the more he fell, the braver he became.


    Of course, the result hadn¡¯t changed.


    He intended to speak clearly this time. He was leaving. He must confess his love to her now. He just loved her, he couldn¡¯t live without her, he wanted to take her home as his wife and cherish her forever.


    However, after waiting for so many years, he didn¡¯t care if he waited another year or two. When he did, he would take her home.


    After Gao Xun left, Xie Zhen sat in the room for a long time.


    She rested her chin in sadness, wondering how she could make Gao Xun give up. She had no love for him, and she should not waste his time. It was better to make things clear as soon as possible.


    Before she could make an conclusion, Xie Xun came in with a te of rose cake. ¡°Sister, do you want some cake?¡±


    Xie Zhen gave a nce at her younger sister. As she grew older, Xie Xun became more and more gluttonous. At the age of twelve, instead of losing the baby fat, her face became as round as a red apple. Fortunately, no matter how much she eat, she was still a pretty girl.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not in a good mood.¡± Xie Zhen turned away, refusing to be seduced by her.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t force her sister. She put a piece of rose cake into her mouth to chew. ¡°Why are you in a bad mood?¡±


    No matter what Xie Xun ate, others would feel that was delicious. For example, she was currently eating an ordinary rose cake, but her satisfied expression made others¡¯ appetite boil. They really wanted to try out the taste of the rose cake in her hands, making her reveal such a light expression.


    Xie Zhen stepped forward, bit a little rose cake in her hand, and said ¡°You won¡¯t understand what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Who says I don¡¯t understand?¡± Xie Xun argued, ¡°I know. Brother Gao Xun wants you to marry him.¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked, and choked heavily on the rose cake in her mouth, and took two long gulps of water to calm herself. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Xie Xun pointed to the door. ¡°I¡¯ve been standing there for a long time. Neither my sister nor brother Gao Xun saw me.¡±


    She was only twelve, but she already knew how to eavesdrop!


    When Xie Zhen was five or six years old, she¡¯d been hiding in the doorway listening to his parents.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell mother,¡± she warned her seriously.


    Xie Xun blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, I won¡¯t give you any of the desserts that Gao Xun brings me in the future.¡±


    She promised, ¡°I won¡¯t tell others.¡±


    Indeed, as long as she mentioned food, she would always be able to stop her.


    After a while, Xie Xun finished half a te of rose cake. She licked her finger and thought back to the previous question. ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you want to marry brother Gao Xun?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head and said she didn¡¯t know.


    She didn¡¯t expect that in the next moment, this little girl would say something so shocking: ¡°If brother Li Yu wants to marry you, will you marry him?¡±


    It was a long time since she heard the name, and it took her a long time to remember who it was. This name reminded her of his departure without saying a word, of his missing appointment, and she curled up slowly in her chair. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Xie Xun was confused, ¡°but weren¡¯t you fond of him before?¡±


    She frowned and thought for a moment, as if that was true. At that time, she had followed behind him every day, and it was impossible to chase her away.


    ¡°Just because he looks good!¡±


    After so many years, Li Yu¡¯s face had already be blurry. What she remembered the most clearly was that he had a face that was even prettier than a girl¡¯s.


    After autumn, the leaves withered and turned yellow, and the weather turned cold day by day.


    Xie Liqing was going to report to the emperor this year and was nning to take the entire family back to the capital just in time for his mother¡¯s sixtieth birthday. If he was lucky enough to get an official position in the capital, he wouldn¡¯t need to travel between the two ces every year.


    Before setting off, Xie Liqing wrote a letter and sent it to the Duke of Dingguo, exining his ns.


    The Duke of Dingguo was delighted to see the letter. He stroked his beard and smiled. His grandsons and granddaughters wereing back. He hadn¡¯t seen them for years, he missed them so much.


    The Duke of Dingguo had his two courtyards and their rooms cleaned up.


    In Qingzhou, Xie Liqing set the date for their return on the second day of the tenth month. There were a lot of things to do before leaving. One carriage was not enouph, they had to take at least two or three. There were also maids. All of these had to be arranged.


    On the second day of October, the family got into the carriage and drove to the capital.


    Mom and Dad were in a carriage, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun in another, Xie Rong was riding outside. asionally, if something happened, he could scout the road.


    There was a heavy snow on the road. The snow was half a foot deep, and the carriage could not move at all. The journey was dyed for less than half a month, and the olddy¡¯s birthday present was imminent. Only seven or eight days remained.


    Xie Liqing discussed with the driver to have them hurry up. Finally, they arrived at the capital before the end of November.


    It had been a rough journey, and two beautiful girls had been through a lot.


    Xie Zheny on the seatzily. As soon as the carriage drove into the capital, there was a lot of noise and prosperity in her ears, much more so than in Qingzhou. She sat up abruptly on the mattress and listened. The sound was so familiar that it gave her the illusion of returning to her hometown.


    Although she was still young when she left the capital, her subconscious told her that the capital was her birthce.


    Now that she had finally returned to this ce, it had been nine years.

 Chapter 27 - The Family

    <h4>Chapter 27 - The Family</h4>


    Knowing that the Second Master was to return, the Duke Dingguo¡¯s household had already made preparations.


    At this moment, the Old Granny and the Old Master were leading the eldest branch, the third branch and fourth branch to the main house, all waiting there. The servants would report where the Second Master had been every quarter of an hour. At noon, they finally heard the servant say, ¡°they¡¯re here, they¡¯re at the door!¡±


    The Old Master couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. Leaning on his crutches, he was about to head to the door to wee them when the Old Granny coughed softly. ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and invite them in.¡±


    Hearing this, the servant hurriedly went to the door to wee him.


    A few momentster, a voice came from the courtyard. Everyone looked towards the back of the screen wall which was painted with crane, deer and spring.


    Xie Liqing and Madam Leng led the way, followed by Xie Rong, and then Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, the two little girls. After so many years, Xie Liqing had be more and more mature after being tempered by the culture of the Qingzhou Province. He had be much darker and stronger than he was nine years ago, but he now looked more like a man who could support the heavens and the earth. Madam Leng, who was beside him, did not change at all. This was the best gift to a woman. A woman in her thirties still looked like a twenty-something year old girl. She had white lips and teeth, her skin as white as snow. She didn¡¯t know how to take care of herself normally, so it was no wonder that Xie Liqing loved her so much.


    The whole family had grown up well, and the parents were all in good shape. Naturally, their children were also very pleasing to the eye.


    And the most eye-catching, must be thest one, Xie Zhen, wearing a white embroidered peony fox fur cape. A slight smile hung on her lips as she absent-mindedly looked forward. Her goose egg face was like a beautiful jade in the sunlight. Xie Xun, who was beside her, said something to her. She lowered her head and smiled. At that moment, there seemed to be the sound of flowers blooming around her.


    She had a sweet smile since she was young. No matter how angry you were, the moment you saw her smile, you would lose any temper.


    This kind of beauty was an innate wealth. Others could not imitate it and could only envy it.


    Actullly Xie Xun didn¡¯t say anything funny, she just asked, ¡°Where is this?¡±


    When she left the capital at the age of three, she didn¡¯t have much of an impression of this ce, much less remember it. That ce was too unfamiliar to her. Although it was luxurious and magnificent, it was still notparable to the small residence in the Qinghou Province. Although the family in the Qingzhou Province was small, it was more like a family.


    Xie Zhen looked at her and pinched her soft cheek. ¡°Ah Xun, this is the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Xie Xun did not know what the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was. She had heard from Leng that they also had a family in the capital, with grandparents and aunts and uncles. When she looked up, she saw that there were a lot of people sitting in the main hall, and all eyes were on them. She was a timid girl, so she quietly hid behind Xie Zhen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, they don¡¯t eat people,¡± Xie Zhen held her hands, and told her.


    Xie Xun is still young and doesn¡¯t understand the meaning of this sentence, but Xie Zhen knows clearly.


    She was five years old when she left, and the ordinary child had long since forgotten it. It was probably because she had been so impressed at that time that she could not forget it now even if she wanted to.


    Just as she was thinking, they arrived at the main hall.


    Everyone stood up to wee them, and the Duke Dingguo sighed with emotion, ¡°You¡¯ve finally returned. How have you been these past few years in the Qingzhou?¡±


    Xie Liqing respectfully bowed and greeted the two. ¡°Everything is well, thanks for father¡¯s careness.¡±


    Duke Dingguo then asked about the situation in the Qingzhou before giving up.


    He looked at his grandson. He had to raise his head to see Xie Rong. ¡°He¡¯s already so tall.¡±


    Xie Rong saluted his grandfather and grandmother.


    Looking at the two granddaughters, one was smiling while the other was timid and innocent. They were both first-rate beauties. For a moment his eyes stayed fixed on his face, and he was shocked. She couldn¡¯t see it when she was young, but now that she had grown up, she looked more and more like the old Madam Tan.


    Grand Concubine Tan was Xie Liqing¡¯s birth mother. She was originally the daughter of a small workshop. She was as beautiful as a flower, devastatingly beautiful. One day, when the Duke Dingguo walked across the street and saw hering out of the door, he immediately fell in love and would not forget her ever again. Later, the duke brought her into the pce and made her his concubine. It was a pity that her life was so light. She had given birth to Xie Liqing only a few years before she died. Even today, the Duke Dingguo still felt guilty for her. He would often think about her and reminisce about her for a while.


    He had never thought that his little granddaughter was so simr to her.


    The Old Master thought back to the past. Countless thoughts flooded his mind, and he spoke very slowly. ¡°Good, good ¡­¡± ¡°This is Ah Zhen and Ah Xun, right? I haven¡¯t seen them since many years ago. Do you remember your grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Xie Zhen¡¯s watery eyes curved, crisply said: ¡°Grandfather!¡±


    The Old Master replied happily.


    ¡°Of course I remember,¡± she said. ¡°I broke my grandfather¡¯s flowers, and you taught me a great lesson.¡±


    She may not remember when you were nice to her, but she will remember every time you teach her a lesson. The Old Master loved Xie Zhen the most. This little girl could enrage you, but she could also coax you to beaming at you in the next moment. This was a skill that made people love and hate her.


    Duke Dingguoughed and doted on her, ¡°You little girl, you¡¯re stillining about your grandfather?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Yao Huang Wei Zi for the empress dowager. If you break it, how will Grandfather exin it to the pce?¡±


    She stuck out her tongue. ¡°I knew I was wrong.¡±


    The grandfather and granddaughter were still the same as many years ago, nagging nonstop. If it wasn¡¯t for the old granny, they probably would have continued their nagging as if no one else had spoken.


    The olddy asked the family of five to sit down and chat. Xie Liqing sat next to the head of the household, Xie Lisong, while Madam Leng sat opposite him. On the left and right of them were First Wife Xu and Third Wife Wu.


    Madam Xu wore an apricot silk jacket, a turmeric skirt, and emerald pearls. Her faces were whitewashed with hairpin powder, but they immediately paled inparison to the Madam Leng. She smiled at Madam Leng, called her sister-inw, and said nothing more.


    On the other hand, Madam Wu, who was on the right side, was much more cordial. She asked Madam Leng about the local customs and customs of the Qingzhou Province, then exined the changes that had urred over the years in the Dingguo¡¯s Estate. Third Master Xie had just joined the Ministry of Rites two years ago and his career was going smoothly. Her words were filled with a sense of pride.


    When Madam Leng heard this, her reaction was extremely calm. ¡°Congrattions, third sister-inw.¡±


    Madam Wu touched a soft nail and embarrassedly shut her mouth, no longer responding.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun stood behind Leng, looking left and right, orderly no longer move.


    Xie Zhen always felt that there was a line of sight looking at her, following her gaze, just happened to meet the gaze of his third sister, Xie Ying.


    Xie Ying was the daughter of the Madam Xu, the wife of the eldest branch. She was sixteen years old and was also a beauty. However, she had inherited the Madam Xu¡¯s high cheekbones, and her eyes and tail were slightly raised. At first nce, she seemed somewhat mean and unfriendly. Xie Zhen was impressed with her and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Third elder sister.¡±


    Xie Ying replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been many years since west met. Fifth younger sister is even more beautiful.¡±


    Although it was apliment, there was no hint of praise in her tone if you listened carefully, and it sounded rather sour.


    Xie Zhen knew it, and replied politely, ¡°third sister, too. I almost don¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    As soon as she said that, Xie Ying¡¯s expression changed.


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    There had been a few small spots on her facetely, not very noticeable, but she minded it very much. Ordinarily, no one should say, but now, although she did not express it, she always felt like Xie Zhen was implying something, so she was a little unhappy.


    Xie Zhen had an innocent look on her face as she asked her what was wrong with her face. She also gave her a few nonsensical suggestions.


    She had a belly full of rage and had nowhere to vent it.


    After the family had their lunch in the main hall, Xie Liqing and Leng sent off the Old Granny and the Old Master before returning to Jade Hall with their children.


    Before they left the capital, they lived in the courtyard of the Jade Hall. Now, this ce had been deserted for many years. There was a sense of destion everywhere, and it was devoid of human spirits. However, Duke Dingguo had the courtyard cleaned up in advance. The room was neatly furnished, and the tables and chairs and shelves were wiped clean.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun had grown up, and they had separate rooms to sleep in. So Madam Leng let them sleep in two rooms in the west, while Xie Rong lived in the east.


    The serving maids carried all the items into the room and arranged them ording to the instructions of the Madam Leng. If anything went wrong, the Madam Leng would have their women take care of things once more. After everything had been tidied up, it was already sunset.


    Xie Zhen let the Shuang Yu heat up the hot water and pour it into the bath barrel, intending to wash herself properly.


    It had been a long time since she had afortable bath. She sighedzily as she took off her dress and sat in the hot water.


    The temperature was just right, and she was drowsy from the washing.


    Her felt her chest heavy, and when she touched it, it still hurt a little. They were as tender as two pieces of tofu. Not only had she grown a little more, but she couldn¡¯t even measure it with one hand. She didn¡¯t know how long it would take for it to grow.


    ¡°Oh, it hurts.¡±


    Mother said that when it grew better, it would no longer hurt, but how could it be considered as growing better?


    She stood up, grabbed a towel from the screen, dried herself off, put on a cherry such-and-peony wad and a horse-faced dress, and walked out of the room. Xie Xun was in the yard, watching the servants working. When she saw here out, she handed her the stove in her sleeve. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re wearing too little.¡±


    It was warm in the house, and it was cold outside. She asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Xie Xun pointed to the main room. ¡°The eldest auntie just arrived. She¡¯s talking to Mother.¡±


    Xie Zhen was confused. The first madam has never been close to them. What is she doing here?


    Madam Xu hade for the Old Granny¡¯s birthday.


    The day after tomorrow was the birthday feast. Everyone in the mansion had already been arranged. Madam Leng had just returned to the capital, and she did not need to care about these matters. Madam Xu had onlye to inform her.


    ¡°You have just returned from Qingzhou and shouldn¡¯t have said these things to you. However, this is no small matter. You must not lose the face of the entire Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion because of your family.¡± Originally, Madam Xu did not think much of the Second Madam. Now that they had stayed in Qingzhou for a few years, she thought they were frumpier.


    Madam Leng raised her eyes and asked lightly, ¡°What does eldest sister-inw mean?¡±


    Madam Xu didn¡¯t even nce at the tea on the table. ¡°This is the olddy¡¯s birthday. The crown prince has been entrusted by the empress toe visit the house with the Sixth Prince. You¡¯ve just returned. If there¡¯s nothing else, you don¡¯t have to go to the front.¡±


    Madam Xu family had already made up her minds that if the two daughters of the second branch went there, they would definitely take away the glory of others. If they didn¡¯t go, their daughter would have met the crown prince or the Sixth Prince once and perhaps it would have been a marriage engagement.

 Chapter 28 - Birthday Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 28 - Birthday Banquet</h4>


    Madam Xu¡¯s calctions were excellent, but Madam Leng was not someone to be bullied.


    Madam Leng sipped the tea, and said calmly, ¡°this matter is not for me to decide, nor is it for my eldest sister-inw to decide. My three sons and daughters have just returned from Qingzhou, and the Old Master is overjoyed. If I don¡¯t let them go to the front to celebrate the olddy¡¯s birthday, the Old Master and the Old Lady will definitely be unhappy. Not only that, I¡¯m afraid he would have to say that Rong¡¯er and the others are unfilial.¡±


    Her words were true. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the Old Master cared more about the Second Branch and loved their children even more. It was precisely because of this that the olddy¡¯s opinion of the Second Branch grew. Today, she was able to put on a good face with great difficulty.


    Apparently, Madam Xu had received orders from the olddy and hade without the Old Master¡¯s permission.


    Unfortunately, Madam Leng was still the same as many years ago. She was difficult to control, so she easily blocked her with a single sentence.


    Madam Xuughed softly. It was precisely because of her personality that she was so straightforward with her. When Madam Leng had just entered the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Madam Xu had been very courteous to her. At least, they had maintained peace on the surface. However, she slowly discovered that Madam Leng was not hard or soft, but had a heart of stone. If you were to speak to her in a feigned manner, she wouldpletely ignore you. Since she had provoked Madam Xu, they would no longer be polite.


    Even so, there was nothing she could do about Madam Leng.


    Like her, she had a good daughter, Xie Zhen. Xie Zhen had the same knack for pissing people off. When Xie Ying returned to the house, she lost her temper. The servants in the courtyard were all in a mess, and all of them were trembling with fear.


    Seeing that she was unmoved, Madam Xu took a step back: ¡°The olddy is afraid that you will have to work hard on the way and won¡¯t tire yourself out. She wants you to rest for a few more days. Since my sister-inw doesn¡¯t want to rest, I can¡¯t force you. The next morning, there will be many distinguished guestsing to visit. Have the children be more cautious so as to not offend our noble guests.¡± After she finished speaking, she lifted the handkerchief and pointed at the corner of her mouth. ¡°After all, you are used to being treated in Qingzhou. You don¡¯t know the rules of the capital, but you have to learn many things slowly.¡±


    Leng looked at her, ¡°Today, Father praised Zhen¡¯er and Rong¡¯er for their good manners in public. I¡¯m afraid sister-inw is overthinking it.¡±


    She mentioned Old Master from time to time, leaving Madam Xu speechless instead.


    Yet, what she said was the truth. No one could refute her even if they wanted to.


    She knew her children best, and although Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were not usually in tune, one waszy, the other soft, the key moment was still a good one for her. Xie Zhen in particr, who knew the sense of propriety, knew the advance and retreat, on the big matters, was a very smart child. On the contrary, Leng was d that they had lived in Qingzhou for almost ten years. They were naturally pure and kind, lively and adorable.


    After Madam Xu had finished speaking, she did not reap any benefits, but got some embarassment. Her faces were full of displeasure. She stood up and walked out of the room. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to send me off,¡± she said to Leng.


    She looked back and saw Leng sitting upright in the rosewood chair, with no intention of getting up to send her off.


    She choked and turned around to follow the servant girl.


    Passing through Xie Zhen¡¯s room, she met the dark eyes of the two girls. She wanted to smile kindly, but she couldn¡¯t. The corners of her mouth drooped and she walked out of the courtyard with an unsightly expression.


    Xie Xun stood up and stomped her feet. She looked at Xie Zhen with a puzzled expression. ¡°Sis, why does Auntie look so scary?¡±


    Xie Zhen was leaning against the smoke-cage, her nose scented with the fragrance of a heavy incense, and she was drowsy. She half closed her eyes and yawned. ¡°She must have said something to our mother. It¡¯s a pity she couldn¡¯t get anything from the argument with our mother, so she got really angry with herself.¡±


    It had to be said that she had made a thorough analysis.


    Xie Xun nodded thoughtfully. ¡°What did the auntie say to our mother?¡±


    It was warm in the room, steaming out theziness in one¡¯s bones, and gradually, with a tilt of her head, she copsed on Xie Xun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious these days, it must have something to do with Grandmother¡¯s birthday¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she was already fast asleep.


    Xie Xun pushed her twice, but she still slept soundly. Xie Xun had to put her on the bed in the inner room with Shuangshu. Under the soft curtain, her breathing was steady and her face was peaceful.


    After returning to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for two days, Xie Zhen quickly went around the house. She got familiar with every corner, deeply in her heart.


    Since the mansion hadn¡¯t changed much since she was young, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to remember the details of the changes.


    On this day, she took Xie Xun to walk around theke. When she came back, she passed a flowerbed with several fake mountains in the middle. Behind the flowerbeds, there were two people walking side by side on a long veranda. It was Third Miss Xie Ying and Fourth Sister Xie Yin.


    Xie Yin was the daughter Madam Wu, sho was of the third branch. She also had a beautiful face and was a beautiful girl. Her character was somewhat simr to that of Xie Zhen, both lively, but she was a little bit snobbish. For example, right now, the Old Lady doted on the third young mistress. Since the eldest branch had a lot of weight in their conversation, she was on good terms with Xie Ying. She was close with Xie Ying, but didn¡¯t think much of the second branch at all.


    They talked on the veranda, where Xie Zhen and Xie Xun rested with a stone in the middle, but Xie Yin and Xie Ying didn¡¯t notice them.


    Xie Ying seemed to be worrying about what to wear for olddy¡¯s birthday banquet. Xie Yin made several suggestions, which she rejected. ¡°Those clothes were fromst year.¡±


    Xie Yin said, ¡°Third Sister, why don¡¯t you just cut up a piece of cloth and get a new one?¡±


    Xie Ying frowned, feeling that she was too stupid. ¡°Tomorrow is Grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, so it¡¯s definitely toote for a new one.¡±


    A while ago, she had someone make some new sets of clothes, but tomorrow, when the crown prince and the Sixth Prince came, she felt that the colors were too in and did not stand out enough, so she wanted to choose a set of brightly colored clothes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t be satisfied.


    Oh. Xie Zhen and Xie Xun looked at each other in silence. It¡¯s just a piece of clothing, why was she so worried?


    On the other side, Xie Yin interjected enthusiastically, ¡°If Third Sister doesn¡¯t mind, I have some new clothes that I haven¡¯t had time to wear. Why don¡¯t you try it in my room? ¡±


    Xie Ying nced at their statures. She was taller than Xie Yin and skinnier than she was.


    Xie Yin noticed this and rolled her eyes. ¡°I think Fifth Sister is simr to you. How about ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she rejected it. She shook her head in amusement: ¡°Fifth Sister has lived in Qingzhou for such a long time and has long since lost knowledge of the capital¡¯s most popr colors. Forget it, if we meet the Crown Prince, he willugh at you.¡±


    Unmarried girls talked about men, not to mention this man was the future emperor. The fourth mistress was rather daring.


    Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many people around. Xie Ying blushed, as if the crown prince was right in front of her, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Xie Yin smiled tacitly in acknowledgment, and the two of them left together.


    Behind the rockery, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun walked out, nonchntly walking toward Jade Hall.


    Xie Xun couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder sister, will the Crown Princee tomorrow as well?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what third Sis and fourth Sis said? Probably he will.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know about this either. If she hadn¡¯t heard Xie Ying and Xie Yin talking about it, she wouldn¡¯t have known about it. She seemed to be able to guess why the eldest madam came to the Jade Hall. Now that Xie Ying had reached the age of marriage, it would be perfect if she could make use of this opportunity to get a good marriage.


    The olddy of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and the current empress dowager used to share a handkerchief with each other. Xie Ying¡¯s grandfather served under the crown prince, and the old granny doted on Xie Ying. If he found an opportunity to speak with the empress dowager, perhaps she could even offer her a position of concubine. By then, she would be a phoenix.


    Of course, all of this was based on the premise that the Crown Prince had set his sights on Xie Ying first.


    On the day of the olddy¡¯s birthday, Xie Zhen suffered a sudden illness.


    It wasn¡¯t a serious illness, but the windows weren¡¯t properly closed at night, so she caught a cold. She woke up in the morning feeling dizzy and her voice was muffled.


    Madam Leng hurriedly got someone to invite a doctor and prescribed two sets of medicine for typhoid fever. She asked the maidservants to fry it and feed it to her, only then did she feel better.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just rest in the house,¡± said Lady Leng. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the front yard to Ah Xun and me.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded wanly.


    Madam Leng was worried about her, so she had Shuangyu and Shuangyan take care of her. If anything happened, they would have to report back to the front courtyard.


    This disease, the mother and daughter of the eldest branch were the happiest ones. Of course, Madam Xu didn¡¯t show it on her faces. She even asked the maidservants to show her concern for her. Seeing that Xie Zhen was really sick, she didn¡¯t care about her anymore.


    After taking the medicine, Xie Zhen slept for a while, and when she woke up, it was already bright, so she guessed that it was not even noon yet. She felt much more clear-headed. She wanted to go to the front to congratte the olddy so that she wouldn¡¯t be apprehended and used of being unfilial. In the future, she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin anything clearly. At first Shuangyu and Shuangyan disagreed, but could not resist her, so they added two extrayers of heavy clothing and let her go.


    She hadbed her hair before she left, without makeup, and she knew best how she looked. This face was wless. Instead of concealing its original color, it was rather in and delicate.


    She wore no thick clothes, only a red embroidered peony cloak. She carried a small hand stove in her hand as she walked slowly towards the main courtyard.


    There were many people in the front courtyard. The olddy had only exposed her side before returning to rest. Her gaze was waiting for the arrival of the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince.


    These two had noble statuses, so they definitely wouldn¡¯t be sitting in the front courtyard like the others. They¡¯d onlye to send off gifts prepared by the empress dowager and empress, and then leave.


    They didn¡¯t expect to meet Xie Zhen after waiting for half an hour.


    The olddy did not look too good. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sick? Why haven¡¯t you rested properly?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother¡¯s birthday,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I have toe, no matter how ufortable I am.¡±


    The Duke of Dingguo liked her eloquence, but in the olddy¡¯s case it was a glib tongue.


    The olddy was not pleased and only said a few words before sending her away.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t stay longer. She thought she was all right, but she didn¡¯t expect that after a long walk, she got a little exhausted. As she withdrew from the room, she let out a cloud of white mist and walked back.


    Walking out of the main courtyard, she saw two people from afar. Both of they two were tall, and with a single nce, she could tell that they were not ordinary people.


    One of them was probably the Crown Prince Xie Yin had spoken of.


    It¡¯s too far away for him to run into her, and it would be bad for her reputation if she were spotted. She thought for a moment, then turned and walked the other way.

 Chapter 29 - Handkerchief

    <h4>Chapter 29 - Handkerchief</h4>


    Two people walked over from the distance. One of them was dressed in a beautiful purple brocade brocade dress. He was around twenty years old. His appearance was handsome and condescending. He was indeed the current crown prince, Yan Tao.


    As he walked, he asked the people beside him, ¡°Have you found out who it was?¡±


    The person beside him acknowledged, but his tone did not fluctuate at all. ¡°It¡¯s Third Brother.¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled, lowered his sleeve to cover the wound on his wrist, and continued to walk forward.


    After leaving the pce, they encountered an ambush. More than a dozen Death Soldiers rushed out from all directions, each and every one of them trying to take his life.


    It was probably because he was too carefree in the pce that third brother could not bear it any longer and wanted his life so badly.


    He tilted his head, deep in thought. ¡°What does Sixth Brother think about this?¡±


    The person he called ¡°Sixth Brother¡± was a fifteen year old youth. He had delicate facial features, like a sculptor, and was extraordinarily handsome.


    He had been tanned a little in the past few years, and his skin was a light wheat color. He had lost the tender and delicate spirit of his childhood, and looked even more valiant and spirited.


    He had grown taller sincest year, and now he was only a little lower than Yan Tao.


    He was the Sixth Prince, Yan Yu.


    Yan Yu was silent for a moment before he analyzed calmly, ¡°Third Brother is too rash, so there is no need to be afraid of him.¡±


    Just like what the Crown Prince thought, Yan Tao smiled and patted his shoulder, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    His sixth brother had been brought back from themon folk only nine years ago. When he had just entered the pce, he had been acting as if he was aplete and reckless person. He never expected that in just a few years, he had be apletely different person.


    It was like apletely different person. You could no longer see the childish shadow of him.


    This was a good thing, otherwise he would not have been able to survive in the pce.


    As he was speaking, he saw a person wearing a white cape walking out from the main courtyard of Duke Dingguo¡¯s residence. He couldn¡¯t see her appearance clearly, and her figure should be that of a slim youngdy.


    The two of them ignored her. They walked up to take a look, only to realize that the girl had left in such a hurry that she didn¡¯t even notice that the handkerchief had fallen to the ground.


    Yan Tao bent down to pick it up and touched the fabric. It was extremely soft and silky, with a in flower embroidered on the lower left corner. Other than that, there was nothing else.


    Yan Tao handed it to Yan Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Sixth Brother, please wait here for a while. Maybe you can even meet that girl.¡±


    Yan Yu took a nce at it and asked without much interest, ¡°So what if I did?¡±


    Yan Tao curled his lips, ¡°Then this second brother should be a matchmaker.¡±


    It was actually such an idea ¡­


    Yan Yu pursed his lips, not even answering, ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions second brother, I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    The Crown Prince sighed and said regretfully, ¡°Sixth Brother, you are not young anymore. You don¡¯t have a woman by your side. Don¡¯t you feel lonely?¡±


    In the royal family, it was already time for thirteen or fourteen toe into contact with a woman. Not only did he not take any concubines, he didn¡¯t even have a single building maid girl with him.


    Sometimes, Yan Tao would take him as a guest to his subjects¡¯ house, and dancers would enter in droves, each more delicate than thest. However, he didn¡¯t even raise his eyes and just drank his wine, not caring about anyone.


    No one knew what he was thinking at this time.


    Yan Tao thought he had no desire, but once, when he was drunk, he spilled a name from his mouth.


    His voice was so soft and repressed that Yan Tao did not hear him clearly.


    When she asked himter, he wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    Yan Tao asked again, ¡°Or could it be that you already have a girl you like?¡±


    Yan Yu stopped and looked ahead, ¡°We have arrived. Dosen¡¯t Second Brother want to give a birthday present?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete.¡±


    As expected, he still refused to say ¡­


    Yan Tao smiled and stop asking.


    Out of the main yard, Xie Zhen never found out he¡¯d dropped anything.


    She was dizzy. She only knew how to walk back, not how much she cared.


    Shuang Yu followed her, all her attention on her body, and naturally paid no attention to the fallen handkerchief.


    Xie Zhen looked around. ¡°Where is this?¡±


    Shuang Yu did not know whether tough or cry. He supported her as she walked forward. ¡°Miss, this is the way back to Jade Hall.¡±


    She said, ¡°Where are mother and Ah Xun?¡±


    ¡°Madam and Seventh Miss should be entertaining guests in the front yard. They will be back in a moment.¡±


    After a few steps, she suddenly stopped and rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not going back to the Jade Hall. Let¡¯s go to the backyard.¡±


    Shuang Yu were at a loss, what was going on?


    This little mistress, you haven¡¯t recovered from your illness yet, can¡¯t we go back to our room and have a good rest?


    Of course, Shuang Yu would never dare to say it out loud. She tactfully persuaded him, ¡°You hasn¡¯t taken your medicine yet ¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, Xie Zhen¡¯s decision would not be easily changed.


    ¡°No rush, let¡¯s go to the backyard first.¡±


    As she spoke, she ignored Shuang Yu and continued walking forward.


    Shuang Yu hurried after her, frowning. ¡°What¡¯s the girl doing in the backyard?¡±


    The olddy¡¯s birthday banquet. There should be a lot ofdies in the backyard, and they didn¡¯t know each other. Why would they go there?


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Shuang Yu felt helpless.


    The backyard was quite a distance away from the Jade Hall. After walking through the long corridor and passing through the two Lunar Grotto Gate, he would walk along the cobblestone path for a while before finally seeing the scenery of the backyard.


    There was a bigke in the backyard, and now it was frozen, with three octagonal pavilions, surrounded by ginkgo and pine trees, andst night there had been frost and a misty, ssy world.


    There was no one in the pavilion at the moment, so Xie Zhen walked over there and said to Shuang Yu, ¡°It¡¯s too cold here. Go get two stoves and bring me my moon white and sky blue ice clothes.¡±


    Shuang Yu did not understand what she meant. To bring the stove was fine, but why also to bring the clothes?


    But Xie Zhen insisted, ¡°You can go if I tell you to.¡±


    Shuang Yu said no more. ¡°Wait for me, youngdy. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    When Shuang Yu had gone, Xie Zhen sat on the fence in the kiosk, leaned against the pir, closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep.


    A short whileter, Xie Ying and a few other girls walked in from the back of the group, led by Xie Yin and another girl in a white dress.


    They talked to each other and talked to each other, but no one noticed Xie Zhen in the pavilion.


    Dressed in a white silk coat, the Imperial Tutor¡¯s granddaughter, Ling Xiangyun, asked Xie Ying with a smile, ¡°I heard that the Fifth Miss and the Seventh Miss have returned. Why have I only seen the Seventh Miss but not the Fifth Miss?¡±


    They had met Xie Xun in the main hall, and she was a rare beauty.


    When Ling Xiangyun saw her, she gave her praise, praising that her eyes could speak. She was the most beautiful little girl she had ever seen.


    Xie Xun was frightened by her enthusiasm and refused toe out from behind Leng, only revealing a pair of watery eyes to peep at people.


    Ling Xiangyun fell in love with him immediately, and even invited Xie Xun to her house as a guest.


    Of course, Xie Wu didn¡¯t agree. She was shy.


    They had juste out of the front yard and thought of sitting in the back yard and talking. Just as Ling Xiangyun was thinking of that the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion had another miss, she casually asked.


    Xie Ying couldn¡¯t see the crown prince and the Sixth Prince. She absent-mindedly said, ¡°The fifth sister have caught a cold and didn¡¯te out today ¡­¡±


    Ling Xiangyun said regretfully, ¡°When spring opens, elder sister will hold a banquet at the mansion. I originally wanted to invite them all.¡±


    Ling Xiangyun¡¯s sister, Ling Xiangmun, was the Crown Prince¡¯s wife. She had been married to the Crown Prince for two years and had a daughter.


    Hearing this, Xie Ying¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The Crown Princess wants to hold a banquet?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°The peony flower that elder sister raised herself will bloom soon. I want to invite everyone to enjoy the flowers and cultivate the style.¡±


    The crown prince¡¯s residence was filled with the children of high-ranking officials and nobles, and they might even bump into a few princes. Xie Ying was intrigued. ¡°I just happened to ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Ling Xiangyun froze, staring straight ahead.


    Xie Ying followed her line of sight, and was stunned when she saw Xie Zhen snuggling on the pirs and taking a nap.


    If one were to say that a girl was the national color of the Heaven Fragrant Sky, it was possible that the person in front of them. People who saw her would immediately understand the meaning behind it.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s cheeks were pink, and her lips were slightly parted, like two bright blossoms of peach blossoms, delicate and beautiful.


    A strand of hair fell from her ears and covered her small face. It was as if the wind was blowing as she stroked her smooth face again and again.


    People would be a little envious of her hair and wanted to rece it and test how smooth and tender her face was.


    When she heard movement, her long eyshes trembled as she slowly opened them. A pair of hazy watery eyes gazed at the approaching person.


    At first, she was a little confused, but when she saw who it was, she cutely called out: ¡°Third Sister, Fourth Sister.¡±


    Her voice was soft, with the ent of someone who had just woken up. It tickled the ears of those who heard it.


    The others were stunned by what they saw. It turned out that the beauty was so beautiful when she woke up. Even though they were also women, they still felt her heart move.


    Xie Ying¡¯s expression was a little unsightly. She forced a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t Fifth Sister sick? Why are you here?¡±


    She stood up and rubbed her eyes. ¡°I remembered something and came over to wait for Third Sister.¡±


    Xie Ying didn¡¯t understand. What could have happened?


    Shuang Yu had just returned from the Jade Hall¡¯s Courtyard. She was carrying a long-sleeved blouse in her hands while the two maidservants behind her were carrying a stove. They rushed over quickly and finally made it.


    Shuang Yu came up to her. ¡°Here¡¯s the clothes, miss.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she asked her to deliver it to Xie Ying.


    Xie Ying didn¡¯t react. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at Xie Yin, who suddenly had a bad premonition. Sure enough, she said, ¡°Fourth Sister said your clothes don¡¯t fit. Our bodies are simr, so we can lend you my clothes.¡±


    ¡°This is my favorite. If Third Sister doesn¡¯t mind, then just wear it.¡±


    Xie Ying¡¯s face turned green. She actually said these things in public?


    Moreover, what kind of identity did she have to borrow clothes from the daughter of a concubine?


    Xie Ying red at Xie Yin, her reproach obvious.


    Xie Yin did say it in private, but she didn¡¯t say it in front of her. How did she know?


    She immediately tried to exin, ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did Fourth Sister forget?¡±


    ¡°You asked the servant girl to tell me.¡±


    Her ability to tell lies was superb, and her face did not change.


    As for which servant girl ¡­


    Let them check it out for themselves. It had nothing to do with her.


    Xie Ying wouldn¡¯t ept her clothes no matter what. Firstly, it was to save face, and secondly, she didn¡¯t like it.


    What kind of beautiful clothes could there be in the poor neighbouring areas of Qingzhou?


    Xie Ying didn¡¯t even spare a nce. ¡°Thank you, Fifth Sister, but you probably heard wrong. I don¡¯tck clothes.¡±


    Xie Zhen then let Shuang Yu take the clothes away. She had reached her goal anyway, so it was good that Xie Ying didn¡¯t take it, and she wouldn¡¯t be willing to give it away.


    Although Xie Ying denied it, the eyes of the surrounding girls still changed. They thought Xie Ying was just concerned about face-saving, so she purposely said so.


    One of them even covered her mouth andughed softly.


    Xie Ying¡¯s expression turned even uglier as she stared at Xie Yin like a knife.


    On the other side, Ling Xiangyun was attracted by the beauty and had already sent an invitation to Xie Zhen, ¡°My sister, are you having a feast?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just returned from the Qingzhou and should know more people. At that time, Princess Yi and you will also be going.¡±


    Faced with such a generous invitation, Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t resist anymore, and finally nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ling Xiangyun happily took her hand and said that she would send a carriage to wee her to the Duke¡¯s Mansion and ask her to bring Xie Xun along with her.


    After the birthday banquet ended, Xie Ying hadn¡¯t taken care of Xie Yin for a few days.


    Xie Yin was at a loss, so she sneaked out to ask all of the maidservants, but none of them admitted to it.


    She was quite angry. She gave everyone a punishment, but still it did not let her anger go.


    Not long after, the grand imperial concubine set up a feast of peonies. She expressed her regards to Xie Yingseveral times, and only then did she reluctantly forgive her.


    The two of them discussed for a while before Xie Ying went to beg the eldest wife. The eldest wife was in charge of food, clothing and ordinary expense, so everything had to pass through her hands.


    Within a few days, she had sent over a dozen sets of high-quality cloths to the third branch and the fourth branch to make spring shirts. However, the ones she gave to the second branch, although not some inferior material, were not very good either, and their colors were also very dark, not suitable for teenage girls at all.


    Xie Zhen only took a nce. Originally, she wanted to have someone burn it down, but after thinking for a moment, she got the maid to use it as a rag.


    Did they think that would embarrass her?


    She wouldn¡¯t let them to be satisfied.


    Crown Prince¡¯s Pce.


    Since seeing Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, every time Ling Xiangyun came here, she would always praise them, ¡°Elder sister doesn¡¯t know that the Fifth Miss and the Seventh Miss of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion are the true beauties. If I were a man, I would definitely marry them both ¡­¡±


    The Crown Princess, Ling Xiangmeng, burst outughing. Her personality waspletely different from her younger sister¡¯s. Ling Xiangyun was a little carefree while she was gentle and virtuous.


    She pointed at her sister¡¯s nose. ¡°It¡¯s the Flower Lover Feast in a few days. I¡¯d like to see if it¡¯s really like you said.¡±


    Ling Xiangyun stuck up three fingers and swore, ¡°it¡¯s more than real!¡±


    This words somehow reached the crown prince¡¯s ears. Yan Tao asked Ling Xiangmang, who was helping him to change his clothes, while shaking her head with a smile, ¡°How could it be as exaggerated as Xiang Yun¡¯s words. Your highness knows her character, and she was crazy. She did not speak the truth.¡±

 Chapter 30 - Enjoy The Flowers

    <h4>Chapter 30 - Enjoy The Flowers</h4>


    After the beginning of spring, the winter snow melted and everything came back to life.


    Spring is warm and flowers bloom, the grass is long and the birds fly.


    The spring came earlier in Beijing than in Qingzhou. It was as if all the flowers in the courtyard bloomed overnight.


    Xie Zhen received an invitation from the Crown Prince¡¯s estate, inviting her and Xie Xune to the house in early March to enjoy the flowers.


    It was just like Ling Xiangyun had said. They had just arrived at the capital, so they¡¯d better know more people.


    Moreover, Xie Zhen was originally a lively girl. She easily participated in these banquets. When she was in Qingzhou, she was famous for her eloquence. She was able to get along with everyone.


    Of course, Qingzhou could not bepared with the Beijing City.


    The people in the capital were more prestigious than Qingzhou. They thought that they were superior and there was a sense of superiority to them everywhere.


    Among them were Xie Ying and Xie Yin.


    Xie Zhen think it was funny. Did the two of them think she could do nothing by recing her cloth with a rough cloth?


    Before returning to the capital, Madame Leng had made several new sets of clothes for her and Xie Xunjian. They were all in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. They were all the most fashionable colors and materials.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s view was unique. The styles and designs she had people make were all unique. Even if they were ced in the capital, it would attract people¡¯s eyes.


    Xie Xun ran over to find her, stammering, ¡°Elder sister ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Xie Zhen said, looking up from a pink velvet ne.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go and enjoy the flowers,¡± Xie Xun said after a long moment.


    Then she stopped and turned to her sister. ¡°Why?¡±


    Xie Xun pursed her lips. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, looking distressed. ¡°But if you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll be alone. I¡¯ll be very lonely.¡±


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t understand what she was saying and blinked her eyes.


    Xie Zhen put down the ne, and asked:¡°Do you like Third Sis or Fourth Sis?¡±


    Xie Xun shook her head honestly.


    She was simple, but there were something she understood.


    It was too easy for you to know whether a person liked you or not.


    She could tell from their expression and actions that Xie Ying and Xie Yin didn¡¯t like they two sisters. She could tell it the first day at home.


    Xie Zhen was delighted£¬ said: ¡°Yes, third sister and fourth sister don¡¯t like us either.¡±


    Some of the things she¡¯d forgotten when she was a child, some of them she remembered as clearly as the old man had taught her a lesson because she destroyed his flowers.


    Xie Ying hadn¡¯t liked her ever since she was young and hadn¡¯t been able to deal with her. When she was a child, she couldn¡¯t understand why, and her attempts to get close to her had all ended in failure.


    Xie Ying was a strong person. She wants to be the best child in her elders¡¯ eyes, but there was Xie Zhen ahead.


    Xie Zhen was smart enough to remember everything she¡¯d read, so Grandpa liked her best.


    In addition to the Old Lady and the First Wife¡¯s instigation, from a very young age, Xie Ying had never been fond of Xie Zhen.


    Then she bullied her, pushed her into the snow, and tricked her into rain.


    Xie Zhen came to realize that Xie Ying was not the good sister she thought she was, so she never touched her again, until now.


    Xie Zhen told Xie Xun:¡°The more people don¡¯t want us to get along, the better we¡¯re going to be. Will youe with me?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded vigorously, then wrapped her arms around her neck and rubbed against her. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to sister.¡±


    Xie Zhen was taken by surprise., she let out a pitiful whimper as she was pushed down on the couch by Xie Xun.


    She said, ¡°Did you steal something to eat again?¡±


    ¡°Why are you heavier again?¡±


    Xie Xun loudly retorted, ¡°No!¡±


    On the first day of the third month, the carriages of the crown prince¡¯s residence were ready at the gate of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    There were two carriages, one with third girl and fourth girl, one with fifth girl, sixth girl and seventh girl.


    There were seven girls in the Mansion, the first two of whom had been married, and the remaining five who were to be married.


    The sixth girl, Xie Jing, did not like to talk much and was often forgotten. She was the daughter of the fourth branch.


    Xie Ying and Xie Yin had already tidied themselves up a long time ago. Wearing their new clothes and bright makeup, they boarded the carriage.


    Before getting into the carriage, Xie Ying held onto the pomegranate pattern silver hairpin and looked at the carriage behind her. She asked Xie Jing, ¡°Are the fifth sister and seventh sister still not out yet?¡±


    Xie Jing nodded.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but the smile on her lips grew wider.


    Xie Jing only felt that it was strange, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    She sat in the carriage and waited for a while, until the flowery bird¡¯s drapery was lifted. When she looked up, she was momentarily stunned.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s onyx pendant on top of her head swayed slightly as she moved, making her look even more snow-white in the bright sun outside the window.


    She smiled at her, her cheeks a shallow pear that added to her immediate intimacy. ¡°Sixth Sister¡¯s waiting a long time.¡±


    Even though Xie Jing had seen her twice, she couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by her beauty.


    She hadn¡¯t cleaned herself up properly before. She was a natural ornament at that time.


    Now she sat in the sun with her hair down, dressed in a cherry-colored crepe blouse, a colorful lily dress, a pendant between her eyebrows, and a gold scented pouch on her waist. She looked like a lotus flower in the rain, making one want to pick her up and bring her home, put her in a vase, watered her daily, and cared for her carefully.


    She had been carefully dressed, and every part of her was exquisite.


    Xie Jing lowered her head to take a look. The needlepoint patterns on the lotus flower pattern dress were embroidered so vividly that even if a dragonfly came, they would still want to rest on it for a while.


    Before Xie Jing could say anything, another person came up from outside. It was Xie Xun.


    She was young and didn¡¯t need to be dressed up properly. She only had a jade hairpin with a butterfly tattoo on it.


    She wore a white silk dress with a flowery silver bell attached to a jasper jade jade pendant, which tinkled with the sound of her movements. She wore a white silk dress with a flowery yellow brocade dress, and on her waist, in addition to her scented bag, hung two flower pattern silver bells beneath the jasper jade pendants.


    When she saw Xie Jing, her pretty apple turned red. ¡°Sixth Sister.¡±


    Xie Jing was stunned by these two sisters. After staring nkly for a long time, she finally replied, ¡°Seventh Sister.¡±


    Then she looked at Xie Zhen, ¡°Fifth Sister.¡±


    Xie Zhen let down the curtain and told the driver to start.


    It was a long way to go from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to the crown prince¡¯s residence, and the road was extremely boring. Xie Zhen and Xie Xun sat side by side, their heads facing each other as they talked.


    Xie Zhen suddenly remembered something and asked Xie Jing, ¡°Where are the third sister and fourth sister?¡±


    Xie Jing almost immediately replied, ¡°Third Sister and Fourth Sister came out early, so they left first.¡±


    She nodded and said nothing more.


    An hourter, the carriage stopped in front of the crown prince¡¯s residence.


    The maidservant led them to the backyard. She said that the Crown Princess and Princess He Yi had arrived, and the other girls were there as well.


    Xie Zhen thought she waste, but the maid said, ¡°The Crown Princess and Princess He Yi are entertaining the girls, so they are the first to be here. So there¡¯s no need to worry, juste with me.¡±


    She was relieved.


    It was located in the southeast corner of the backyard, where there was a peony garden. Inside, there were all sorts of peony flowers that the Crown Princess had carefully cultivated.


    There were arbors and flower racks, as well as rockery and water, and various kinds of chess and calligraphy that girls loved.


    By the time Xie Zhen, Xie Xun and Xie Jing arrived, the garden seemed to be a paradise, the music was sweet and theughter was melodious.


    The maidservant went up and informed the two ying chess in the pavilion, ¡°The Empress, the Princess, the fifth miss, sixth miss and seventh miss of Xie Family have arrived.¡±


    Ling Xiangwu turned her head to look outside.


    With just a nce, she was stunned.


    The twodies of the Xie Family were really one in a million.


    The younger one hadn¡¯t fully grown yet. She was still young and delicate, but the bigger one was a peerless beauty.


    She looked like she was fourteen or fifteen years old. Her figure was slender and iparably graceful.


    Her skirt was embroidered with a dark golden lotus pattern, and a faint fragrance of lotus flowers wafted out from her fragrance bag. As she approached, the smell of lotus flowers could be heard.


    It seemed that Ling Xiangyun wasn¡¯t lying. No one in Chang¡¯an City would be able to find such a good color.


    When she and Xie Xun came in, everyone¡¯s eyes were on them, Xie Jing almost as a foil.


    Xie Ying and Xie Yin stared at them, both shocked and furious at the same time.


    Xie Zhen stepped forward, and gestured to Ling Xiangwu and Princess Yi, said: ¡°Greetings to the Empress, and to the Princess.¡±


    Ling Xiangxu helped them up and asked them to get up.


    Ling Xiangyun stood behind the princess consort and smiled brightly at them.


    Atst, Princess He Yi woke up from her daze and almost drooled.


    She was about the same age of Xie Zhen, and she was cute in appearance, but a bit wild and tricky in character.


    Today, for some reason, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun got her out of the way and soon joined the two of them.


    As soon as she asked about Xie Zhen birthday, she realized she was only half a year older than him and immediately became closer to Xie Zhen.


    Princess He Yi stopped ying chess with Crown Princess and dragged Xie Zhen to the side to admire the peonies. The two of them were familiar with each other at first sight, and there were even some words that could not be said.


    In just half a day, she had developed into a close friend of hers.


    Seeing this, the handkerchief in Xie Ying¡¯s hand was about to shatter. ¡°She really is capable ¡­¡±


    Xie Yin was jealous as well. She thought to herself, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a handsome face?¡±


    Why should the Princess treat her differently?


    On the other side, Princess He Yi took her to sit under the purple vine flower caravan as they untied the white jade pendant on her waist. ¡°This is for you. We will be good sisters from now on.¡±


    ¡°Keep it properly. If you dare to lose it, I¡¯ll settle the score with you.¡±


    Xie Zhen could only take it. She didn¡¯t have anything to give her, so she just took off the bursa and said, ¡°Then this is for you.¡±


    Princess He Yi¡¯s eyes lit up as she happily epted it. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a fancy to this sachet of yours. What spice does it contain?¡±


    ¡°Smells good.¡±


    The spice in the scented bag was made by Xie Zhen, she said like she was counting their treasures: ¡°There are lotus flowers, osmanthus, Mao Xiang and Du Heng.¡±


    He Yi happily epted it.


    Xie Zhenughed at her,and said:¡± The Princess doesn¡¯t have such things?¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel like you¡¯ve never seen it before¡­ ¡±


    He Yi eximed and interrupted her, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Princess from now on. You can call me Yao An.¡±


    Today¡¯s Imperial surname is Yan, Yan Yao¡¯an.


    Xie Zhen called her Yao¡¯an,plimenting her on her good name.


    Noon was lunch at the Crown Prince¡¯s house, and Princess He Yi was a brute one and she wouldn¡¯t let Xie Zhen leave.


    By the end of the term, she would have refused to let her go if her servant hadn¡¯t reported that the Sixth Prince hade to pick her up.

 Chapter 31 - Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 31 - Reunion</h4>


    Princess He Yi and the Sixth Prince were the daughter and son of imperial concubine Hui. The Sixth Prince was found seven years ago, when they imed that the Sixth Prince and Princess He Yi was twin of a boy and a girl when they were born. The Sixth Prince had been harmed by the pce people, so his whereabouts had been unknown for many years.


    Actually, there was a scandal in the pce involved, and outsiders did not know the truth.


    Princess He Yi were not the daughter of imperial concubine Hui. She had been exchanged with the Sixth Prince and had entered the pce, enjoying her glory and wealth.


    Originally, when the Sixth Prince returned, she should have recovered her original identity as well. But the fact that His Majesty doted on her so much that he didn¡¯t want to release her from the pce so that he kept her title of princess.


    Only a few people knew about this matter.


    Yan Yao¡¯an reluctantly said goodbye to Xie Zhen. Before leaving ,she asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°How about I ask Sixth Brother to send you on a journey?¡±


    She really dared to say, how could Xie Zhen dare to let the prince send her? She used her family¡¯s carriage to refuse her.


    The female attendant bowed and tactfully reminded, ¡°Princess, His Highness has been waiting at the door for a while.¡±


    The Sixth Prince, Yan Yu, was out on business with the Crown Prince. When he came back, he passed by the crown prince¡¯s residence and found out that Princess He Yi was also in the pce.


    Yan Yao¡¯an stood up and dusted off her skirt before walking out.


    There was a carriage parked outside the crown prince¡¯s residence. The carriage was simple but not luxurious. With a single nce, one could tell that the person sitting inside was either a rich person or a noble.


    There were eight guards standing at the corners of the carriage, each of them well-trained, as they closely guarded the Sixth Prince¡¯s safety.


    When they saw Princess He Yi walking over, one by one, they bowed. One of the guards lifted the embroidered dark golden curtain to invite her in.


    Yan Yao¡¯an bent over and entered the carriage. Lifting her eyes to take a look, she smiled and called out, ¡°Sixth Brother.¡±


    Yan Yu was sitting on one side of the carriage, leaning against the carriage, resting with his eyes closed.


    For the past few days, he had been out with the crown prince. In order to investigate the assassination attempt on the crown prince, he had seldom rested.


    Hearing Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s voice, he only slightly raised his eyes, but there wasn¡¯t even the slightest emotion in his eyes. He simply asked, ¡°Why are you so slow?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an told the driver to set off, and she lowered the curtain. ¡°We¡¯ve been chatting with the Fifth Miss of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a while.¡±


    Yan Yu closed his eyes again. He didn¡¯t even ask.


    Yan Yao¡¯an was used to his personality. As the sixth brother of hers, she always had an expression that kept him at bay, as if nothing could affect his mood, let alone attract his attention.


    He didn¡¯t know what he was thinking all day, so couldn¡¯t he say a few more words?


    She pursed her lips and took out the gold filigree sachet that Xie Zhen had given her, and toyed with the tassels under the sachet.


    In an instant, the carriage was filled with a rich fragrance. It was not strong, but it was elegant and delicate. It slowly spread and even made people feel refreshed.


    It was a very special fragrance. At the very least, Yan Yao¡¯an had never smelled it on anyone else¡¯s body before.


    The carriage moved forward slowly, leaving the crown prince¡¯s residence behind. Yan Yu was still sleeping.


    Yan Yao¡¯an suddenly thought of something as she excitedly asked, ¡°Sixth Brother, did you see the Fifth Miss when you went back to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s more beautiful than any other girl I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡±


    Yan Yu ignored her.


    She went on talking to herself: ¡°She has a sister, and a pretty one too.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still young and a little afraid of strangers ¡­¡±


    Her words reminded Yan Yu of someone else.


    His thoughts flew away, leaving him with only five or six years of his life.


    She was also a very pretty little girl, and she also had a little sister. She always called him ¡± Brother Xiao Yu¡± with a smile, pestering him to hold hands with her.


    Her voice was pleasing to the ears, she could sing beautiful children¡¯s songs, and she could even carry him on her back for a very long distance ¡­


    He was always impatient with her, because the first time he met her she touched his crotch.


    What a little bastard.


    He wondered why, after all these years, he still couldn¡¯t forget her.


    Once he closed his eyes, he could clearly remember every single scene.


    He wondered how she looked like?


    She was like a little fox when she was young, but what about now?


    He lived in the pce, walking on thin ice at every step, trying to find out where she was, but afraid to hear from her.


    Perhaps it was because she was too homesick, or perhaps it was because she was afraid of causing trouble for her.


    Unconsciously, seven years had already passed.


    While he was immersed in his memories, Yan Yao¡¯an was still chattering, ¡°Look, this scented sachet was given to me by her!¡±


    ¡°Sixth brother, do you smell it?¡±


    Seeing that Yan Yu did not react, she was not discouraged and continued, ¡°I wonder if my body will be as fragrant as hers after wearing it for so long?¡±


    ¡°She said that her sister Ah Xun had one, too, and that she made the spice by herself.¡±


    Before he could finish, Yan Yu suddenly opened his eyes. His ck pupils were no longer calm, only shock remained, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an had never seen his reaction before. She said dazedly, ¡°I said she made the spice by herself ¡­¡±


    ¡°Not this.¡± Yan Yu grabbed her hand which held the sachet, asked again:¡°What did you say her sister¡¯s name was?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an opened her mouth. ¡± Ah Xun, Xie Xun.¡±


    After a long time, only silence remained in the carriage.


    Yan Yu released her hand and said, ¡°Stop the carriage, stop right now!¡±


    The coachman was ordered to stop the carriage at the side of the road.


    He had originally wanted the carriage driver to turn around and return to the crown prince¡¯s mansion, but he also felt that the carriage was going too slow. Thus, he directly took Yan Yao¡¯an scented sachet from Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s hands and strode out of the carriage.


    Yan Yao¡¯an could no longer hold herself back. She lifted up the curtain to protest, ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡±


    When he did not hear, he let one of the guards get down from his horse, took the reins, and mounted.


    He didn¡¯t even bother to say goodbye to Yan Yao¡¯an as he directly called for his car and left in a cloud of dust.


    She had never seen him in such a hurry.


    Yan Yao¡¯an stomped her feet in anger behind him. After regaining her senses, she began to wonder why he was acting so strangely.


    It seemed that from the moment he heard Xie Xun¡¯s name ¡­


    Did he know Xie Xun?


    When did you meet him?


    When Yan Yao¡¯an said her surname was Xie, he didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    Until he heard the name of Xie Xun.


    How many people who were beautiful and had a sister named Xie Xun in the world could there were?


    Perhaps there were many, but at this moment, he didn¡¯t care too much. He only wanted to go back and see her.


    See her and see if she¡¯s the little bastard he knew.


    Xie Zhen, Xie Zhen.


    That hateful and adorable little girl. After so many years, all his previous possessions have been destroyed. Is she still the same as when she was young?


    The wind whistled noisily by his ears, but he seemed to hear her coquettish voice calling him ¡± Brother Xiao Yu¡±.


    No news was good. He could suppress all his emotions to the bottom of his heart.


    Once he found out that she was in the capital, so close to him, he couldn¡¯t wait.


    There were many pedestrians on the street, so he rode his horse quickly and forced his way through.


    When he arrived at the crown prince¡¯s mansion, he dismounted from his horse and without waiting for the servants to tie him up, he walked straight to the courtyard, ¡°Where did the Crown Princess set up the flowers feast?¡±


    The servant was stunned, unable to reply, ¡°This ¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Your Highness going?¡±


    There were only girls there, so it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for him to go, did it?


    Every time the Sixth Prince came to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence, didn¡¯t he usually go to the Crown Prince?


    Why did you think of admiring the flowers today?


    ¡°Where?¡± he repeated impatiently.


    The servant had no choice but to say, ¡°In the Peony Garden, this lowly one will bring you there.¡±


    He walked in a hurry, and it was not good for the servants to walk too slowly. They almost ran to take him there.


    However, when they arrived at the Peony Garden, they discovered that there was no one inside. The feast for admiring flowers had long since dispersed, and the girls had already returned home.


    The servant revealed a troubled expression, ¡°Your highness ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu stood still for a moment, holding the sachet in his hand. His knuckles were white, and he was holding it so tightly that even the sachet was deformed.


    Without a word, he turned around and walked out. When he reached the entrance of the crown prince¡¯s mansion, he hopped on his horse and rode in the direction of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    He had followed Yan Tao to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansionst time, so he knew where he was heading.


    It was calmer than before, but his hands were sweating profusely. He could barely hold the reins.


    His lower jaw was tight and his face expressionless. He could finally see the main gate of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    There was a horse carriage parked by the door. It should be the two people who had just returned from the crown prince¡¯s mansion. The maidservants lifted the curtains and two people alighted from the carriage.


    Xie Xun step down the yellow wooden stool, she still had a round apple face, with nothing change.


    Behind her, Xie Zhen walked slowly out.


    It was probably because she was tired from sitting on the carriage. She was a little tired, but it seemed Xie Xun had said to her something, and then a smile curved up on her lips, and her whole person immediately became lively.


    Her smile was curved and bright, just like it had been when she was a child.

 Chapter 32 - Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 32 - Meeting</h4>


    Xie Rong met them at the entrance of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. He had grown to be an outstanding man. He was tall and upright, mature and steady.


    In his memory, he had always been silently standing behind his two younger sisters, helping them to clear up all obstacles, watching them grow up without making a sound.


    He was now more unsmiling than ever, and his expression was softer only when he faced Xie Zhen and Xie Xun.


    Yan Yu was watching this silently until Xie Zhen came up the steps and threw herself into his arms.


    She had buried herself in his arms and acted coquettish. She was already such a big girl, yet she still had the expression of a child.


    She looked up and said something to him, her eyes full of smiles, soft and sweet, just watching from a distance made one feel warm from the bottom of one¡¯s heart.


    Yan Yu gradually rxed his grip on the scented sachet. He held it up to her and looked at her while gently stroking the patterns on the scented sachet.


    She had always been half a head taller than him when he was young, but now, it seemed, there was a chance that he would finally have a chance of winning back the match.


    He wondered what expression she would have when she saw him?


    Yan Yu held the reins tightly and wanted to ride his horse closer. After taking two steps, he stopped.


    What should he say when they met?


    How to exin his identity?


    He didn¡¯t fulfill his promise to take her to the other courtyard to fly a kite, but he didn¡¯t.


    Was she waiting for him at that time?


    How long?


    Yan Yu looked at the doors of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and did not take another step forward.


    Xie Zhen followed Xie Rong into the yard, holding Xie Xun¡¯s hand.


    She spoke to Xie Xun with a smile. It was too far away to make out the outline of her features, only the sincerity of her smile, as if she had gathered the beauty of the whole spring.


    Why did shee to Beijing?


    And why she became the The fifth girl of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


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    She walked further and further away and could no longer be seen.


    Yan Yu stood in front of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a long time, not moving at all.


    As the others passed by, they couldn¡¯t help but give him a curious nce, as if he didn¡¯t notice them.


    It was only when the sun had set at the western border of twilight that he grasped the reins once more, turned his horse around, and left.


    He has not yet built his house outside the pce, and still lives in the pce of the Qing Jia.


    Other than him, there was also the fifth prince and the seventh prince. The other imperial brothers had all built their own homes outside the pce and didn¡¯t stay often in pce.


    Yan Yu lived in the Chenshanpound in the middle of the Qing Jia Pce. When he came back, he had the horses taken back to the stables, and he went to his study and sat all night.


    At night, the young eunuch, Yuan Quan, went in several times to take a look. Yuan Quan found that he had been sitting in the armchair the entire time, without even changing his posture.


    His eyes were focused on the desk, on which was a sachet with mutiple golden threads that must have belonged to a girl.


    Yuan Quan¡¯s eyes went wide. When had his master ever been interested in women¡¯s things?


    This was incredible, could it be that he was about to be enlightened?


    Yuan Quan ced the tea and snacks on the table. ¡°Your Highness, you haven¡¯t eaten anything since you came back. Why don¡¯t you eat some pastries to cover your stomach?¡±


    Only then did Yan Yu move. He reached out his hand and held the scented sachet in his hand as if it were a treasure, ¡°Take it, I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡±


    Yuan Quan revealed a worried expression. ¡°How can you not eat ¡­¡±


    He did not reply. It seemed that he was lost in thought again.


    He wondered what was so good about the sachet that¡¯s worth watching all night?


    Yuan Quan sneaked a peek at it. Other than the nice fragrance, there wasn¡¯t anything special about it.


    Yuan Quan couldn¡¯t restrain his curiosity and asked tactfully, ¡°Your Highness, this is ¡­¡±


    He did not speak.


    Yuan Quan mustered up his courage. ¡°Is this a gift from a girl?¡±


    He abruptly stood up and gave Yuan Quan a scare. Yuan Quan even thought that he was angry.


    Just as he was about to kowtow and admit his mistake, he saw him walking out like the wind. He didn¡¯t know where he was going.


    Yan Yu did not sleep at all. As soon as the sun rose, he went to the Eternal in Pce of Princess He Yi¡¯s.


    Inside the Pce, Yan Yao¡¯an had just woken up and was eating alone. When pce maidservant saw him enter, she hurriedly had her maidservants prepare a new set of dishes. ¡°Sixth Brother, why are you here so early?¡±


    After she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered what he had done yesterday. She spread out her hands in front of him, ¡°Give me back the sachet.¡±


    Yan Yu sat down, his expression unchanged, ¡°I¡¯ve thrown it away.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an immediately infuriated. That was her possession, then what right did he have to throw it away?


    Immediately, he was not allowed to eat her breakfast anymore. She waved him away, ¡°Leave! Don¡¯t let me see you again!¡±


    She was used to being barbaric since she was young. She was not courteous to anyone, and she had the personality of a tyrant.


    However, Yan Yu sat as still as a mountain, pretending not to hear her, ¡°Tomorrow is already Shangsi festival, how are you going to live it?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an thought that he was going to change the topic. She snorted and said, ¡°Do you care how I spend?¡±


    Every year, they would spend time at the pce and wash their hands and handkerchiefs at the water¡¯s edge. It didn¡¯t mean anything at all.


    She wanted to go out of the pce to y, but how could it be so easy?


    Who would take her out?


    As if Yan Yu knew what she was thinking, he lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I have to make a trip out of the pce tomorrow, so I can take you with me.¡±


    She was immediately overjoyed. She didn¡¯t even bother about the scented sachet anymore. She stood up and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Would father agree?


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    Yan Yu thought for a moment, ¡°Tomorrow at 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.¡±


    He continued: ¡°I will tell father that if we go to offer sacrifices to gods or ancestors, he will not object.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was simply overjoyed. Her attitude towards him immediately became respectful, and she began to n her schedule for tomorrow. ¡°Sixth Brother, where are we going tomorrow?¡±


    She had been stifled in the pce for too long, yet he had yet to leave it. It was as if he had been showered with joy.


    In the past, Yan Yu definitely wouldn¡¯t take her with him out of the pce. After all, he was bored, but this time was different.


    He said, ¡°I want to visit the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. You¡¯d better find someone to apany you. If there¡¯s an ident on the way, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    Since he mentioned Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s first thought was Xie Zhen. Sure enough, she said, ¡°If I find someone, will Sixth Brother send someone to protect us?¡±


    Yan Yu paused and nodded.


    After the end of the talk, she suddenly thought of something and mysteriously leaned in front of Yan Yu. She winked and asked, ¡°Yesterday when I mentioned Xie Xun, why do you have such a big reaction?¡±


    ¡°Does Sixth Brother know her?¡±


    He tilted his head, half-truthfully saying, ¡°I knew her older brother Xie Rong in my early years, but I haven¡¯t seen him in many years. I wanted to confirm if it was them.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was very easy to get rid of, so she immediately believed him. ¡°Then did you see him?¡±


    ¡°Is that them?¡±


    He nodded and said yes.


    Yan Yao¡¯an smiled and said enthusiastically, ¡°That¡¯s good. Tomorrow, I will call them out so that you can reminisce about the past.¡±


    He did not speak, but neither did he object.


    On March 3, every household woulde to the stream to clear themselves of disease and fight it out.


    Wealthy families would bath with blue soup at home, ordinary families would go to the stream to cleanse themselves, dispel disease and dispel disaster.


    There were also some schrs and nobles who liked to feast and drink in the water.


    Today could be said to be an extraordinarily bustling day. Every household hade to the street, and even the usually impassivedies also went out to visit the streets.


    Yan Yao¡¯an had long heard of the things outside the pce, but unfortunately, she had never had the chance to see it for herself.


    Now that His Majesty had granted her permission, and Sixth Brother would bring her along, she could be considered to have made up her mind.


    Early in the morning, without being invited, she automatically tidied up everything and waited in the Yong Ping Pce.


    Before long, the young eunuch Yuan Quan came to summon ¡°Princess, you may depart.¡±


    She jumped up and flew out.


    There was a boxwood carriage parked outside the hall. It was Yan Yu¡¯s.


    She did not need anyone to help her. She stepped on the yellow wooden bench onto the horse carriage and happily shouted out, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The carriage slowly drove out of the pce gates, heading in the direction of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Arriving at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Yan Yu alighted from the carriage and stood in front of therge, vermilion door for a moment before stepping forward.


    When the doorkeepers learned of their identities, they were alerted to their presence in the central room, and soon the Duke Dingguo and his wife were called in.


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    The Duke Dingguo did not expect them toe and hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects.


    Yan Yu helped them up and went straight to the point, ¡°Is Second Young Master Xie Rong in?¡±


    Duke Dingguoo said regretfully, ¡°He just left.¡±


    When Princess He Yi heard this, she impatiently asked, ¡°Is the Fifth Miss and the Seventh Miss here?¡±


    ¡°Can you let them out? I¡¯ll take them out for a round.¡±


    The Duke Dingguo shook his head and replied with the same reason, ¡°Reporting to the princess, they¡¯re not in the mansion either. These three children went out together.¡±


    ¡°Today is already Shangsi Festival. Rong¡¯er will probably take them to the water¡¯s edge to tread on them.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an curled her lips in disappointment, then asked, ¡°Then do you know where they went?¡±


    The Duke Dingguo hurriedly sent people to the Jade Yard to ask, and shortly afterwards the servants returned to tell them that Xie Rong had taken Xie Zhen and Xie Xun to visit Mingqiu Lake.


    Mingqiu Lake was outside the city. It was a distance of two or three miles from here, so it wasn¡¯t too far. The carriage would arrive in about half an hour.


    Yan Yao¡¯an thanked him, turned around, and was about to leave for Mingqiu Lake.


    Before she got into the carriage, she asked Yan Yu, ¡°Sixth Brother, how about you?¡±


    Yan Yu said, ¡°Since Xie Rong is there, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an didn¡¯t think too much and happily nodded her head.


    Thus, the two of them sat in the carriage and headed out of the city towards Mingqiu Lake.


    After exiting the city, there were fewer pedestrians. The carriages were very carefree, and coupled with Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s urging, they arrived even faster than usual.


    Mingqiu Lake¡¯s one side was a mountain and on the other was water. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a good ce for treading on green.


    There were many men and women standing by theke. Half of the women were wearing curtain hat and their faces could not be seen clearly.


    At first nce, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There was no sign of Xie Zhen or Xie Xun.


    Yan Yao¡¯an had never thought that there would be so many people. At this moment, she was dumbfounded. ¡°How should we find them?¡±


    She wanted to give up. After all, this was a huge project.


    Yan Yu let her stand there, looked around, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look.¡±


    After speaking, he disappeared into the crowd without waiting for Yan Yao¡¯an to object.


    Mingqiu Lake is a good ce for sightseeing and sightseeing. Normally, many people woulde here, but today, there are even more people.


    There were girls sshing around on the shore, and theughter was so loud that curtain hat didn¡¯t matter even if the veil was wet.


    No one wanted to miss the only chance of indulgence in the year.


    He walked along the shore of theke for a while. He met many people on the way, but none of them were the same person he wanted to meet.


    Just as he was about to turn back, he heard a delicate voice: ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    He followed the sound and looked forward.


    At a distance from the shore of theke, near the edge of the woods, beneath a few tall camphor trees, stood a girl in a white silk dress.


    She was wearing a curtain hat, and with one hand she was holding another girl, and a wind was blowing from the woods, lifting the veil in front of her, revealing a smooth chin and slightly raised pink lips.


    Yan Yu turned around. His her dark eyes could only see her.


    There was no doubt about her identity, because on the other side of the carriage was Xie Rong.


    Xie Zhen stepped forward by holding her dress, and then said cheerfully, ¡°Come with me, Ah Xun.¡±


    ¡°Slow down, sister. I can¡¯t keep up.¡±


    She found a fawn in the woods, lying asleep in the grass. She did not disturb him, but she came back and told Xie Xun first, so that her sister coulde with her.


    But she only turned her head to look at Xie Xun. She didn¡¯t even know that her curtain hat was hanging from the treetops. With a light pull, the hat fell off her head.


    The servant maid was toote to stop her. In an instant, her ck hair flowed out, revealing an iparably beautiful face.


    Stunned, she was about to bend down and pick up the curtain hat. Yan Yao¡¯an appeared from nowhere and shouted from a distance, ¡± Ah Zhen, Ah Xun!¡±


    Immediately, everyone¡¯s gazes were attracted over.


    Xie Zhen looked towards the direction of the voice. Yan Yao¡¯an was standing in the crowd, with several guards and pce maidservant behind her, afraid that others wouldn¡¯t know that she was noble.


    Xie Zhen did not expect to meet her here, she was a little surprised, then put the curtain hat back on her head and walked over to her.


    ¡°Yao¡¯an, why are you here?¡±


    Yan Yu was standing not far from Yan Yao¡¯an. Xie Zhen walked straight past him without even looking at him.

 Chapter 33 - Angry

    <h4>Chapter 33 - Angry</h4>


    Yan Yao¡¯an intimately held her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you!¡±


    Just now, when she was wandering around, she didn¡¯t expect to see immediatly.


    Of course. She looked the best when the curtain hat fell off, and if you followed the eyes of the crowd, you¡¯d find her.


    Unfortunately, it was only a sh in the pan. Before she had been seen enough, she had put on the curtain hat again.


    Xie Zhen was confused, ¡°What are you looking for me for?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Today is Shangsi Festival. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to make a trip out here myself. Who else can I look for if not you?¡±


    Judging from her posture, she must have juste from the pce.


    Not only were there three to five maids following behind her, there were also ten guards standing beside the carriage. Although they were all dressed up, they were still very eye-catching.


    In addition to Xie Zhen¡¯s earlier appearance, more than half of the people at Mingqiu Lake were looking at them. This was really too ostentatious.


    Yan Yao¡¯anined to her about how she had done everything she could to get out of the pce, and how she had gone to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. After knowing that she was not in the mansion, he had gone to theke in the autumn to find her.


    After saying that, she suddenly thought of something and looked around. ¡°I came with Sixth Brother. Where is Sixth Brother?¡±


    Xie Zhen was stunned, the sixth prince came as well?


    However, Yan Yao¡¯an continued to wander around in the crowd, but still couldn¡¯t find the sixth prince. She mumbled to herself strangely, ¡°I clearly saw him here just now ¡­¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an quickly tossed this person to the back of her mind. ¡°Ignore him. Let¡¯s go y by ourselves!¡±


    Xie Zhen said yes, and thought it was just good that they could do whatever they want without the the sixth prince.


    She once again thought of the little deer she saw in the woods just now. She grabbed Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s hand and took two steps forward. ¡°I¡¯ll show you something. Quick, follow me!¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an rarely left the pce, and was curious about everything. Thus, she followed her without a second thought. ¡°What are you going to see?¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled back at her. ¡°A Deer.¡±


    Her interest was piqued as she quickly took two steps forward, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go quickly.¡±


    The animals mostmonly seen in the pce were either the emperor¡¯s gyrfalcon and various birds, or the concubines¡¯ cats and dogs. Deer was quite rare, especially in this wild forest.


    No wonder she was so excited.


    There were several maids behind her, and they kept protecting her, afraid that she would be in any danger.


    Yan Yao¡¯an felt that they were getting in the way, so she only left the two maidservants, Qingfeng and Bai Lu, to wait outside the forest.


    Xie Zhen got Xie Xun, and shouted towards on direction. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go, wait for us here!¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an followed his gaze, only to see a youth about 20 years old standing under the tree. His temperament was cold, like a pine tree or a cypress.


    He leaned against the trunk of the tree, looking out at theke, and when he turned his head, he smiled the instant she saw Xie Zhen, and nodded his head at the coldness in his brow.


    Xie Zhen was relieved, she led her and Xie Xun to the woods.


    Yan Yao¡¯an nkly let her hold her hand. After a long while, she hesitantly asked, ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°Your brother?¡±


    It was a soft voice,pletely different from the domineering tone from before.


    Xie Zhen nodded innocently. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She made an ¡°oh¡± sound. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she obviously spoke less than before.


    They hadn¡¯t gone far, after all, and the woods were still far away.


    Xie Zhen led them to a stream, and after a dozen steps along it they saw a small spotted deer lying under a tall camphor tree.


    It was probably separated from the doe, and Xie Zhen looked around, but she never found his mother.


    It was just waking up when they arrived.


    It slowly stood up, a little scared to see them, and quietly took a step back.


    Unfortunately, it did not find the right direction and crashed into the tree trunk.


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help butugh. She crouched down and touched its head, said to it as it could understand her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    The deer let out a low growl, but still did not let down its guard.


    Xie Zhen felt it was poor and wanted to take it home, but she wouldn¡¯te near it, so she picked up the grass on the ground and fed it, ¡°Do you want to eat?¡±


    The deer did not move.


    She was about to feed it again when she suddenly felt something was wrong. She stood up and looked around.


    The leaves in the forest swirled and the shadows of the trees were mottled. Everything was very calm, and nothing out of the ordinary happened.


    She pursed her lips, still feeling that something was strange.


    Xie Xun teasing the deer as she looked up at it. ¡°What are you looking at, sister?¡±


    She hesitated, then said, ¡°I think someone¡¯s watching us.¡±


    Xie Xun paused, a look of bewilderment on her face.


    Yan Yao¡¯an also heard it. She looked around, but didn¡¯t see any abnormalities. ¡°Did you make a mistake?¡±


    There were a fewdies in the woods, and they were all followed by biddies and servant maids.


    Everyone was ying with themselves, and no one noticed them.


    Xie Zhen nodded, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    She continued to discuss with Xie Zhen how to take the deer back.


    Gradually the deer got to know them well, actually ate Xie Zhen¡¯s grass in her hand in one gulp, startled her, who plopped down on the ground.


    Before she could react from her fright, the deer, as if it had not eaten his fill, threw itself on top of her, nudged the curtain hat off her head, and began licking her face with its tongue.


    Xie Zhen tried to dodge, but it was toote, and it was already licking his face.


    She whimpered, perhaps a little like a small animal, and the deer licked her again.


    At first, Yan Yao¡¯an was also shocked, but then sheughed until she fell over andughed, ¡°It probably thinks you are of the same kind ¡­¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan came to help her, pulled the deer away, helped her to her feet, and wiped her face with a handkerchief. ¡°Is the girl all right?¡±


    She pursed her lips and said in disgust, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty.¡±


    Saliva was all over her face, and she held her dress to the stream to wash her face.


    She dipped the handkerchief in the water, wrung it out, washed her face bit by bit, put the curtain hat at her feet, and let her dark hair slide down over her shoulders. She tilted her head, revealing a white, wless face.


    After washing it two or three times, she finally felt clean. She abruptly stood up, feeling dizzy.


    Her vision blurred as she seemed to see a person in the forest ahead.


    Besides the thick and lush trees, what else was there?


    But did she really see someone? Was she seeing things?


    Xie Zhen put her hat on her head in a hurry, then turned and walked away.


    Shuang Yu, who was only a few steps away, saw her hurrying and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the girl?¡±


    She did not bother to exin. ¡°Let¡¯s go out first.¡±


    She had experienced danger several times when she was young, and she was more alert than most people.


    For some reason, she thought of the night when she was six or seven years old, when she was being watched by the wolves in the wild mountain. It was the same feeling she had when she was six or seven years old.


    It seemed that no matter how she ran, no matter where she went, the gaze would always be on her, following her.


    She could not escape.


    She shuddered and walked faster.


    When she returned to the spot she had just been at, there was no trace of Yan Yao¡¯an except for Xie Xun and Shuang Yan.


    Xie Zhen asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Princess Yi?¡±


    Xie Xun pointed at a direction in the woods. ¡°She¡¯s gone after the deer.¡±


    Soon after Xie Zhen left, the deer began to move and went off somewhere else.


    Yan Yao¡¯an had a wild disposition. In order to catch it, she ran with it. The two maidservants were worried that something might happen to her, so they followed her.


    Although there were no wild beasts in the woods, it did not mean that there were no dangers.


    If there were any viins in there, she would not be able to deal with them as a girl.


    Xie Zhen was a little worried. She waited there for Yan Yao¡¯an while, but seeing that Yan Yao¡¯an had returned, she quickly ordered Shuang Yu to go outside to seek help from Xie Rong. He also called the princess¡¯s guards and maids over.


    She told Xie Rong about the situation, so worried that tears were about to fall. Xie Rongforted her, ¡°The wood¡¯s not too deep, so there shouldn¡¯t be any idents.¡±


    His voice was calm and somehow gave off a sense of security.


    Xie Zhen grabbed his sleeve, still worried.


    After all, Yan Yao¡¯an was a princess. If anything happened to her, they wouldn¡¯t have a good ending today. Perhaps the entire Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion would be implicated.


    Xie Rong touched her head. ¡°I¡¯ll look over there, Little Lamb. You and Ah Xun wait here.¡±


    As he spoke, he sent the remaining maids and guards to different directions, letting them split up to look for people.


    If they found it, then brought it back here.


    Xie Zhen nodded, ¡°Be careful, brother.¡±


    He said ¡°be relieved¡± and started walking in the direction Xie Xun had pointed.


    For a moment there was only Xie Zhen and Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan. Xie Rong told them to wait outside in the carriage, but Xie Zhen was fidgeting, so she might as well stay here and feel morefortable.


    After a while, when there was no news from the woods, she felt more and more uneasy, as if something were going to happen.


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xie Xun was guiltily, tugging at her sleeve. ¡°I didn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let her go away.¡±


    Xie Zhen held her hands without any me. ¡°Even if you tried, you still can¡¯t stop her. Don¡¯t be sad, it has nothing to do with you.¡±


    She grunted, still unhappy.


    Just now, Yan Yao¡¯an had wanted to chase the deer, but she thought they wouldn¡¯t go far. Who would have thought that they would disappear in a blink? If she had known earlier, she would have stopped them.


    Not longter, there were footsteps not far away. Xie Zhen looked over and saw the little deer that ran away!


    The deer, hidden in the grass, with only the top of its head and a pair of round eyes, looked in their direction and ran away.


    ¡°Ai!¡±


    Xie Zhen thought that Yan Yao¡¯an was there, so walked there and blurted out, ¡°You wait for me!¡±


    The deer did not run fast, keeping her at arm¡¯s length.


    She chased it for a while and was about to give up when she saw that the deer was standing on a rock in front of a huge tree.


    She slowly walked two steps forward, looking around, but didn¡¯t see Yan Yao¡¯an at all.


    When she turned around to look, Shuang Yu had already caught up. She was about to open her mouth when she was grabbed by the wrist by a strong force and dragged to the back of a nearby tree trunk.


    Xie Zhen could not call for help, until her eyes lit up, and the curtain hat flew open.


    In front of her eyes was a solid chest. Looking up, she saw a handsome face, with a sword shaped eyebrows and thin lips. Each expression in his eyes revealed his displeasure.


    It was, no doubt, a beautiful face.


    Xie Zhen was stunned, somehow, she felt a sense of familiarity, as if she knew such a person from the depths of her mind.


    But when she tried to think about it, she couldn¡¯t recall him.


    She had forgotten to call for help, and the confusion in her eyes only made him more angry.


    He was waiting for her to recall, but after a long moment, when Shuang Yu¡¯s voice behind the trunk came closer and closer, she still didn¡¯t react.


    Not only that, she even tried to struggle free and ask for help. ¡°I ¡­¡±


    He put his hand over her mouth and leaned close to her, and the superiority of his height made him look down on her with something like pride.


    Gritting his teeth, he asked, enunciating each word, ¡°Do you dare forget me, Xie Zhen?¡±

 Chapter 34 - Memory

    <h4>Chapter 34 - Memory</h4>


    A thoughtless sentence stunned Xie Zhen for a moment.


    The pressure from him made her unable to think properly. Her mind was a mess as she tried to think of a way to break free from him. ¡°Wuu ¡­¡±


    Shuang Yu¡¯s voice was just behind her. She wanted to call her, but the person in front of her tightly covered her mouth. She could only make a muffled sound.


    Even if he was handsome, it was inevitable that she would feel fear when he treated her like this in the wilderness.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s long eyshes blinked briefly, and a tear fell on the back of his hand.


    It was as if he had been scalded and his tone was vicious. ¡°What are you crying about?¡±


    Xie Zhen stared at him. He caught her here for no apparent reason, then why wouldn¡¯t he let her cry.


    However, her eyes did not have any power. Her eyes reddened, and she looked like an enraged rabbit with a pitiful look.


    Perhaps to oppose him, he wouldn¡¯t let her cry, but she was crying harder and harder, tears falling silently, running down her smooth face into his hands.


    When he finally surrendered, he could not bear to see her cry, so he feigned an evil expression, ¡°I will let go of you, you are not allowed to call anyone.¡±


    Xie Zhen obediently nodded.


    As soon as he took his hand away, she screamed for help. ¡°Shuang Yu, I¡¯m here ¡ª¡± His eyes deepened, and he looked exasperated. ¡°You!¡±


    He should have known long ago that she was just a little fox, extremely crafty. What she said was ithout a few words of truth, how could he easily believe her?


    Shuang Yu heard the sound and hurried over. When she saw the two persons ovepping behind the tree, she gave a cry of rm and threw herself at them, wanting to pull him away. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Let go of my girl!¡±


    Before she could get close, she was stopped by a guard who appeared out of nowhere.


    The guard¡¯s eyes were cold and his tone was resolute. ¡°Step back.¡±


    The guard was dressed in ck, with a knife at his waist. When he spoke to Shuang Yu, his sharp de froze Shuang Yu where she stood.


    Just now, Xie Zhen was too focused on resisting the man in front of her that she didn¡¯t pay attention to the situation around her. As soon as she saw what was happening, her heart instantly turned cold.


    There were actually guards? Then wouldn¡¯t it be even more impossible for her to escape ¡­


    Shuang Yu looked at her from a distance, in a dilemma. ¡°Girl¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and looked aggressively at the man in front of her. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    She didn¡¯t get an answer after a long time.


    She didn¡¯t know which sentence angered him, but his eyes became even darker as he stared straight at her without saying a word.


    How did she know what he wanted to do?


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t say anything, and she kept wasting time with him. It was best to wait until Xie Rong came back, so she could be saved.


    Although her n was perfecrt, he was not easy to deal with. He finally asked, ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t remember?¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted her head, her eyes filled with doubt. ¡°What should I remember?¡±


    This was damned good. He had remembered her for so many years that he could not forget her, but she had forgotten him in the twinkling of an eye.


    How could he not have noticed before that she was such a heartless person. She was clearly pestering him to death when she was young, and she kept saying ¡°I missed you!¡± ¡°I like Brother Xiao Yu ¡­¡±


    Now that he was standing in front of her, she couldn¡¯t remember who he was!


    They stared at each other for a moment, and then Xie Zhen looked around and saw that he had only one guard with him, and that there was no one else around.


    She wanted to run, and if Xie Xun heared her, she would be saved.


    However, reality was still cruel. The moment she moved her feet, he grabbed her wrist and pressed her back down to the tree trunk. ¡°Did I let you run?¡±


    Xie Zhen really wanted to cry. ¡°You don¡¯t let me run,¡± she said, choking. ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what you¡¯re going to do. Don¡¯t you just want to talk to me?¡±


    After a moment of silence, he turned his head and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Did you go to fly a kite that day?¡±


    Although he had grown taller, he was still a teenager. His voice had recently changed, and when he spoke, there was a special tone to it. It was a little hoarse and a little heavy, but it was not unpleasant to the ears.


    Xie Zhen was confused for a while. What was it? Fly a kite?


    It had been a long time since she had flown a kite. Ever since she was stood up when she was young, she had never touched a kite.


    She remembered that the goose kite that her father had given her had been left in the storehouse. She didn¡¯t bring it back with her when she returned to the capital ¡­


    She suddenly recalled something. She looked at the man in front of her in shock, staring incredulously into his face, over and over again.


    He slowly released her hand and his gaze returned to her face. After looking at it for a moment, his gaze moved away again. ¡°If you still want to fly a kite ¡­¡±


    ¡°I can take you to. ¡±


    Someone had spoken to her that way a long time ago.


    There was impatience in every word, but his eyes were as expectant as hers.


    It was the deepest memory in her heart. She had buried it since long time ago, and when the memory came out again, she felt as if it had been a lifetime ago.


    At the time they were both children, small and naive.


    They leaned against the wall, with the sun above their heads, and talked for most of the day.


    ¡°My family has bought a new courtyard outside of the city. The scenery there is good. It¡¯s a good ce to fly a kite.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to fly a kite?¡±


    ¡°Your yard is so small, how can you fly a kite?¡±


    ¡°I can take you there.¡±


    ¡­.


    She could still remember how he sounded fierce, but before he could finish speaking, he had already blushed.


    She asked him why he was blushing, and he said it was because of the sun.


    In her memory, his young face ovepped with the person in front of her. She finally remembered his name and slowly said: ¡°Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    At that moment, Li Yu felt as if all the burdens on him had been unloaded.


    After so many years, he didn¡¯t expect to hear her call him ¡®Brother Xiao Yu¡¯ again.


    He involuntarily clenched his fists and refrained from embracing her.


    His arms leaned against the trunk and he lowered his body to get close to her, so that she could not see his expression. After a moment, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked, still feeling unreal.


    They were too close for her to see his expression, her nose against his chest.


    It was only then that she realized how far apart they were in height.


    When she was younger she was taller than he was, and now she¡¯s only up to his chest?


    Xie Zhen was stunned. She lightly opened her mouth and temporarily forgot about his previous rudeness. ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you left? Where did you go at that time?¡±


    She asked him a series of questions. He was silent for a long time before he answered, ¡°I came to the capital ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen grabbed the cloth in front of his chest, tilted her head and tried to see his face, to reconfirm if he was Li Yu. ¡°Why did youe to capital?¡±


    ¡°What about Auntie Song and the others?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us when you left ¡­¡±


    Originally, she wanted to me him for not telling them anything when he left, but she recalled what Ouyang Yi said that year. She said that he left because he hated her, and that if it wasn¡¯t for her, he wouldn¡¯t have moved at all.


    Xie Zhen instantly fell silent. When she thought back of his attitude towards her just now. Wasn¡¯t he extremely disgusted with her ¡­


    She seemed to have bullied him a lot when she was young. Did he still hold a grudge now?


    Li Yu did not notice her abnormality because his attention was focused on the second question.


    His pupils were ck, and they flickered with an indescribable luster. He did not answer her questions.


    Xie Zhen had asked for a snub, so she pushed him with her hands, and got out of his arms. ¡°What are you doing in the capital?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of you bringing me here? ¡±


    His arms suddenly became empty. He recovered his expressionless face and said, ¡°Why did youe to the capital?¡±


    No matter how she asked, he wouldn¡¯t say anything about himself.


    Xie Zhen was a little disappointed. After so many years since theyst saw each other, they were not as close as before, and he was trying to hide something from her.


    However, it didn¡¯t matter. She wasn¡¯t the kind of person who pursued the root of the problem. Thus, she curved her eyes into a sincere smile and said, ¡°My home is in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion in the capital. I came back with my father and mother. I don¡¯t think I will ever leave again.¡±


    He nodded and said nothing.


    No one said anything. The atmosphere was rather awkward.


    On the other side, Xie Xun realized that something was wrong. She came over to find her, called her sister loudly, and soon found her.


    Xie Zhen wanted to go back, but before she left she remembered to ask, ¡°Where is your home?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, you cane to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to visit me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, or you can visit my brother.¡±


    After all, they had all grown up, and there were differences between men and women.


    Li Yu paused and nodded slightly. When he saw that she was really going to leave, he grabbed her wrist without thinking. ¡°What I said just now ¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going?¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted her head, and obviously, she had forgotten about it. ¡± What?¡±


    He stared at her silently for a moment. ¡°For flying Kites.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he added, ¡°After all, I was the one who failed to fulfill my promise. Is it still toote to make up for it now?¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. I¡¯ve already forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. After all, we¡¯re past the age of flying a kite.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned. He couldn¡¯t help but loosen his grip on her.


    She took the opportunity to break free and try to meet with Xie Xun. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish his words, she was fiercely pulled by him and pressed back against the trunk.


    His expression was strange and somewhat unwilling. ¡°Why did you forget? Don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡±


    These words were filled with too much meaning that he probably didn¡¯t even notice.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s back ached from the impact and she was forced to meet his angry eyes.


    She looked at his face and realized that he had changed a lot since he was a child. His facial features got mature, and there was a bit less handsome and more heroic than when he was young. No wonder she didn¡¯t recognize him at first.


    She rxed her brow and smiled. ¡°Say what?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hating me? Why would I ask for a snub?¡±


    Li Yu was stunned. ¡°I ¡­¡±


    When had he hated her?


    If he really hated a person, he wouldn¡¯t even say a word to him.


    But before he could say anything, Xie Xun came over and stood a few steps away, blinking and innocently staring at them.

 Chapter 35 - Light Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 35 - Light Sleep</h4>


    Xie Xun looked at Xie Zhen, and then at Li Yu, said. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    Since she was young, her words had no power.


    But she wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew the man was scaring her sister because she saw displeasure in Xie Zhen¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s Li Yu,¡± he had to release Xie Zhen, and exined to her.


    Xie Xun remembered him a little. When she was young, she liked to pester Xie Zhen, and Xie Zhen liked to pester him. As time went by, Xie Xun got to remember him.


    She was young and remembered two people in her childhood, one was Gao Xun and the other was him, both of whom had an inextricable rtionship with Xie Zhen.


    She had bad impression of Li Yu. Probably because he had been bad to Xie Zhen, and he had strived for Xie Zhen¡¯s favour with her, who had then mysteriously disappeared, making her sister feel bad for a while.


    When she heard he was Li Yu, she looked him up and down, recklessly snatching Xie Zhen away from him and protecting her behind her back. ¡°Why did youe back?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do with my sister?¡±


    Li Yu had to stop and look at Xie Zhen behind her. ¡°I¡¯m just saying a few words to her.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Must you be so close?¡±


    Xie Xun gave him a suspicious nce, then pulled Xie Zhen back. ¡°sis, let¡¯s go, brother¡¯sing back, let¡¯s not talk to him.¡±


    As Xie Zhen followed her, she couldn¡¯t help but nce back.


    Li Yu stood on the spot, slightly pursing his lips as he stared at her without moving.


    He saw that she was smiling lightly. Her eyes were delicate, and her face was pretty pink, like a blooming red lotus flower. Her beauty was extreme, making people¡¯s hearts palpitate with eagerness.


    Her smile was sly and triumphant, her lips parted, and she spat out a few words in silence.


    ¡°I hate you too.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s pupils constricted, and he almost couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and he really wanted to bring her back.


    ¡­.


    The little bastard.


    On the other side of the woods, Xie Rong happened to find the happy and contented Princess He Yi by the stream.


    Yan Yao¡¯an was currently stepping on a rock as she crossed the river. She held onto her skirt, jumping from one rock to the other rock. Her skirt seemed oblivious to being sshed by the water, so she yed around with herself with great gusto.


    She had been trapped in the pce for years, forced to learn the rules of etiquette, and had long been bored out of her mind.


    Deep in her bones, she had a sort of wildness. She didn¡¯t like being restrained, so there would always be plenty of trouble at the pce, giving His Majesty quite a headache.


    However, the emperor had pampered her. Even if imperial concubine Hui was gone, no one would dare criticize her for teaching her a lesson. This was the reason why today, she¡¯d developed a willful and unruly temperament.


    For example, today in the woods, she had left whenever she wanted, regardless of her own safety, regardless of whether or not she would cause trouble for others, and only caring about her own happiness.


    The maids on the shore wanted to cry but had no tears. ¡°Princess, shouldn¡¯t you go back ¡­¡±


    She raised her head and smiled. ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yed enough yet!¡±


    As she said that, she jumped up another two stones. With a shift of his gaze, she saw Xie Rong not too far away.


    She stepped on air, only having the time to open her mouth and say the word ¡°help¡± before plopping into the water.


    As the waves sshed everywhere, she noticed Xie Rong frowning in the mist.


    At this moment, her first thought wasn¡¯t that she was in pain, but that she was finished. This time, she had lost a great deal of face ¡­


    Seeing this, the maids were frightened and hurriedly jumped into the water to rescue her.


    Qing Feng and Bai Lu, one of whom wrung the water from her skirt and the other wiped the droplets off her face, grumbled with fear, ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t do this again next time ¡­¡±


    She looked off into the distance and let out a whimper without warning. ¡°Why are you standing there and scaring me?¡±


    The two maidservants were rmed. They looked up and saw a youth standing under the tree. He had an expressionless face and was extremely calm.


    Xie Rong nced at her, then turned around and walked back the same way he came. ¡°Princess, if you are ok, you cane with me.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an felt a bit embarrassed. The colder he was, the angrier she became.


    If he hadn¡¯t suddenly appeared, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen into the water. Why didn¡¯t he apologize to her?


    Thinking about it, she felt more confident. She couldn¡¯t wait for Qing Feng and Bai Lu to continue drying her clothes, so she continued to chase after him. ¡°Since you know that I¡¯m a princess, why don¡¯t you pay your respects to me?¡±


    ¡°You scared me and made me drop into the water. You have to apologize to me. ¡±


    After a few steps, she finally caught up with him.


    Yan Yao¡¯an stood in front of him, her eyes wide open as she threatened him with her haughtiness as a princess.


    Unexpectedly, his expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest. He nodded slightly and said, ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡±


    After that, he continued walking forward.


    If it was anyone else that was so rude to her, she would have definitely been angered to the core. Yet, she was actually not angry at him at all.


    Yan Yao¡¯an continued to follow, her skirt stained with water. It was very difficult for her to walk through the woods. Her wet embroidered shoes left footprints behind, ¡°Who told you toe find me?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you walk slower?¡±


    There was no response.


    She gritted her teeth and stared at the back of his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak now, I will let my father punish you for your crimes.¡±


    Xie Rong was finally willing to talk with her. ¡°May I ask, Princess, what crime have Imitted?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an smiledcently. ¡°You scared me, but you ignored me. What crime do you think you¡¯vemitted?¡±


    The path in the woods was not easy to walk on. Branches were everywhere, and gravels blocked the way. It was unknown how she hade here just now.


    Xie Rong chose a smooth path and brushed aside the branches, ignoring her words.


    Yan Yao¡¯an called out to him, ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    He acknowledged, ¡°Yes.¡±


    His reaction¡­


    It didn¡¯t make Yan Yao¡¯an feel any sense of achievement. She just said it, but she wouldn¡¯t really punish him, because he was Xie Zhen¡¯s brother.


    But could he just pretend to be afraid?


    She called out to him, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with my sixth brother?¡±


    Xie Rong asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    She maintained a distance of two or three steps from him, following him at a moderate pace, ¡°My Sixth Brother hase today as well. He is here to find you.¡±


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Princess, you must have made a mistake. The sixth prince and I have never met before in our lives.¡±


    He had just returned to the capital, and most of the people he knew were childhood ymates. He didn¡¯t have any rtionship with the sixth prince, so why would hee looking for him?


    Yan Yao¡¯an didn¡¯t believe it. How could sixth brother make a mistake?


    She was about to argue when she walked out of the woods, not far from where Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were.


    She called out to them, and when she looked back, Xie Rong was gone.


    This day was really thrilling. First, they lost Princess He Yi, then Xie Zhen met Brother Xiao Yu. On the carriage back, Xie Zhen was still a bit dizzy as she fell into the big pillow.


    She thought about it again and again, but still couldn¡¯t figure out why Li Yu had suddenly disappeared at that time, and now he had suddenly reappeared.


    Where did he live now?


    What did his family live on?


    Is Auntie Song all right?


    Xie Zhen sat up abruptly and made a sound of frustration.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Ah¡¯sis, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She patted her forehead and said slowly, ¡°I forgot to ask where he lives and how I managed to find him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Brother Li Yu?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°sis is a girl now, why should you go look for him?¡±


    ¡°If you go there, it will cause people to gossip.¡±


    In this respect, Xie Xun knew more than she did.


    When it was rted to Li Yu, Xie Zhen¡¯s mind was never clear.


    He came back when she was least prepared. She had almost forgotten him, but he suddenly appeared and asked if she wanted to fly a kite with him.


    Now that Xie Zhen thought about it, she¡¯s still a little angry. He left without a word, and now he won¡¯t say anything. She doesn¡¯t want to be like him as if nothing had happened.


    Therefore, the words ¡°I hate you too¡± was tinged with anger.


    She had been persistent when she was young, and had waited for many years for the day when she would finally be able to lift her eyebrows in pride.


    She and Xie Xun were the only ones who knew it, and when Xie Zhen got home, she didn¡¯t tell anyone, not even Madam Leng.


    She wasn¡¯t trying to hide it, but she didn¡¯t know where to start ¡­


    She wanted to wait until everything was clear before telling Madam Leng.


    Unconsciously, two months passed. In these two months, Xie Zhen stayed in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, never seeing Li Yu again.


    Recently, Xie Liqing¡¯s career had not been smooth sailing.


    In the years he had been the governor of Qing Zhou, the citizens of Qing Zhou had a peaceful time and lived a rich life. They watched Qing Zhou was flourishing day by day, even if he couldn¡¯t be an official in the capital, it was still good to return to Qing Zhou.


    However, Emperor Yuan Hui had appointed someone else to be the prefect of Qing Zhou. He had no way out, and coincidentally, the capital had no vacancy in the official position, so he could only stay at home and wait.


    In the past few days, Xie Liqing¡¯s mood had been rather heavy. Only when he returned home and saw his wife and children did his expression rx a bit.


    Madam Leng sent her two daughters away, changing Xie Liqing¡¯s clothes whileforting him, ¡°It will definitely get better, you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±


    Xie Liqing let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you will have to wait another three to five years. And during the period, your lives would be miserable.¡±


    Since he had no official position, he did not have a sry. Now, they were spending a lot of money in the capital, and he was worried that his three children would suffer.


    In addition, his two daughters had been pampered. One of them had just bloomed, while the other was a flower bud. What would they do if they are suffering?


    Madam Leng reassured him, ¡°We still have a lot of savings in Qing Zhou. It won¡¯t be a problem for us to hold on for one to two years.¡±


    As her daughters grew, she considered things more than Xie Liqing.


    Since they were back in the capital, they had to think about their marriages. Her husbands were born out of a concubine, so that too noble families were out of their reach, so they had to take the next best thing ¡­


    But a daughter who was too pretty was also a painful thing.


    If a noble man or a prince took a fancy to her, with his status, she could only be a concubine ¡­


    Instead of that, she might as well be the principal wife of an ordinary family, and live a peaceful life.


    At the moment, Xie Zhen was too busy looking for a handkerchief to notice her parents¡¯ distress.


    It had taken her so long to realize that one of the handkerchiefs had been lost.


    Originally, she couldn¡¯t remember, but the handkerchief was embroidered with an unfinished jasminum flower. Today, she was free, and wanted to finish embroidering the jasminum flower, but she couldn¡¯t find it.


    She did not know that the handkerchief was in the hands of the Crown Prince.


    Yan Tao had slept very soundly during this period, all thanks to this handkerchief.


    He was born with a light sleep, and coupled with the recent turmoil, his sleep got even worse.


    Incidentally, Xie Zhen was also a light sleeper, so the handkerchiefs with the incense smelled good for sleep.


    The incense was created by Xie Zhen. It smelled with a special fragrance of lotus flowers, a sweet fragrance that would cause others to fall into a dream with it.


    That day, returning from the Old Lady¡¯s birthday banquet, Yan Tao went to the pce. Before he could deal with the handkerchief, he smelled the fragrance on the carriage back to his pce. He closed his eyes and slept more soundly than ever before.


    Later, as long as there were nothing else, he would take the handkerchief with him to bed.


    Unfortunately, the fragrance of the handkerchief was fumigated, and there would be a day when it would dissipate.


    As the fragrance became fainter, the Crown Prince could no longer sleep well.

 Chapter 36 - Talent and Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 36 - Talent and Beauty</h4>


    Actually, insomnia isn¡¯t scary. What¡¯s scary is that you¡¯ve had a good sleep.


    This was the state that Yan Tao had been in recently. When he woke up in the night, this feeling was especially obvious.


    It was not unbearable, but after a few days, he had be so haggard that even the Crown Princess could feel that something was wrong with him.


    When he was dressed in the morning, Ling Xiangwu looked at him worriedly. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t look well. Are you having trouble sleeping at night?¡±


    He nodded slightly and pinched the space between his brows. ¡°Is it that serious?¡±


    Ling Xiangwu smiled and put the Dragon Marked Jade Sash on him. ¡°It¡¯s not serious. I was watching you carefully. If it was someone else, they might not have been able to figure it out.¡±


    Yan Tao curled his lips and only said that his beloved concubine was considerate.


    In the eyes of others, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were a pair of lovers. The servants had never seen them argue before, and they always treated each other with respects and smiles.


    But only they themselves knew that it was not really a love, just a resignation they had no choice about.


    The Crown Prince was gentle. He didn¡¯t have foresight as the First Prince, who knew well how to judge the situation, and to build a good foundation for himself early on.


    Many officials of the imperial court were besieged by the First Prince and became his backers. The Crown Prince, however, was one step toote, and he had fallen into a passive situation.


    Yan Tao had done a lot in the past few years. In order to win the hearts of the people, he married Ling Xiangwu, who was the granddaughter of Imperial Tutor Ling.


    Imperial Tutor Ling was an old official of the imperial court, and his words held weight. In this way, not only would he win over the Ling Family, he would gain a good reputation that respected his teacher, and he would use this to win over more officials.


    He would never let go of such a good thing like killing two birds with one stone.


    It turned out that his decision was correct. Over the years, his wings had gradually expanded and he was no longer being held back. Instead, he began to prepare his counterattack.


    His rtionship with Ling Xiangwu was neither good nor bad. Even though the crown prince¡¯s residence had constantly been sent other concubines, he had always been courteous to her. He had given her everything that a husband could give his wife.


    Because his mother¡¯s rtionship with his father was extremely tough, Yan Tao had always believed that this was the best way to get along for a husband and his wife. There was no argument, only obedience.


    He was born in the royal family, so he had long given up any hope of love.


    During breakfast, Ling Xiangwu personally scooped up a bowl of yam wolfberry porridge and gave it to him, ¡°Later, I will have the servants to buy some agallochum on the street. I remember that Your Highness was able to sleep more soundly with this kind of fragrance.¡±


    Yan Tao did not object, ¡°That¡¯s good. Do it.¡±


    Ling Xiangwu smiled and said yes.


    He went out after breakfast and said that he would not be back for dinner that evening. Ling Xiangwu stood in front of the door to see him off.


    He led the servants forward for more than ten steps. When he looked back, there was no one in front of the door. His Crown Princess had already entered the room.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    The servant Feng Yi called to him.


    He came back to himself, shook his head, and walked on.


    When he returned from the pce that day, he happened to see a couple on the street who were about to be separated. The man carried a bundle on his back and said goodbye to his wife in front of the door.


    There were tears in both of their eyes. They talked to each other intimately for a long time before the man finally made up his mind and walked away. He did not turn back even after a hundred steps.


    His wife stood in front of the door watching him until he could no longer be seen. She wiped the tears from her face silently and turned back to the house.


    He was jealous of the feeling, so he wanted to see the same thing on the Crown Princess.


    But he had forgotten that they had no love, it was only a deal, he got the backing he wanted from her family, she got the power and wealth from him. That was all.


    When he came back at night, Ling Xiangwu let the servants light the agallochum.


    Scent rose up from the duckbilled gold-ting furnace. The scent quickly filled the entire room. The smell was not strong, making people feel refreshed.


    Yan Tao went to bed after changing clothes. Seeing that the Crown Princess was still standing beside the bed, he said, ¡°It¡¯ste in the night. You should go back and rest as well.¡±


    He did not have any intention of letting her stay here. Ling Xiangwu was an understanding person, so she did not say anything immediately. After bowing, she left the room.


    The agallochum helped him sleep. Yan Tao¡¯s sleep was better than the previous two days.


    But at night, somehow, there was always a strange dream.


    In the dream a girl with a handkerchief stood smiling at him in the misty clouds, but when he took a step forward, she was gone.


    When he woke up again, the handkerchief was at hand.


    He didn¡¯t even know who the owner of the handkerchief was, and he didn¡¯t know what she looked like, and he was thinking about that girl.


    But that was the truth, and he could not deny it.


    The agallochum could benefit sleeping, but it was still not as good as the handkerchief. He had woken up in the midnight in the past two days, and had been unable to sleep for the rest of the night. He could only sit by the window and read official documents.


    After seven or eight days, even his iron body couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    He made apromise and spoke to the Crown Princess one morning, ¡°Sixth brother has been the age to get married and he was shy to ask it. As his elder brother, I should help him.¡±


    This trick was really disgraceful. However, he could not say that he himself wanted to find a woman, ¡°I see that he likes a meticulous girl. If you have nothing better to do, then hold a banquet, and invite some girls of the aristocratic families toe to our residence. If you see anyone with exquisite embroidery, you can bring them to me for me to take a look.¡±


    Last time, he had picked up the handkerchief at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡¯s Old Lady¡¯s birthday banquet. He didn¡¯t know whether it was the youngdy from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion or the girl who had been there for congrattion, but he had no way to confirm it. All he could do was call them all over here.


    Ling Xiangwu did not think too much about it as she said, ¡°Sixth Brother looked like a taciturn man, I thought he did not have such thoughts.¡±


    Yan Tao ate a mouthful of walnut cheese and casually replied, ¡°No matter how little he talks, he is still a man.¡±


    He was a man, how could he not like the squidgy?


    Ling Xiangwu smiled knowingly before agreeing, ¡°Then I will start preparing. I will tell Your Highness when the time is set.¡±


    Yan Tao nodded, ¡°Thank you, my beloved concubine.¡±


    Frankly speaking, the sixth brother was very hard-working these days. He had been running around a lot for the war in Western Yi.


    He might as well take advantage of this opportunity to call him and his seventh brother over. He might as well call for a few more government allies to hold a banquet in the courtyard and have a sip of wine so that he could indulge himself.


    Xie Zhen was washing her hair in the yard when the invitation arrived.


    It had been raining a few days recently, and the weather was a little cold. When the sun finally rose, she had someone put up a wooden frame under the the Gallery veranda and stood with her body bent over to wash her hair.


    As soon as her hair was soaked in water, the servant brought the invitation over.


    She couldn¡¯t open her eyes because of the acacia on her head, so she let Xie Xun read it, and her was listening. ¡°What did it say?¡±


    Xie Xun opened the envelope, sat on the veranda fence, and stuffed a mauve candied fruit into her mouth. She mumbled, ¡°The Crown Princess has held a banquet for peerless beauties in ten days. It seems that she will bepeting in talent and beauty. If anyone gets the first prize, the Crown Princess will reward them with a prize.¡±


    Xie Zhen cleaned her face and listened three times before finally understanding that the focus of it attention was: ¡°Is the Crown Princess quite leisurely?


    ¡°Why does she always like to hold banquets?¡±


    Xie Xun was too busy eating to take care of her, she said to herself: ¡°talent and beauty?¡±


    Must it be that only girls with both talent and beauty should win?


    ¡°Would it be ok with just one of them?¡±


    Needless to say, her face was definitely the most beautiful.


    Xie Xun asked, ¡°Are you going, sister?¡±


    After slowly washing her hair, she wiped the droplets of water off her face. Her wet hair was hanging behind her as she sat beside Xie Xun and said, ¡°Since the Crown Princess has already invited me, why not go?¡±


    ¡°See if it has your name on it, too. ¡±


    Furthermore, a banquet could increase one¡¯s visibility. It would be a waste if she missed it.


    Xie Xun read down and sure enough, she saw her name after Xie Zhen. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Xie Zhen took the candied fruit from her hand and put it in her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, you know how to eat.¡±


    Xie Xun was so angry that her cheeks puffed out. ¡°Mother said it¡¯s lucky to be able to eat!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I guess our Ah Zhen was very lucky,¡± Xie Zhen said, pinching her cheek, feeling that it was too smooth.


    After speaking, she began tough.


    Xie Xun felt she was being teased. She snatched the package from her and turned to leave. ¡°I won¡¯t care about my sister any more!¡±


    It was the candied fruits Xie Rong had brought them from the street, and although Xie Zhen liked to eat it, she didn¡¯t feel as greedy as Xie Xun so most of the candied fruits went into Xie Xun¡¯s stomach.


    Seeing her sister was about to leave, Xie Zhen quickly wrapped her arms around her waist and said, ¡°What will I do if you leave?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    After a long pause, Xie Xun sat back down. After all, they were still very close to each other, so she didn¡¯t take what had just happened to heart.


    The two of them sat in the sun, Xie Xun held a towel in her hand, and sat behind Xie Zhen, brushing her hair. ¡°Does sis want to win?¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted his head, her little face was white and transparent, her ck hair draped behind her shoulders, she was only wearing a thin spring shirt, ¡°I want to, since I¡¯ve gone, I naturally have to be first.¡±


    Even though she was usuallyzy, she didn¡¯t lose out at all.


    As long as she wanted to work hard, she had to seed. If she didn¡¯t have the enthusiasm, it might was that she wouldn¡¯t care about this thing.


    Xie Xun her a half-dry wipe, then took theb from Shuang Yu and smoothed her hair, one by one. ¡°Then what talent does sister need topete with?¡±


    There was no need to worry about her appearance. In the entirety of Chang¡¯an City, one would not be able to find such a good-looking person like her.


    It was just that talent was difficult to deal with. When she was young, she had beenzy, but she was not good at ying chess and painting. Now, she did not even have a single one skill that she could take out.


    Xie Zhen thought for a while, and was a little bit sad, ¡°Why don¡¯t I y the heptachord?¡±


    Xie Xun was puzzled. ¡°Does sister know how to do it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think that she had learned it before ¡­


    Xie Zhen was smiling. ¡°Isn¡¯t there another ten days? I can learn to y from now.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Building A Mansion

    <h4>Chapter 37 - Building A Mansion</h4>


    Even though Xie Zhen said she was going to learn to y heptachord, she didn¡¯t see her learn it for once.


    Madam Leng For this reason, Madam Leng had specially bought her a heptachord, but she had only yed it a few times.


    Learning to y heptachord wasn¡¯t easy work. She needed the guidance of a teacher, and even more so, she needed to practice more.


    ¡£


    But Xie Zhen didn¡¯t. She spent every day as usual, doing what she had to do. She seemed to be not anxious at all.


    Even Xie Xun couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She asked her three times a day, ¡± sis, won¡¯t you have some practice?¡±


    She was getting her nails dyed by Shuang Yu when she heard her words and nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    The petals of the daffodils were crushed into juice and covered with her fingernails. After a day and a night, they would be dyed in beautiful color.


    The fingernails were like peach blossoms as they wrapped around her white and tender fingers, increasingly making her hands look as white and thin as bamboo shoots in the spring.


    Judging from her expression, she really wasn¡¯t anxious at all. It was clear that the day after tomorrow was the banquet. She hadn¡¯t even touched her heptachord a few times!


    Xie Xun knew that she wanted to take the lead in the banquet, not only to win recognition from the Crown Princess, but also to fight for her parents.


    Right now, they weren¡¯t going well at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. The Old Lady and the first madam didn¡¯t like her family. If they wanted to be valued by others, they had to rely on their own efforts.


    But a few days ago, she was full of satisfaction, but in the blink of an eye, she was out of it.


    Not only the two of them, but also the third sister and the fourth sister paid much attention to the banquet. They all were busy with practicing heptachord and heptachord. They hadn¡¯t been out for many days.


    Since Crown Princess personally arranged the banquet, the people who would attend must be the daughters of influential families as well as the wives of the imperial court officials. Even if the scene wasn¡¯t big, people had to pay more attention to it.


    This was a major matter that affected one¡¯s reputation, so no one dared to be negligent.


    Xie Xun found that Xie Zhen did not care, had to remind her: ¡± If sis continued to be like this, you will be at the very bottom of the list tomorrow ¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect that Xie Zhen didn¡¯t care at all, who held up a finger in a silent gesture. ¡°Only the two of us know about this, okay?¡±


    ¡°You must not tell anyone about me not practicing the heptachord. ¡±


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Why?¡±


    She walked to the heptachord and twirled it twice in her embroidered shoes, smiling mysteriously. ¡°Ah Xun, I¡¯ll teach you an idiom.¡±


    Xie Xun came over. ¡°What is it?¡±


    She held up four fingers and waved them in front of her. ¡°Make a feint to the east but attack in the west.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Xun thought for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it meant.


    But she would understand soon enough, because in thest two days, Xie Zhen had the teacher sit down in her ce in the courtyard to y the heptachord, which was smooth and melodious and carried out of Jade Yard in a mesmerizing way.


    As the servants of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion passed by, they couldn¡¯t help but stop and listen for a good while. If asked, the servants in the courtyard would always say that it was yed by the the fifth girl.


    The servants were always gossiping when they had nothing to do, so news passed in the fastest way. In less than half a day, everyone in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion knew that the fifth girl had spent ten days to practice the heptachord.


    When these words reached Xie Ying¡¯s ears, a string on her heptachord broke.


    The expression on Xie Ying¡¯s face did not change. After ordering her servants to put on a new string, she calmly asked, ¡°Who sent the message just now?¡±


    ¡°p her face ten times.¡±


    The servant maids immediately knelt down to beg for mercy. Unfortunately, it was toote. She tilted her head and was hit in the face by the two biddies, causing her to feel dizzy.


    Xie Ying tried the heptachord twice, then calmly finished ying a song. She whispered a few instructions to a servant, then got up and walked back into the room.


    On the morning of the tenth day, the sun was shining outside the window, and the Jade Yard was covered in a veil of green.


    Before Xie Zhen could get up, she heard Shuang Yu¡¯ panicked voice: ¡°Girl, something¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Xie Zhen opened her sleepy eyes and said in a deep, sleepy voice, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Shuang Yu whirled around anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s the heptachord, the heptachord is missing!¡±


    This morning, after she got up, Shuang Yu did her part of the work, and thought about bringing Xie Zhen¡¯s heptachord to the carriage first, so that she wouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry when she went to the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce, but she didn¡¯t expect to find that nothing was on the table, so she didn¡¯t know where the heptachord had gone!


    Not daring to dy, she stumbled into Xie Zhen¡¯s room and reported to her. She didn¡¯t expect that Xie Zhen had made a very t sound, and after finding that it was still early, she got back to sleep again.


    Shuang Yu tugged gently at her quilt, thinking she hadn¡¯t heard clearly. ¡°Girl, the heptachord¡¯s missing!¡±


    This was something she needed to use when she went to the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce today. If she lost it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get one in a short period of time.


    The heptachord and the yer needed to be running in. If she didn¡¯t use the heptachord well, how could she y a good song?


    Shuang Yu had apparently forgotten that even if the heptachord hadn¡¯t been lost, Xie Zhen wouldn¡¯t have been able to y it.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t wake up, but her mind was clear. She knew what was going on, so she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She just wanted to sleep until dawn.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, let me sleep a little longer.¡±


    With that, she arched her head and closed her eyes, falling asleep once again.


    Shuang Yu could do nothing. Since she was not in a hurry, so then she didn¡¯t want to make too much of a fuss, so she had to have the morning meal ready, and then she had to wait for her before helping her put on her clothes and wash up.


    When she woke up, she was still calm. She didn¡¯t even ask about the heptachord, so much Shuang Yu wondered if she had forgotten.


    Wearing a wide-sleeved fairy dress and a double-ringed bun hairstyle, Xie Zhen ate two mouthfuls of almond cheese before leaving with Xie Xun.


    When they were on the way, Shuang Yu could not help but ask, ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t we looking for the heptachord?¡±


    Her steps were light, probably because she was in a good mood. She hopped in front and asked, ¡°Why should we look for the heptachord?¡±


    ¡°Then the Crown Princess¡¯s banquet¡­¡±


    She let out an ¡°oh¡± and seemed to finally remember something. She squinted her eyes and smiled happily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t intend to y the heptachord anyway.¡±


    She knew very well that she was not the sort of person to learn to y the heptachord. Even if she could learn it well enough, it would be impossible for her to learn anything within ten days.


    The reason why she said she wanted to learn to y the heptachord was because she was using it as a cover. She wanted to test if Xie Ying would make any moves, and as expected, she had guessed right.


    That heptachord was most likely taken by Xie Ying¡¯s servants. She didn¡¯t care about the heptachord, what she cared about was how many people of the first branch there were in her courtyard.


    Even Xie Ying¡¯s servants could freelye to and go out of her courtyard. It was enough to see the servants of the Jade Yard really needed a proper reorganization.


    When she returned from the banquet, she would take advantage of this opportunity to find out who was creating difficulties and warned all of the servants.


    After this, Xie Xun got to know what did ¡°making a feint to the east but attacking in the west¡± mean.


    Still, Xie Xun was worried about her sister. She asked her on the way, ¡°Then what will sister use for thepetition?¡±


    She said ¡°don¡¯t worry¡±, and then she fished a dark green flute out from the back of the wagon. ¡°Nothing else, I can y the flute.¡±


    This was one of her rare strengths. Xie Liqing loved ying flute and had taught the three children how to y the flute since he was young.


    Xie Xun and Xie Rong were not interested, and Xie Zhen was the only one who did well, so when she was young she kept pestering Li Yu to ask him to y the flute.


    It was a pity that Li Yu didn¡¯t want to learn, otherwise she would have taught him well.


    When she arrived at the crown prince¡¯s pce, she realized that she didn¡¯t even need a flute.


    The Crown Princess set the banquet in the Peony Courtyard. When Xie Zhen and Xie Xun arrived, only Ling Xiangwu and a fewdies were sitting at the table.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun stepped forward to pay their respects, and Ling Xiangwu introduced the two of them to the others.


    One of them was the hussar general¡¯s wife, Madam Liu. Madam Liu had a kind smile on her face as she greeted them. She wholeheartedly praised the sisters¡¯ well-proportioned appearance.


    Not long after that, people arrived, including Ling Xiangyun and the other families¡¯ daughters, as well as some girls from the court officials¡¯ families, some of whom Xie Zhen had seen before, some of whom Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t seen before.


    From Ling Xiangyun¡¯s introduction, Xie Zhen got to know a lot of youngdies of simr age. When they gathered together, there would be a lot of words that could not be finished. Soon, they got to know each other very well.


    Only after asking did she realize that they had prepared talents, such as poem, song, heptachord, and flute.


    Most of them didn¡¯t care who won or lost, they just had nothing to do and joined in on the fun.


    However, when they were all gathered, they realized that what they had prepared waspletely useless.


    The Crown Princess asked the servant maids to give each of them a piece of silk and a basket of needles. She told them to embroider something as they wished. Whoever had exquisite embroidery skills would be rewarded.


    Time is limited. They do not need to embroider tooplex patterns. A flower or a leaf would be good enough.


    As Xie Zhen thoughtfully held the needle and thread in her hand, she had the feeling that the Crown Princess was holding this banquet with some ulterior motive.


    None of the girls beside her noticed anything was wrong. Either they had already started embroidery, or they were still thinking about it. Only she had yet to make a move.


    Seeing this, the Crown Princess walked up to her and asked, ¡°What is the fifth girl wondering?¡±


    She raised her head and met Ling Xiangwu¡¯s eyes with a gentle smile. ¡°Empress, I was wondering what patten I should embroider.¡±


    Ling Xiangwu also smiled. ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    Then she turned away and went to look at the other girls.


    She pursed her lips, still feeling that something was wrong.


    But she couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong.


    All the other girls were immersed in embroidery, and it was not good for her not to move at all, so she thought back to the jasminum flower days ago when she had finished, and she began to stitch up the embroidery.


    On the other side, the crown prince was entertaining guests in the front courtyard.


    After waiting for a while, the sixth prince was still nowhere to be seen.


    When Yan Tao asked him where he was, Yan Ren, the Seventh Prince replied, ¡°Sixth Brother has been busy building his mansion outside and has been missing for quite some time. I believe he will be here soon.¡±


    When Yan Tao heard this, he could not help but raise his eyebrows, ¡°Build a mansion?¡±


    Yan Ren nodded. He was also confused. ¡°Sixth Brother asked our father to build a mansion outside the pce. Father agreed to build the mansion, which is said to be located south of Beining Street.¡±


    ¡°That ce is elegant and beautiful. Sixth Brother surely knows how to choose a ce.¡±


    His tone was a little sour. His father doted on his sixth brother and tried everything he could to make up for his lost fatherly love. Although he didn¡¯t meet all his requirements, he could still agree to most of them.


    Such as building a mansion. Usually, when a prince had his own family, he would set up his own mansion outside the pce. Before the sixth brother even had his own family, he only told his father to do so and his father agreed.

 Chapter 38 - To be a Concubine or a Wife

    <h4>Chapter 38 - To be a Concubine or a Wife</h4>


    It is not without reason that Emperor Yuan Hui doted on the sixth prince Yan Yu. In the early years, Imperial concubine Hui was favoured, and the empress was sickly, so Imperial concubine Hui managed the harem on her behalf.


    If not for the fact that Yan Yu had been taken out of the pce after he was born, it was likely that the person who would be the Crown Prince would not be the current Second Prince, but him.


    After so many years of exile, after Emperor Yuan Hui found out the truth, he tried every means to find him back.


    Unfortunately, it was obstructed until he was seven or eight years old.


    When he returned to the pce, Emperor Yuan Hui originally wanted to change his name, but he refused it fiercely. In the end, Emperor Yuan Hui had topromise, keeping his original name, only changing his surname from Li Yu to Yan Yu.


    At that time, he was like a frightened bird, not used toing to the pce. Emperor Yuan Hui cared him, so he tried his best topensate him.


    Fortunately, with the help of imperial concubine Hui¡¯s teachings, he gradually got used to the life in the pce, and gradually recovered to his normal child¡¯s appearance.


    It was a pity that when he was ten years old, imperial concubine Hui passed away. Ever since then, his temperament had changed greatly. He was extremely taciturn, to the point where he almost spoke to no one.


    Yan Tao liked him with his ability, so he recruited him into his team. Only after a few years did he improve. At least, he wouldn¡¯t always keep a cold face.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t get too good. As his closest brother, even the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince rarely saw him reveal his emotions. It was as if he was apletely different person from when he had just entered the pce.


    At that time, he was like a small beast that had not been trained properly. He would bite anyone he saw, and at any moment, all the fur on his body would stand on end as he rampaged around with injuries all over his body.


    Now that his wounds are healed, leaving scars on his heart, people didn¡¯t know how he¡¯s been unless he¡¯s willing to open them for them to see.


    Just as he was speaking, a servant came in from outside the courtyard and reported, ¡°Your Highness, the sixth prince is here.¡±


    Yan Tao put down his ss, ¡°Quick, wee him in.¡±


    Not longter, Yan Yu walked in from the door. He wore a long green persimmon robe with a jade sash hook tied around his waist. His figure was tall and slender, and he walked in a hurry.


    He looked around and roughly saw how many people were in the room, and who were. He then walked over to Yan Tao and saluted, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    Today was a banquet, so there was no need to pay attention to the etiquette. Yan Tao quickly helped him up and asked the servant maids to prepare a new set of dishes, ¡°Sixth Brother, why are you sote?¡±


    ¡°I heard from Seventh Brother that you asked father to build a mansion outside the pce. and father agreed.¡±


    Nothing had happened in the past few days. Therefore, Yan Tao had not seen him for a few days, so he did not know that he was going to build a mansion.


    No wonder he felt that he hadn¡¯t seen him for days. So he was busy with such an important matter without making a sound ¡­


    Yan Tao smiled. It seems that something has happened to this sixth brother. Otherwise, based on his personality, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have thought of these things.


    Yan Yu sat beside him. As soon as he sat down, a maidsservant poured a cup of wine into the white porcin wine cup in front of him.


    Holding the cup, he raised his head and gulped it down in one gulp. ¡°Seventh Brother is right. I won¡¯t hide it from Second Brother. It is true.¡±


    This was Shaoxing good wine. It was cold and rich at the mouth. Before he came, the people present had all had a round of drinks.


    When he arrived, all the targets were aiming at him, asking him to make three cups of wine as an apology.


    However, Yan Yu did not refuse, because he knew that the wine was his no matter how he refused.


    He had been drinking with Yan Tao since he was ten years old, and it had been five years. During these five years, he had slowly refined his alcohol tolerance. Although it wasn¡¯t enough for him to not get drunk, he had indeed rarely seen him drunk.


    He drank three cups in one gulp and did not eat anything, so his stomach felt a little ufortable. He only slightly frowned and did not care anymore.


    His stomach had never been good, and he drank heavily. His stomach often hurt all night, making him not sleep well.


    After three cups of the punishment, the Seventh Prince¡¯s curiosity was piqued and he had to ask clearly, ¡°Why did Sixth Brother suddenly want to build a mansion outside the pce?¡±


    There were a total of eighty-nine people present. They were all the backers of the Crown Prince Yan Tao. There were also people from the six divisions such as the Marquis of Dingling and the Marquis of Xiangyang.


    Normally, they dealt with matters for the Crown Prince and were already very familiar with each other. Therefore, when the Seventh Prince said these words, he didn¡¯t shy away from the others.


    There were some cold dishes on the table. Yan Yu put a peanut brine on a te. He didn¡¯t have time to eat it, and replied while fiddling with it, ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s more convenient to have a mansion outside of the pce.¡±


    As he said this, the image of Xie Zhen smiling back shed through his mind.


    Ever since he had seen her that day, he had been busy building his house.


    He didn¡¯t admit it was built for Xie Zhen, because even he didn¡¯t realize that he had already nned their future.


    He had missed her so many years, so he had to do something to relieve the pain of his love to her.


    Even if she said she hated him, it wouldn¡¯t help.


    Yan Ren was a straightforward person, so he didn¡¯t say anything else when he thought of it: ¡°Why didn¡¯t Sixth Brother find it troublesome in the past?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be for the sake of getting a wife, right?¡±


    He put the peanut into his mouth and chewed it for a while without replying.


    Finally, Yan Tao rescued him, by letting the servant maids to fill Yan Ren¡¯s cup with wine and teased, ¡°As Seventh Brother asks about this, could it be that you have set your sights on a girl?¡±


    Yan Ren drank all the wine in his cup in one go, and his face did not even turn red. ¡°Does second brother not know me?¡±


    ¡°If I had a girl I like, I would have told you!¡±


    This was the truth. The crowd burst intoughter, and the atmosphere instantly eased by a lot.


    Yan Tao looked at Yan Yu without batting an eyelid. He lowered his head and listened silently to the group¡¯s conversation. asionally, he would interrupt them with a sentence or two, not mentioning in the slightest why he had built his own mansion.


    As his younger brother, his thoughts were deeper than most people. He could not guess what he was thinking. It could be seen how fast he had grown up all these years.


    Unknowingly, he had grown into an outstanding man.


    Yan Tao smiled, stood up and toasted everyone, and quickly joined in the conversation.


    A group of men gathered together and talked about nothing but women.


    It was either that the girl in the building was pretty, or that the girl in the courtyard had a pleasant voice. In the end, some people found it boring to say it, so they began to carry out the wine orders.


    Yan Tao had a concubine to perform the wager game. A beautiful woman sat with him and a fine wine was in front of him. For a while, the scene was quite lively.


    After three rounds of drinks, it was gettingte. The few of them bid farewell to each other and left in low spirits.


    When Yan Yu got up, Yan Tao stopped him, ¡°Sixth Brother, wait.¡±


    He had to sit down again.


    After everyone had left, Yan Tao sat with him on the square table, and dismissed the maidsservants in front of him. He spoke in a manner that made one want to ask, ¡°Sixth Brother, are you hiding something from me?¡±


    It was rare for Yan Tao to ask a question so straightforwardly. Presumably, because he was too absent-minded today, he had asked him to deliberately leave him behind.


    Yan Yu drank a lot of wine, and his eyes were somewhat dizzy. He drank a cup of tea and woke up, ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re overthinking. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yan Tao asked again, but he still gave the same answer.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was depressed, but his guard was too high.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the pce who could be trusted, and even though he¡¯d been with the crown prince for four or five years, there was no guarantee that Yan Tao would be unfavorable to Xie Zhen after he said it.


    Alright, since Yan Tao could not get an answer out of him, he would not ask any more. After all, his goal isn¡¯t here.


    He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then slowly began to speak, ¡°Do you remember the handkerchief that I picked up on the day of the Old Lady¡¯s birthday in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t understand what Yan Tao meant. Of course, he remembered that Yan Tao had been so focused on giving it to him that he didn¡¯t take it. ¡°What happened to the handkerchief?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    Yan Tao let out a long sigh. He told her about light sleep he used to sleep lightly, and how he could sleep soundly with that handkerchief from beginning to end. After saying that, he rubbed his forehead and said, ¡°Ever since the fragrance dispersed, I have been unable to sleep peacefully for several days.¡±


    When Yan Yu heard this, he could not help but frown. ¡°Second brother ns to ¡­¡±


    That handkerchief was picked up in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. Now that he thought about it, the figure that he saw from afar looked very much like Xie Zhen


    Was the handkerchief hers?


    What a coincidence!


    Yan Tao told him that the Crown Princess was giving a banquet in the backyard, ¡°Although it¡¯s a little difficult to find her, it¡¯s better than finding a needle in a haystack. I hope I can find someone¡¯s girl.¡±


    If it was a noble daughter, then it would be alright. But if it was a servant maids from another family, then it would be difficult to find one ¡­


    Yan Yu asked him, ¡°If Second Brother find it, what will you do?¡±


    Yan Tao never thought about it. At first, he just wanted her to tell him what the fragrance was on the handkerchief was, but after having that dream, his state of mind unknowingly changed a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll first bring her into my mansion, then I¡¯ll make my ns.¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t say anything, but his expression was serious.


    After bidding farewell to Yan Tao and leaving the crown prince¡¯s mansion, he had a bad feeling about this.


    After taking a few steps forward on his horse, he turned around and went back to the door. He then asked the servants at the door to inquire about the people who had came to the crown prince¡¯s mansion today.


    When he heard the words ¡°Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡± from the servants, his face immediately darkened. He pulled the reins of his horse and galloped in the direction of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    At this time, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were on their way home.


    They were sitting in the carriage, discussing what had happened at the feast.


    The Crown Princess had asked each of them to embroider a pattern, but it didn¡¯t seem like they werepeting in talent at it. It was more like they were making use of this opportunity to choose some person.


    Xie Zhen suddenly remembered that the Crown Prince had been married to the Crown Princess for many years, and he had no side imperial concubine and a liangdi ¡­


    (note: liangdi is a high level concubine of Crown Prince, who¡¯s status is higher than other concubines but lower than the crown princess)


    For a moment, she was rmed. The tip of the needle stabbed into her finger, and very soon, blood began to flow out.


    She lowered her head and licked it, her mind spinning rapidly. She had never heard of the kind of girl the crown prince liked. Judging from his current posture, could it be that he liked being clever?


    With that thought, she quickly put down the needle and thread.


    Yes, it might be for that reason.


    Otherwise, why would she ask them to embroider for no reason?


    After the reaction, Xie Zhenhe was not in a hurry to embroider the jasminum floweral flower, instead, he took the time to embroider a leaf.


    It wasn¡¯t that she looked down on the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce, but the Crown Prince already had a Crown Princess. Besides, she seemed to have a good rtionship with him. If she was lucky enough to be chosen by the Crown Prince, what else could she be but a concubine for?


    No matter how noble a concubineine¡¯s status was, she was still stepped on by her principal wife.


    Since she was young, she had been taught by Madam Leng that she would rather marry into an ordinary family as a principal wife than be a concubine for an influential family.


    So when she came back to herself, her first thought was to give up.


    As expected, her crooked leaves didn¡¯t catch the Crown Princess eye. Instead, Xie Ying¡¯s embroidered flower pattern earned her the best in one fell swoop.


    The Crown Princess and the other wives were full of praise for Xie Ying. To be able to embellish this flower pattern in such a short time, it was unbelievable.


    Xie Ying was reserved on the surface, but she was very happy in her heart, especially when she looked at Xie Zhen, she was so proud of herself.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t mind at all, she even sincerely smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions, third sister, you¡¯re the best in embroidery. I really can¡¯tpare to you.¡±


    Xie Ying said with confidence, ¡± as long as the fifth sister diligently practices, you can also improve.¡±


    When Xie Zhen thought of it, she couldn¡¯t helpughing.


    ¡°What is elder sisterughing at?¡±


    Xie Xun asked curiously, sitting on the other side.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t know that she¡¯d lost the game on purpose. She thought she was going to be upset, and sheforted her several times on the way.


    As Xie Zhen was about to exin to her, there was a knock on the side of the car.


    Before Xie Zhen could ask, the curtains were flung open in a gust of wind and almost flung across her face.


    Xie Zhen sat back and stared at the bony hand on the curtain. Looking up, she saw an unhappy face.


    Yan Yu stared at her, his brow furrowed.


    The coachman had to stop the carriage by the side of the road. He wanted to scold the man for hisck of manners, but seeing that he was not dressed like an ordinary man and seemed to know the girl, he swallowed the rest of his words.


    Xie Zhen came to her senses, and she said¡­


    ¡°Why are you here? ¡±


    She originally wanted to call him ¡± Brother Xiao Yu¡±, but thinking about how they were both so old and how he hated her, wouldn¡¯t he be even more unhappy if she called him that?


    So, she paused for a moment, saving that name.


    He didn¡¯t notice. He asked her, ¡°Have you ever lost a handkerchief?¡±


    Xie Zhen was a little stunned, she didn¡¯t understand what he meant.


    Looking at her confused expression, Yan Yu added, ¡°Did you lose a handkerchief at the Old Lady¡¯s birthday banquet?¡±


    ¡°It was embroidered with jasminum flower, and it also carried with fragrance that allowed one to sleep peacefully. ¡±


    Xie Zhen sat up and asked, ¡°Did you pick up the handkerchief?¡±


    After he said that, Yan Yu¡¯s face turned ck.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39</h4>


    When Xie Zhen finished, she found it unlikely.


    Her handkerchief was lost at the Old Lady¡¯s birthday party. How could he have picked it up?


    She still didn¡¯t know his identity, nor where he lived or what he was doing in the capital, so why did he suddenly ask her this question?


    And after asking, he seemed to be in a worse mood.


    Xie Zhen had thought her handkerchief was picked up by servants, or blown away by the wind, but by the way he put it, he must have seen that.


    Whether it was in his hands or not, it would be bad for her if anyone found out, and Xie Zhen got up straight and extended her hand uncertainly. ¡°Is it really with you?¡±


    ¡°Can you give it back to me? ¡¯


    Yan Yu stared at her for a while before spitting it out, ¡°Not with me.¡±


    If it was really like this, it would be good, for at least he wouldn¡¯t cause so much trouble.


    At this point, he was pretty much certain that the handkerchief in the crown prince¡¯s hands was hers.


    However, he couldn¡¯t tell her, and that would reveal his identity. Thus, he could only sulk at himself.


    That day at Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Yan Tao said that he gave him the handkerchief but he refused, because he did not want trouble.


    Now that he thought about it, he was regretting his decision.


    He could not wait any longer and turned his horse back to return to the crown prince¡¯s residence. If he was lucky, he might be able to stop Yan Tao before he could see the handkerchief.


    As soon as he grasped the reins, Xie Zhen reached out a hand, hesitated, and looked at him carefully. ¡°Not with you, then with whom?¡±


    Yan Yu was actully in a bad mood. While he was angry at her for being careless, he was also angry at himself for not taking the handkerchief back then. Therefore, he said with a vicious tone, ¡°You only now thought of asking this question?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you lost a handkerchief?¡±


    Xie Zhen was med for no reason. She knew she was in the wrong, so she¡¯d been humbly apologetic, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be so impatient.


    She had a temper, too, and her little white hands clutched his sleeve and wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡°If I knew, why would I ask you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you know I lost my handkerchief? What is your purpose? ¡±


    Yan Yu was so angry that he huffed and puffed. He stared at her hand, then looked at her white and stubborn face, ¡°What was my purpose?¡±


    ¡°If I have any purpose, why am I here talking with you!¡±


    This heartless little bastard, she actually suspected that he had some purpose?


    Yan Yu looked fierce, as if he wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole.


    The coachman stopped right behind a big banyan tree at the end of the street. There were few pedestrians and there were big trees blocking the way. Very few people noticed the situation behind the carriage.


    Yet, how could it not be conspicuous? This young master was truly too rude to his master girl¡­


    The coachman sat in the front, wondering if he should scold him.


    However, he had attendants following behind him, so it was obvious that he was not someone to be trifled with.


    Xie Zhen would not stop. She had to know the whereabouts of her handkerchief. Her two hands clutched his sleeve,¡°Then I don¡¯t care. You have to get the handkerchief back for me.¡±


    Her white and tender fingers rested on his navy blue clothes, contrasting with each other. The newly dyed redness on her fingernails was especially beautiful, making her hands even more delicate and fair.


    He remembered that this pair of hands had been embroidering a handkerchief for the crown prince. He suddenly became angry, and coldly said, ¡°Let go.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t want to. She was about to use her trump card and call out ¡± Brother Xiao Yu¡±, but he shook his sleeve mercilessly and left.


    Xie Zhen sat in the wagon, staring nkly in the direction he¡¯d left, wondering how much he hated her.


    Not even letting her touch his sleeve.


    On the other side of the car, Xie Xun witnessed the whole conversation. She tried tofort her, but she didn¡¯t know how to start.


    After holding it in for a long time, she moved to Xie Zhen¡¯s side to touch her hand, ¡°sis, don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen.¡±


    Xie Zhen turned her head around, and pursed her lip. ¡°Do you think he still remembers how I bullied him when we were young?¡±


    Xie Xun had long since forgotten about this. She curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    She thought about it carefully before counting on her fingers. ¡°I called him Sister Xiao Yu, threw him a snowball and make him carry me ¡­¡±


    There seemed to be quite a lot of them ¡­


    There were many things she had almost forgotten, and she only remembered fragments of them.


    Calling him ¡°Sister Xiao Yu¡±, for example. Xie Zhen remembered only that the first time he met her, she had mistaken his gender, but hadpletely forgotten that she had touched his crotch and caused him to piss his pants.


    However, Yan Yu remembered this very clearly.


    Yan Yu rushed back to the crown prince¡¯s residence without stopping. He found out from his subordinates that the crown prince was in the study room. He dismounted from his horse and strode in the direction of the study.


    He often came to the crown prince¡¯s residence, so he was very familiar with theyout here. Very quickly, he arrived at the entrance of the study room.


    There were two servant maids guarding the door to the study. When they saw him, they bowed.


    Just as he got close, the door opened from the inside and the Crown Princess walked out.


    Ling Xiangwu ruffled her hair. When she lifted her head and saw him, the smile on her lips grew even wider. ¡°Sixth Brother is here.¡±


    Yan Yu nodded and called out to Second sister-in-Law, ¡°Is Second Brother inside?¡±


    Ling Xiangwu walked to the side. Seeing his hurried expression, she made way for him, ¡°Here, is there something you need him for?¡±


    Even though she asked this question, it was as if she already knew the answer. She didn¡¯t need his answer, and she just wanted to see his reaction.


    She had just sent a stack of handkerchiefs in, but then he had unexpectedlye over. It could be seen that what Yan Tao said was true. Those handkerchiefs were indeed for him to choose his wife.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that he would be in such a hurry. He had just left, yet he came back so quick.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, and was indeed a little worried. He didn¡¯t have the time to chat with her, ¡°Yes, if second sister-inw doesn¡¯t have anything to say, I¡¯ll go in first.¡±


    Ling Xiangwu nodded understandingly. ¡°Go on.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed open the door and entered. It was clear that he was not just in a hurry.


    Ling Xiangwu could not help butugh as she turned around and walked back. She thought about the many girls she had met at the banquet just now and wondered which one was the most suitable for him.


    In terms of cleverness, it definitely belonged to the Third Miss of the Xie family ¡­


    However, the Third Miss of the Xie family had a calm personality and was not very lively. If she stood next to equally inanimate Sixth Brother, they would be just like two sticks of wood ¡­


    On the other hand, the fifth girl of the Xie family were rather quick-witted and obedient, and her appearances were very beautiful. It was a pity that she seemed to be poor at embroidering, and she wondered if Sixth Brother would be able to take a fancy to her.


    While she was thinking about this, Yan Yu had already entered the study.


    Opening the Pearl Curtain, he saw Yan Tao sitting at the head of the table with two piles of handkerchiefs on the table.


    When he came in, Yan Tao was studying a handkerchief embroidered with dragonflies.


    Seeing him, Yan Tao was rather surprised. He ced the handkerchief on the table and asked, ¡°Why did youe back?¡±


    Yan Yu was not in the mood to beat around the bush. He asked straightforwardly: ¡°Does second brother find it?¡±


    Yan Tao didn¡¯t expect he was actually asking this. He did not expect him to be even more anxious than him. Yan Tao smiled and invited him to sit across from him. ¡°How can it be so easy?¡±


    Didn¡¯t the sixth brother know how many daughters and girls there were in the capital?


    ¡°This handkerchief is embroidered in all sorts of strange ways, my eyes are all dazzled by it.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained imprable, ¡°Even if the master of the handkerchief came, the pattern she embroidered today might not be the same as the one you picked up. How can you find it, second brother?¡±


    Of course, Yan Tao also thought about this question. He only said, ¡°Let¡¯s try our luck.¡±


    ¡°The scent of each woman is different, and the scent of her hands is different. If you smell them carefully, you will see that they are different.¡±


    Yan Yu had not studied women, nor did he want to. He lowered his head and took a nce. He clearly wasn¡¯t interested, but he still pretended to be interested, ¡°Second brother, if you trust me, why don¡¯t you let me help you find it?¡±


    He would probably spend quite a bit of time looking at each of these pads.


    ¡°Besides, wars were going on in Western Yi. You still need to keep an eye on the situation there. You shouldn¡¯t be distracted by these things.¡±


    Western Yi was originally vassal state of Da Jing. It had not been docile since it had been independent from Da Jing more than ten years ago.


    In thest two years, it had eaten the guts of a leopard, constantly increasing its military force, sending troops to attack several cities at the border. All day long, the citizens there had been in a state of unrest.


    Emperor Yuan Hui was worrying about this all the time. He sent the General of Agile Cavalry guard the border and won a few battles. Western Yi had only recently be more docile.


    In order to test the Crown Prince, Emperor Yuan Hui handed over several cities along the border to Yan Tao to govern.


    After the war, the construction of houses and the food and shelter of the people needed his advice.


    Yan Tao and Yan Yu had been stationed at the border for several months. They had just returned a while ago, and they had pretty much recovered. However, they still couldn¡¯t be careless.


    As soon as there were any new questions, the official on the other side would bring the letter to him and ask for his opinion.


    The few cities run by Yan Tao proved to be in good shape.


    He was a very capable Crown Prince, and the Emperor Yuan Hui did not hesitate to praise him.


    It was precisely because of this that the Third Prince was so anxious that his eyes turned red, taking advantage of the opportunity he had when the Crown Prince left the pce to have people ambush him to kill him.


    Fortunately, the guard was able to protect him in time. He only got a small amount of injuries and didn¡¯t let anyone know.


    Everything was settled. As long as there were no more troubles made by Western Yi, they would no longer need to travel every day. All they needed to do was to maintain the peace on the surface between the two of them brothers.


    Yan Tao did not trust him. ¡°Does Sixth Brother know the difference between the girls¡¯ fragrance?¡±


    Yan Yu really didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Yan Tao exined to him with a chuckle, ¡°This girls¡¯ scent has several types, including jasmine, rose and osmanthus ¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it, you don¡¯t understand either. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    As he spoke, he saw Xie Ying¡¯s embroidered silk handkerchief. He took a closer look at it and realized that the embroidery was quite good. Unfortunately, the fragrance of the handkerchief was too strong, making him choke.


    He only took a nce at it before putting it aside.


    Not long after, there was a knock on the door, and a servant said from outside, ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s someone outside seeking an audience.¡±


    He asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    The servant said, ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about his background. He only said that he could give you some advice. He should be a strategist.¡±


    The Crown Prince valued the talented men. As long as it was someone who was capable, he would value them.


    Without much doubt, he got up and walked to the front. Before he left, he said to Yan Yu, ¡°Sixth Brother, wait for me for a moment.¡±


    Yan Yu stood up, ¡°Second brother, go ahead. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    After he left, there was only Yan Yu left in the study. When he arrived at the main table, he picked up one of the topmost handkerchiefs and looked at it.


    He looked through them one by one, but still couldn¡¯t find Xie Zhen¡¯s name. He frowned and flipped through the stack that Yan Tao had seen, but still didn¡¯t find Xie Zhen¡¯s name.


    On the other side of the road, Yan Tao was on his way to the front yard. He took out a silk handkerchief with a simple mo leaf embroidered on it.


    He turned it back and saw no embroidered name.


    He handed it to Liang Kuan, the attendant behind him. ¡°To find out who embroidered it.¡±


    Liang Kuan had followed him for more than ten years, and he was loyal. He was a trustworthy person.


    He felt at ease to leave it to him.


    As he spoke, he arrived at the central room. There was indeed a person sitting inside.


    It was a pity that Yan Tao was disappointed. This person was not an intelligent and resourceful strategist. Instead, he was like a chatan running around with his mouth full of mules. What he said was all empty words.


    Yan Tao shook his head and had him sent away.

 Chapter 40 - Money

    <h4>Chapter 40 - Money</h4>


    When Xie Zhen got home, the more she thought about it, the more she realized something was wrong.


    Not only was something wrong with the Crown Princess¡¯s banquet, but also with Li Yu.


    She didn¡¯t know what the Crown Princess¡¯s purpose was, so she couldn¡¯t guess. Just to be safe, she didn¡¯t even embroider her name onto the handkerchief.


    She hoped nothing will happen.


    As for Li Yu, how did he know that she had lost a handkerchief?


    On the one hand, Xie Zhen was worried. On the other hand, she wanted to know the whereabouts of Auntie Song, so she told Xie Rong about it and asked him to help investigate Li Yu.


    Xie Rong did not know that this person was in the capital. He asked casually, ¡°When did you meet him?¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips, dipped her head, and scratched her fingernails. ¡°I met him by chance at the Mingqiu Lakeside.¡±


    These words were half true, half false. Actually, it was not by chance. She didn¡¯t know how long Li Yu had been hiding there before he suddenly caught her.


    This small detail wasn¡¯t too bad. Xie Rong looked at her and called her by her nickname, ¡°Why do you only speak now?¡±


    She looked up, unable to find a suitable excuse, so only pretended to be good, ¡°Last time there were so many people, I couldn¡¯t find a chance to speak. After I returned home, I forgot about it. I didn¡¯t remember it until today!¡±


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t say anything. He clearly didn¡¯t believe that she would really forget.


    She also knew that the reason was not good. She leaned out from the square table, took a cup of tea and looked at him, ¡°Big brother, can you help me ask around?¡±


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t answer. Calmly, he asked, ¡°Why do you want to know where he is?¡±


    She choked, wondering was there any other reason.


    It was just that she wanted to know!


    If she told Xie Rong this, he probably wouldn¡¯t agree. Thus, she racked her brains for a moment before an idea struck her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know where he is, I want to know where Auntie Song is.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Song used to be so nice to us. I want to know how she¡¯s doing. ¡±


    Xie Rong was barely able to ept this reason. If it was for Li Yu, he wouldn¡¯t agree to Xie Zhen.


    He had never liked that kid since he was young, and he wondered if he was still the same as before when he grew up.


    Noticing that he was loosening up, Xie Zhen struck the iron while it was hot, lifted the tea-cover and sent the tea forward, her face beaming with a bright smile. ¡°Big brother, will you drink it?¡±


    ¡°After this cup of tea, you would do what I asked. ¡±


    Xie Rong smiled helplessly as he took a sip from the teacup.


    Delighted, she hopped around the room, then came up to him, took a sip of hot tea from his hand, and pursed her pink lips. Her eyes were like crescent moons.


    She probably didn¡¯t know why she was so happy. It was probably because she was about to meet Auntie Song.


    She definitely wouldn¡¯t admit that it was because of Li Yu. After all, they had only had an argument during the day. He was so fierce, so she didn¡¯t want to get along with him.


    Finding people in the capital wasn¡¯t a difficult matter. Every person who went in and out of the capital had to show up for a public trial, and every day there was a record of it.


    Xie Rong used his connections and coincidentally, he knew Zhao Jin, the youngest son of capital mayor, very well. So, he asked Zhao Jin to help him find out if there was a business owner named Li Xiqing in the capital, and his wife, Madame Song, and they had a son named Li Yu.


    However, a few dayster, Zhao Jin told him that there was no such family and asked him if he remembered the wrong person.


    capital were many people called Li Xiqing in the capital, but none of them were the same as what he described.


    Xie Rong thought for a moment, then asked him to investigate Li Yu see if there was anyone like Li Yu.


    Zhao Jin told him, ¡°Yes, there are, but there are a total of twenty-seven people. May I know which one you are referring to?¡±


    ¡°Or shall I take them here one by one for you to check? ¡±


    In the end, Xie Rong didn¡¯t actually ask him to bring them over. Instead, he followed him to look at them one by one.


    The names were all the same, but they all had different appearances, none of them were Li Yu, whom Xie Rong knew.


    After seeing thest person, he went home with Zhao Jin, and told Xie Zhen about it.


    Xie Zhen was disappointed. Howe he couldn¡¯t find it?


    They had met each other several times!


    What was he doing in the capital?


    Why not tell her?


    Half a month had passed without her realizing it. Nothing had happened to the crown prince¡¯s residence, and she had never seen Li Yu again.


    The days were calmer than she had imagined. She gradually calmed down. It seemed that she had been thinking too muchst time. Perhaps the Crown Princess had only wanted them topete in embroidery?


    Xie Liqing had been at home for a month.


    Initially, he would still be worried, but now he gradually calmed down.


    Since His Majesty wasn¡¯t going to give him an official position, there was no point in him panicking. He might as well wait calmly at home. There would be news sooner orter.


    Madam Leng said he threw the handle after the de, but he did not think so, and exined: ¡°I can¡¯t change anything even if I am anxious, I might as well reflect at home and reflect on the wrong things that I have done in the past few years. It will be clear to me in the future.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a day like this in the future.¡±


    Madam Leng put a te of pastries on the table and poured him another ss of Blue Spring. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to think of a way out?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of everything I should think of. The time hase. What shoulde will eventuallye.¡±


    Contrary to his optimism, Madam Leng had no choice but to consider more. ¡°What if we have to wait for another seven or eight years?¡±


    ¡°All three children are growing up, so you have to pay for everything they eat and wear. You don¡¯t have a sry, so we can¡¯t just sit around and eat.¡±


    Xie Liqing stopped drinking tea and ced the teacup back on the table, ¡°Where¡¯s the silver we brought back from Qing Zhou?¡±


    ¡°Is it not enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, but not much.¡±


    Madam Leng said, after returning to capital, they spent more money on all sorts of things than in Qingzhou. In addition, they didn¡¯t earn much, so the money they saved up was quickly used up.


    Now that it was summer, they were going to buy summer clothes and other things, and doing something even more important. ¡°Rong¡¯er has grown up. He has reached the age of marriage.¡±


    ¡°Even proposing a marriage contract requires money. We should think of ways to prevent this from dying our child¡¯s marriage.¡±


    Xie Liqing finally realized that the situation was serious. He stood up and walked around, discussing countermeasures with Madam Leng.


    A little girl in a pinkish white dress sat on the veranda outside, her hands on her cheeks, looking at the roses in the yard with a wistful expression.


    Xie Zhen was here to get Madam Leng. Hearing her conversation with Xie Liqing, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious and stood outside to listen for a while.


    She didn¡¯t expect it to be such a heavy topic. She let out a sigh, and for the first time, she experienced what it was like to have no money.


    In the past, they were very wealthy in Qing Zhou. They got whatever they wanted. Who knew that after arriving in the capital, they would even worry about money.

 Chapter 41 - Liangdi

    <h4>Chapter 41 - Liangdi</h4>


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t tell Xie Xun and she didn¡¯t tell Xie Rong. Even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t help. She spent a few days in the house, thinking, but she couldn¡¯t think of a better way.


    She thought that if she went to ask help of Duke Dingguo, he would definitely help them.


    However, this was not a long-term n, not to mention that there was the olddy standing in the middle of it. It would not be easy.


    She remembered that she had umted a lot of precious jewelry and pearls in Qing Zhou. Some were gifted to her during the holidays by others, and some were given to her by Gao Xun on a whim. Anyway, most of them were useless. If she pawned them, she would get a lot of money.


    With this thought, she immediately jumped off the bed and began to rummage through her things.


    These things were scattered, and had not been tidied up since returning to the capital. It took Xie Zhen two hours to sort out a small box of jewellery.


    Even though the box was small, the items inside were extremely valuable. A single Jade Beaded Golden Peacock hairpin with three pearls embedded in it was definitely worth a lot of money.


    Xie Zhen did not wear them often, because they were too expensive. It¡¯s better to be pawn them to support family.


    She called Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan in. ¡°Tomorrow you¡¯ll take these things out to the street and find a pawnshop. Pawn them.¡±


    Shuang Yu was confused. She opened the box and became surprise. ¡°Why did the girl want to pawn these jewels?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never worn one. ¡±


    She didn¡¯t think much of it. These were only the tip of the iceberg. She still had a lot of them left in her trunk. Her top priority right now was to lighten up the burden on her family.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the way here.¡±


    Shuang Yu took out an emerald fish jade hairpin, feeling it was a little familiar, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a gift from the Gao Family¡¯s young master for your twelfth birthday?¡±


    Xie Zhen touched her cheek, and made a gesture of being quiet. Though she knew no one was going to be there, she still didn¡¯t want to be heard. ¡°Keep your voice down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    In fact, she also felt a bit guilty. She heard that Gao Xun stole his mother¡¯s private money in order to buy this hairpin and was then fiercely taught a lesson by Madam zhao.


    Actually, she rather liked this hairpin as well, but the jade on it was so bright that it was almost green. With just a nce, she knew that she could sell it for a good price ¡­


    She struggled in her heart for a moment before silently taking the hairpin back. She then took out a jadentern earrings. ¡°Then I won¡¯t pawn this. Don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Shuang Yu chuckled. ¡°Miss should still care about Young Master Gao in your heart.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a goodpanion to me. Of course I care about him.¡±


    Of course, she was well aware of Gao Xun¡¯s thoughts, but she couldn¡¯t respond to him. She could only treat him as a good friend.


    After Shuang Yu left, she sat in her room for a while, bored, then took a new silk handkerchief and began to embroider.


    Around evening, the two returned from the street with a sandalwood box in their arms. One of them followed behind the other and sneaked into the room.


    When Xie Zhen saw this, she thought they had just returned from being thieves, but she suddenly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡±


    Shuang Yu came to her in two or three steps and pushed the box into her arms. ¡°Open it, girl.¡±


    Xie Zhen opened the box and opened her mouth when she looking in, stunned by a wad of silver notes inside.


    She abruptly closed her eyes. ¡°What I¡¯ve given you, can it be worth so much money?¡±


    Even if she didn¡¯t have a strong sense of money, she knew that this amount was a bit too much.


    Shuang Yu shook her head and replied in the end, ¡°When we got to the pawnshop, a man wanted to buy all the jewels, and he offered her a price much higher than anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°He said that if you have anything you want to be in the future, you can just go and find him.¡±


    Xie Zhen was quite surprised and didn¡¯t believe that such a good thing could happen. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did he buy my jewelry?¡±


    Shuang Yan replied, ¡°I heard that it was bought for his wife.¡±


    Xie Zhen got relieved, no longer imagining things, she happily held the box in her arms, ¡°I want to give this money to father and mother!¡±


    She was an impetuous person and could not wait any longer. She put on her embroidered shoes and ran to the main house.


    She pushed open the door and happily called out, ¡°Mother!¡±


    Madam Leng, who was taking a nap while leaning against her make-up pillow, was awakened by her earth-shattering sound. She slowly sat up and pursed her temples. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡±


    It waste summer, and the afternoon was hot and stuffy. Madam Leng was wearing thin clothes, and only a thin blouse made of leno covered her body, revealing her graceful figure.


    Most of Xie Zhen looked like her, white and pretty, with long legs and thin waist and a full chest.


    Speaking of which, it seemed to be a long time since Xie Zhen cried out for her chest pain.


    She quickly walked in front of Madam Leng and took out the box, as if she was offering a treasure. ¡°Mother, mother will give this to you.¡±


    With that, she impatiently opened the box.


    After Madam Leng saw what was inside, she wasn¡¯t as surprised as she had expected. Instead, her expression turned serious. ¡± Little Lamb, where did you get this money from?¡±


    Xie Zhen said the truth. ¡°I¡¯ve pawned some of my jewellery.¡±


    She was afraid that Madam Leng would be angry, so she lowered her head and honestly said, ¡°I identally overheard your conversation with father ¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to help you. ¡±


    Her voice trailed off as she nervously picked at the rose pattern on her dress. ¡°I don¡¯t need those jewels anyway.¡±


    ¡°If big brother wants to take a wife, I can take out all the jewelries.¡±


    Madam Leng¡¯s most sessful way to educate the three children was to teach them how to love each other and how to be together.


    No children of any family was as affectionate as they are.


    Although there would asionally be quarrels, it was only a small matter. After a while, it would return to normal.


    Like now, for his brother¡¯s sake, Xie Zhen can take out all the pretty jewellery.


    After all, she had always been the most beautiful person since she was young.


    Madam Leng¡¯s heart was filled with hundreds of emotions. She took her into her arms. ¡± Little Lamb, take it easy. Your father is just unlucky for a while and won¡¯t be always like this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about your brother. ¡±


    She blinked and replied with a slight ¡°En¡±. ¡°Then, will you ept this money?¡±


    Madam Leng rubbed her head. ¡°Take it back. If we really have no other choice, can you give it back to Mother?¡±


    She grinned and said cheerfully, ¡°OK!¡±


    When she got back to her room, she put the sandalwood box at the bottom of the box.


    No matter what, the mother did not refuse her, she still had the ability to help her parents.


    A few days after that, Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan left the house several times.


    Thest time they met the man who had bought Xie Zhen¡¯s jewellery, he said his wife liked it and asked if they had anything else to pawn.


    When Xie Zhen knew it, she found out all the jewels she didn¡¯t need. They were all first-ss and exquisite, and she kept a few of her favorite things.


    She put the money into the bottom of the box, and was surprised at the huge amount she had counted.


    Shuang Yu added, ¡°Girl, the man said his wife didn¡¯t sleep well at night, and asked if you could do anything about it.¡±


    Xie Zhen was vignt, ¡°Why did he ask me?¡±


    Shuang Yu replied, ¡°He saw this servant going to buy spice today. The spice has a sleeping aidponent.¡±


    She made a sound and pondered for a moment. After all, he had helped her quite a bit and he had a wife. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems ¡­


    Thus, she took out the scented sachet hanging on her bed, and for safety reasons, she even picked off all the patterns on it and handed it to Shuang Yu, ¡°Give him this, and let him hang it on the bed. His wife will probably sleep better.¡±


    The spice inside was her own, and, like the scent on her handkerchief, it helped her sleep.


    When she did not sleep well at night, she used this to help her sleep. It was very effective.


    Shuang Yu agreed, and the next time they met, she handed it to him.


    After a few times, they got a little bit familiar with each other.


    That day, Shuang Yu reported to her, ¡°My girl, the man said that his wife had slept soundly, using your incense, and he was very grateful to you.¡±


    Xie Zhen sat on the couch by the window, smiling and blowing the wind. ¡°That¡¯s good, I have a lot here, and if his wife¡¯s spice runs out, I¡¯ll send him more next time.¡±


    She never doubted that. After half a month, she sew the spice into the scented sachet. By making five or six, she had Shuang Yu sent them to the man.


    A few dayster, Shuang Yu told her with great gusto, ¡°Girl, the man said his wife wanted to see you and thanked you in person.¡±


    ¡°He asks if you are free the day after tomorrow, they want to ask you to meet them at the Cuiying attic in the south of the city. ¡±


    It was a hot summer day, so Xie Zhen liked to sit under the tree in the yard and catch a cold. The servant maids on both sides of her were blowing, so she leaned against the bed and dozed off. It was veryfortable.


    Hearing Shuang Yu¡¯s words, the sleepiness that had just umted vanished. She opened her misty eyes and asked, ¡± Cuiying attic?¡±


    The Cuiying attic was one of the most famous teahouses in the capital. It was heard that the crown prince was resting here andplimenting the tea there, then it became famous for it.


    Shuang Yu nodded. ¡°His surname is Tao, and his wife is the Madam Ling.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know whether to go or not.


    Since the other party¡¯s wife was going as well, there shouldn¡¯t be any gossips. She hesitated for a moment, and just happened to thank them for buying her jewelry. She nodded and said, ¡°Tell them that I will be there.¡±


    The day after tomorrow, in the morning, Xie Zhen had changed into a white silk robe and a yellow skirt, a light cardigan over his head, and a hairpin with a brocade on her head.


    She brought along two servant maids and two servants. Before leaving, she told Madam Leng about it. Madam Leng was still worried, so she asked Xie Rong to apany her.


    When Xie Zhen got to Cuiying attic in the south town, she got out of the carriage. She wore a curtain hat and smiled at Xie Rong, saying, ¡°Brother is waiting for me.¡±


    On the horse, Xie Rong told her, ¡°If there¡¯s something you need help with, get the servant maids to inform me.¡±


    She nodded and followed Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan inside.


    Hearing that the Tao couple was in a private room on the second floor, they stopped at the door. Shuang Yu knocked twice, and a servant maid in a white dress opened the door and said to them, ¡°My family¡¯s young master and young madam are not here yet. Miss, please wait inside.¡±


    She invited them in.


    Behind the little screen of red sandalwood in the private room was a small piece of red paint. There were several tes of dim sum and a pot of tea on it. Xie Zhen sat down, and kept waiting after asking about their young madam.


    In a short moment, the young servant maid in a white dress retreated, leaving only her and Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan in the room.


    At first, Xie Zhen was waiting quietly. But after a while, she got a little worried as he still didn¡¯t show up.


    Waiting was the best way to see a person¡¯s true appearance.


    If he had a bad temper or was not patient, he would be fidgeting and stamping his feet.


    But she was different.


    Even if she was a little anxious from waiting, she would not ask the servant maids to urge them. Instead, she sat behind a table and poured herself a cup of tea, sipping it slowly.


    When she had finished her tea, she took off her curtain hat, revealing an exquisite and wless face. She rested her chin on her hands and looked around the room.


    She was sitting closest to the door, a clever little girl.


    Inside the private room, there were twelve screens embroidered with bamboo and green. The screens were made of translucent muslin, and the people behind could see the inside of the room, but the people inside could not see the decorations behind.


    Yan Tao sat in a rosewood chair with a scented sachet she had personally embroidered on his waist. He put his hand in his mouth and smiled as he watched her every move.


    Even her servant maids were getting impatient. They looked towards the door and asked, ¡°Miss, do you want this servant to go ask ¡­¡±


    She thought for a moment. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Shuang Yu came back in a short time. She was a little bit sad. ¡°She said the Tao couple werete on the road. I¡¯m afraid it will take a while.¡±


    Xie Zhen was afraid that Xie Rong would be impatient, so she let Shuang Yan go down and tell Xie Rong, ¡°You tell brother I¡¯m fine, but I won¡¯t be back until a whileter.¡±


    Shuang Yan responded and walked out of the private room.


    After another incense stick of time had passed, Xie Zhen got up and walked around the room to look at the furnishings.


    She walked to the screen, and touched the pattern on it. Just as she was about to enter, the servant maid pushed open the door and said with a slightly apologetic tone, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. My Young Master and Young Madam had an emergency at home, so I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able toe as promised.¡±


    Xie Zhen turned around, dazed for a moment, then quickly smiled magnanimously. ¡°It¡¯s fine, then we can only meet again another day.¡±


    The servant maid sent them out. In order to show her guilt, she even packed a few snacks for her.


    After they left, Yan Tao walked out from behind the screen.


    He stood at the window and looked down at the coach of Xie Family, which Xie Zhen got into and soon disappeared from sight.


    After a long time, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Xie Family to hide such a beautiful youngdy.¡±


    Liang Kuan stood behind him, ¡°What does Your Highness n to do?¡±


    Yan Tao smiled and looked away, ¡°Take it slow. Don¡¯t make her scared.¡±


    He already knew who she was, so he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    He suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°What about the matter that I asked you to investigatest time?¡±


    Since she was the fifth girl in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, why did she pawn her jewellery?


    Did she not live well in the mansion?


    Yan Tao specifically asked Liang Kuan to investigate this matter.


    Liang Kuan replied, ¡°Xie Liqing returned to capital at the end ofst year to state his position, but was not used by His Majesty. He has been staying at home for the past few months.¡±


    Add to that the awkwardness of his position in Xie Family, and their life doesn¡¯t seem to be going well. ¡±


    Yan Tao asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t he being reused?¡±


    ¡°What kind of official position did he previously hold in the Qing Zhou?¡±


    Liang Kuan said, ¡°Prefect of Qing Zhou¡±


    ¡°He was extremely capable. He managed Qing Zhou well and it was bing more and more prosperous.¡±


    ¡°However, when governor Lin impeached his rtionship with the Turks when he was the prefect of Qing Zhou , His Majesty was not at ease and temporarily left him at home to check on the situation. After a period of time, he would make ns.¡±


    So that was the reason. Yan Tao thought of something, ¡°What Lin Rui said is true?¡±


    Liang Kuan shook his head. ¡°Your subordinate asked someone to investigate. Xie Liqing and Mister Lin had a feud in Qing Zhou. As for whether his words were true or false ¡­¡±


    ¡°Still need to check.¡±


    Lin Rui was narrow-minded and easily held a grudge, but he was also a pain in the ass and knew how to please the people above. It was probably because of that flowery mouth that made the Emperor Yuan Hui believe his words.


    Xie Liqing was an honest man, so he naturally couldn¡¯t win against him.


    Yan Tao knew the reason, so he wiped the dust on the windowsill and slowly said, ¡°Pay attention to Lin Rui¡¯s actions, and find a chance to grab onto his weakness ¡­¡±


    ¡°As for Xie Liqing, he¡¯s a talented man. It¡¯d be better if we didn¡¯t bury him. ¡±


    Recently, the border had been in trouble once more. Western Yi had used fifty thousand men to attack the two cities of Wu Qiang. General of Agile Cavalry Zhong Kai had been defending the city for dozens of days. Gradually, they had begun to break it down.


    Emperor Yuan Hui also sent thirty thousand soldiers to support him. He ordered Yan Yu to escort the grain out a day ahead of schedule. This matter had happened so suddenly that even Yan Yu was caught off guard.


    Emperor Yuan Hui was trying to train him, but at the same time, he wanted him to help Zhong Kai. After he won the battle, he would definitely grant him any request.


    Yan Yu had no choice but to leave the city overnight and head to the border thousands of miles away.


    Before he left, he didn¡¯t even have time to go to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to say goodbye to Xie Zhen.


    The street they walked was two streets away from Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and he rode past, taking only a nce in that direction.


    Xie Zhen was still asleep, but she didn¡¯t hear the ng of the cavalry or the sound of the gates opening.


    Only when she woke up did she hear that thirty thousand soldiers and horses had left the capital.


    The days flowed by like water, during which time she was invited to the crown prince¡¯s residence several times.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Once the Crown Prince was there, and when she saw him from a distance, she did not even remember what he looked like.


    The other girls, on the other hand, were greatly moved. They were so excited that they could not calm themselves down for a long time.


    Crown Prince said a few words to the Crown Princess and then left. For some reason, Xie Zhen always felt that he smelled quite familiar.


    Sometimes, there would also be Princess He Yi, so she would sit with Ling Xiangyun.


    Yan Yao¡¯an liked the scent on her, even pestering her to teach her how to mix spices. Unfortunately, the timing and location were inconvenient, so in the end, she had no choice but to give up.


    One day, Princess He Yi went to Pce Zhaoyang to pay respects to Empress Wang, and she happened to see Yan Tao was there.


    Empress Wang is weak and sickly, often entangled in sickbed, the body is very weak.


    Even so, she was dressed with dignity and elegance, appearing calm and collected. Her pale lips only added a hint of weakness to her expression.


    She was forty years old, and even if she kept herself in good shape, there were faint lines at the corners of her eyes, and her smile was more pronounced.


    Today, she looked better, and her face was redder than before.


    Yan Yao¡¯an was talking to her from below when Yan Tao arrived.


    Empress Wang pulled out a smile and asked him to sit down, ¡°Why are you the only one here today?¡±


    Yan Tao took the initiative to bow, lifting his robe and sitting down. He smiled and said, ¡°Xiang Wu is not feeling well, so I let her stay at home to recuperate, so as to avoid letting you have her illness.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked to the other side and called out to his sixth sister. He then continued to speak to Empress Wang, ¡°Imperial Mother looks alright today.¡±


    Empress Wang said, ¡°Yao An apanied me for a while before I felt more spirited.¡±


    She didn¡¯t forget to take care of Ling Xiangwu¡¯s body, and told him to take care of her properly.


    He said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. The doctor has already seen it. It¡¯s just an ordinary cold, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    The empress replied, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Mother and son sat together, saying nothing but caring things.


    Empress Wang thought about the recent upheaval at the border, Empress Wang couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly, ¡°How¡¯s the war over there? Did His Majesty call you over to take a look?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°With Sixth Brother there, there should be no need for me to go over.¡±


    A few days ago, reports had traveled from the border, saying Western Yi was caught off guard by the thirty thousands soldiers. Immediately, they gave up on attacking the city and decided to retreat ten kilometers.


    Of course, Western Yi would never give up so easily. They had set up camp ten miles outside the city and discussed strategies to fight back.


    Each of Yan Yu and Zhong Kai was defending a city. It was said that Western Yi had been defeated.


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for them to get back.


    While they were talking, Yan Yao¡¯an sniffed and asked curiously, ¡°I seem to smell a familiar scent ¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Empress Wang smiled and ordered someone to bring out the incense burner. ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±


    She shook her head and sniffed again. ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very special lotus scent. Kind of scent only could been smelled on Ah Zhen.¡±


    Empress Wang said, ¡°Oh, who is this Ah Zhen?¡±


    ¡°The Empress doesn¡¯t know, Ah Zhen is the the fifth girl of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, her spice is very special, it can help people to sleep, but it also smells extremely good,¡± Yan Yao¡¯an exined solemnly, stood up and looked around, then walked over to Yan Tao, ¡°It seems toe from here ¡­¡±


    She stopped and looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief.


    When she smelled it again, the scent was indeeding from his body.


    This time, even the empress¡¯s eyes were attracted over, and their expressions were full of meaning. Yan Tao smiled and took out the perfume bag from his waist, ¡°Is this it?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an received it, nodding her head incessantly. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    Empress Wang called out to him with a smile in her eyes, ¡°Tell your mother, what is going on?¡±


    Yan Tao did not n to say it so early. After all, that girl was not even 15 yet, so he could slowly wait for her until she was at her fifteenth birthday.


    This time, he couldn¡¯t hide it even if he wanted to, so he could only say: ¡°I has a light sleep, mother knows.¡±


    ¡°Once, when I picked up her handkerchief at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, I found that the scent of it made me sleep soundly. After that, I found her and made her sew a few scented sachet for me to wear everyday. ¡±


    Before Empress Wang had even opened her mouth to speak, Yan Yao¡¯an had already opened her eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Big Brother Crown Prince, your ¡­¡±


    ¡°Your sachet was from Ah Zhen?¡±


    He said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Empress Wang understood that her son¡¯s heart was probably moved by the girl, and he was reluctant to speak, but he was hiding it in his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to wear her sachet all the time?¡±


    The empress asked.


    Yan Tao shook his head. At this point, he could only be honest and say, ¡°If mother agrees, I want her to be my liangdi.¡±


    Xie Liqing was born from a concubine, so Xie Zhen was a bit difficult for him to be the concubine. He could first call her his liangdi and then slowly invite her to be his concubine in the future.


    The Crown Prince had been married for many years, and there was only a Crown Princess and a few concubines in the pce. Empress Wang wanted to marry Xie Zhen as his liangdi, so the Empress did not object, ¡°You have to tell your father about this. If he agrees, he will be able to give you an imperial decree in a few days.¡±


    The meaning behind her words was, speak to the emperor yourself, she had no objections.


    Yan Tao let out a sigh of relief, stood up and knelt down, ¡°Thank you for your help, mother.¡±


    Since things had already been settled, Yan Yao¡¯an was left dumbfounded by what she saw.


    She was on good terms with Xie Zhen, so howe she didn¡¯t know that she had embroidered a sachet for the crown prince¡­


    No, she¡¯d have to ask Xie Zhen next time she saw her!

 Chapter 42 - Marry Me

    <h4>Chapter 42 - Marry Me</h4>


    On the fifth day of the fifth month, the sixth prince and the General of Agile Cavalry returned from their victory, and the people weed them at the gate of the city.


    The sixth prince and the General had banded together to defeat Western Yi and had preservednd of Da Jing. They were the victors of Da Jing.


    After returning to the pce, Emperor Yuan Hui personally hosted a banquet to invite the officials of the imperial court to celebrate with the sixth prince and the general.


    The next morning, Yan Yu returned to the Qing Jia Pce. After sleeping for only two hours, he was awakened by the noise from outside.


    The young eunuch Yuan Quan stood guard at the door, feeling awkward. He said to Yan Yao¡¯an, ¡°Princess, Your Highness has just fallen asleep ¡­¡±


    ¡°He endured the hardships of a long journey, he probably didn¡¯t even have a good rest.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was in a hurry, so she didn¡¯t care about any of this at all. She got someone to push him to the side, then pushed open the door and entered. ¡°Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother!¡±


    After all, there were some rules so that she didn¡¯t directly break into the inner room and bring him up. Instead, she stood outside the screen and called out a few times.


    Yan Yu did not open his eyes. He raised the back of his hand to his forehead and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Speak.¡±


    All these years, she had been spoiled even more unruly due to her father¡¯s love for her. They were no longer children, yet she actually barged in without a care for the difference between men and women. It seemed it was time for her to be properly taught.


    Yan Yao¡¯an went straight to the point. ¡°Take me out of the pce once more.¡±


    Yan Yu immediately refused, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    He had nned to get some sleep first, then take a shower and change his clothes to see Xie Zhen, but now it was impossible for him to get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    He only wished that thest two matters would not be disturbed.


    How could Yan Yao¡¯an be so easily dismissed? If she wanted to go out of the pce, she had no choice but to beg him.


    If he didn¡¯t agree, she would sit outside and waste her time with him. ¡°If you don¡¯t take me out, I¡¯ll make a ruckus here!¡±


    As she said this, she knocked the small ck colored lid on the table, causing it to rattle loudly. ¡°You agree or not?¡±


    Yan Yu frowned and asked impatiently, ¡°What are you doing for going out of the pce?¡±


    She blurted out, ¡°To visit Xie Zhen.¡±


    The room was silent for a long time. Just when Yan Yao¡¯an thought he was asleep, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why do you want to see her?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an let out a long sigh, looking extremely sorrowful. ¡°A few days ago, I met second brother at Pce Zhaoyang.¡±


    The second brother wore scented sachet embroidered by Ah Zhen and said that he would take her as his concubine. I wanted to ask her personally if it was true, but why did she never tell me? ¡±


    After finish talking, it became extremely silent in the room.


    ¡°Sixth Brother?¡±


    she asked softly.


    After a while, Yan Yu¡¯s cold voice came out, ¡°You said that second brother is going to take her as his concubine?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an nodded. She had heard the truth that day, so there shouldn¡¯t have been any mistakes.


    That was why she was puzzled. Why did it happen?


    ¡°From what esteemed empress says, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any objections.¡±


    ¡°If Second Brother tells father that, then I¡¯m guessing that the next step would be granting the marriage.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an heard the sound of something falling on the ground, which was extremely ear-piercing, causing Yan Yao¡¯an to jump in fright. ¡°Sixth Brother, are you alright?¡±


    There was no movement from inside. Not long after, Yan Yu walked out from inside. He had already changed his clothes and was neatly dressed. His face was cold as he appeared in front of her.


    His pupils were cold, his brow was low, and he carried a sharp sense of heroic spirit. He didn¡¯t say anything else, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was overjoyed. She followed him and said, ¡± Cuiying attic in the south. I have got someone to tell her about the meeting with her.¡±


    Yan Yu strode in front, not caring if she could keep up with him or not.


    Within the Cuiying attic.


    Xie Zhen came early and sat in the private room for a moment.


    She did not know what was going on in the pce, nor did she know that the Crown Prince had already set his mind on her. Recently, she had heard the most praise the sixth prince¡¯s return, praising him everywhere for his rare deeds of honor.


    She had never heard of the sixth prince before and only found out about his existence after she returned to the capital.


    As Xie Zhen was thinking, the door of the private room was pushed open. Yan Yao¡¯an poked her head around, and when she saw her, her eyes lit up and she rushed over to hug her.


    Xie Zhen was frightened by her enthusiasm, she leaned back a little. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the Princess?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an let Qing Feng and Bai Lu stand guard outside the door. After closing the door, she pulled her aside and whispered to her, ¡°Do you know my second brother?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an had always been straightforward. She was unable to learn how to be courteous, so she could say whatever she wanted to say. Therefore, when she began to speak, Xie Zhen was shocked a lot.


    The current crown prince was ranked the second. It was precisely Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s second brother. How could she possibly know the crown prince?


    She shook her head like a rattle. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an stared into her eyes and asked again.


    She still answered that she didn¡¯t know him.


    Xie Zhen really don¡¯t know him. Although Xie Zhen went to the crown prince¡¯s mansion a few times, she would always stay in the backyard with other wives. She has never met the crown prince in private, so how could she not know him?


    Seeing that it didn¡¯t seem like she was lying, Yan Yao¡¯an began to wonder, ¡°That¡¯s strange. You don¡¯t know him, so how could he have a scented sachet of yours embroidered on him?¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked. ¡°What is the scented sachet?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an repeated what had happened that day at the Pce Zhaoyang, describing it in a sonorous and colourful manner, making them feel as if they were in the scene of their lives. When she heard the words ¡°second brother said he wanted to take you as his concubine¡±, she froze.


    If she remembered correctly, her scented sachet had only been sent out once. The other party¡¯s surname was Tao, and his wife was Madam Ling.


    His wife couldn¡¯t sleep well at night, so she made a few scented sachets and sent them to her to help her sleep.


    Her hands and feet were cold, and she carefully held Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s hand as she asked, ¡°The scented sachet that you mentioned ¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a jasminum flower on it?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an tried her best to recall it.


    ¡°It seems so. The fragrance of the scented sachet is the same as yours. It has a faint fragrance of lotus.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart is like dead ashes. She sat back for a long time without saying a word.


    She thought she was smart enough to think things through, but in the end she was fooled into a mess.


    The crown prince¡¯s name was Yan Tao, so he said his surname was Tao.


    The Crown Princess¡¯s name was Ling Xiangwu, so his wife became Madam Ling.


    She thought that she had met a good person, but did not realize the man was clearly a fraud!


    Too bad, too bad.


    They had never interacted with each other before, much less said a single word. Could it be that just by relying on a scented sachet, he wanted her?


    Xie Zhen clenched her teeth tightly, her little face became paler and paler, and she was about to faint out of anger.


    She didn¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s concubine, not even the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine. This was the thought that the Madam Leng instilled into her since she was young. It was deeply ingrained and would remain the same for a period of time.


    Seeing that her expression was off, Yan Yao¡¯an felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right. She walked over to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The scented sachets aren¡¯t what you embroidered?¡±


    She was regretful and said, ¡°I did.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was speechless.


    Xie Zhen was to tear. She didn¡¯t expect it. She told Yan Yao¡¯an everything that had happened a while ago, and then she held thest of her hope and grabbed Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Can you tell His Majesty, please don¡¯t grant the marriage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry the crown prince.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an felt a headache. She shouldn¡¯t interfere in this matter either.


    ¡°If Second Brother mentioned it to Imperial father, then even I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen felt as if she had no hope at all.


    Just as she was about to faint, the door of the private room was kicked open from the outside. With a bang, Yan Yu stood in the doorway, looking at Xie Zhen with a cold face.


    Everyone outside and inside the door was stunned as they stared at him.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t expect him to suddenly appear. Before she could call out the name that was hovering around her mouth, Yan Yao¡¯an said in surprise, ¡°Sixth Brother, why did youe in?¡±


    Xie Zhen froze.


    Yan Yu walked in step by step, finally stopping in front of Xie Zhen, looking down at her from above. He said to Yan Yao¡¯an with an expressionless face, ¡°You go out first, I have something to say to her.¡±


    Seeing that something was wrong, Yan Yao¡¯an quickly got up from the mattress, her gaze sweeping over the two of them. ¡°You two ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu pursed his lips tightly and did not answer.


    And Xie Zhen waspletely dumbfounded.


    Yan Yao¡¯an couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity and wanted to stay behind and listen to their conversation, but was swept a cold nce by Yan Yu. She shrunk her neck and obediently withdrew from the private room.


    Only Xie Zhen, Yan Yu and the two servant maids Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan are left in the private room.


    It was no need to hide from Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan. They had been with Xie Zhen for more than ten years.


    Xie Zhen stared nkly at Yan Yu as he sat down and stared back at him.


    She was not even able to speak properly. ¡°You, you are the sixth prince?¡±


    Yan Yu nced at her, ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡±


    Of course she didn¡¯t believe it!


    Wasn¡¯t he Auntie Song and Li Xiqing¡¯s son? Why did he be the current sixth prince?


    Xie Zhen thought she was dreaming, so she called Shuang Yu to her and twisted her so hard that Shuang Yu whinnied in pain, but she still didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    He looked at her. ¡°Yan Yu.¡±


    The same name, just changed his surname.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s frustration has long been overshadowed by a string of questions: ¡°Why did you be sixth prince?¡±


    ¡°What about Auntie Song?¡±


    ¡°You left, just to return to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us? ¡±


    He could not answer any of these questions. Yan Yu interrupted her coldly: ¡°Do you want to marry my second brother?¡±


    When Xie Zhen was pulled back into reality, her mood sank to the bottom and she shook her head gloomily. ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Yan Yu unconsciously clenched his fists under the table. He tried his best to sound calm, ¡°You can marry me. I don¡¯t have a wife, so you don¡¯t have to be a concubine.¡±


    Xie Zhen was a little puzzled, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He tilted his head and said, ¡°If you marry me, second brother won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    Now, atst she understood, and it was almost panic. ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to marry me?¡±


    ¡°You, don¡¯t you hate me?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t trying to take revenge on her, was he?


    It urred to Xie Zhen that if he married her, he could torture her.


    Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    Yan Yu suddenly turned around and red at her, ¡°I¡¯m at the age of marriage. If I don¡¯t have someone I like, I can only marry you first.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    Xie Zhen tried to understand, and stuttered, ¡°Can you let me think about it for a few days¡­¡±


    ¡°Or maybe I could discuss it with my parents ¡­¡±


    However, he stood up and spoke with a tone that was not gentle at all, ¡°If you continue to think about it, you will have to marry second brother as his liangdi. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    He raised his foot and was about to leave.


    Xie Zhen scrambled to her feet, grabbing his hand in desperation, soft fingers digging into the palm of his hand and making him stand there.


    She spoke in a conferential tone, ¡°Then do you think you can marry me just because you want to?¡±


    ¡°Can the Emperor agree?¡±


    She thought they could still hold each other¡¯s hands as they had when they were children.


    It took a lot of effort for Yan Yu to hold her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at the side of his face, looked at him, suddenly a little sad, she sniffled, ¡°Other than marrying you, there is really no other way¡­¡±


    ¡°She was still very unwilling?¡±


    ¡°He has wronged her?¡±


    Yan Yu was a little angry, he turned around and stared at her, ¡°If you marry me, you¡¯ll be the Royal¡¯s Wife, and your status will be much higher than the Crown Prince¡¯s liangdi.¡±


    She knew, of course, but she still felt a little unreal.


    Just a moment ago, he was still the ordinary Li Yu, but how did he be the beloved sixth prince the next moment?


    She had not yet epted his identity, and was beginning to learn to ept another.

 Chapter 43 - Granting Marriage

    <h4>Chapter 43 - Granting Marriage</h4>


    When he walked out of Cuiying attic, he saw Yan Yao¡¯an standing at the entrance with her head tilted up, waiting for something to happen.


    As soon as Yan Yu came out, she excitedly surrounded him, her face full of curiosity. ¡°Sixth Brother, do you know Ah Zhen?¡±


    ¡°When did you get to know her?¡±


    ¡°What did you talk with her? ¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t intend to answer her questions at all. He walked around her and got into the carriage. After she got on, he told the driver to return to the pce and then sat on the carriage with his eyes closed, deep in thought.


    If the Crown Prince had already spoken to Emperor Yuan Huai, then he would have to put on a show ofpeting with his elder brother for a woman.


    If the Crown Prince didn¡¯t say anything, then it would be difficult for Xie Zhen to be a Royal¡¯s wife, ording to Xie Zhen¡¯s identity as a daughter of concubine.


    But before he set out, Emperor Yuan Hui had promised him a condition.


    He needs to make good use of it.


    While Yan Yu was analyzing the situation in detail, Yan Yao¡¯an intransigently came over and asked the same question as before, ¡°Sixth Brother, how did you guys get to know each other?¡±


    His thoughts were interrupted, and he said slowly, remembering his childhood, ¡°We were neighbors.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an knew that before Yan Yu had returned to the pce, he had stayed outside the pce for a very long time.


    Even so, it was still somewhat strange to receive this answer. ¡°Then, why did you pretend that you didn¡¯t know her when we were at Mingqiu Lakest time?¡±


    Yan Yu remained silent.


    It wasn¡¯t that he pretended not to know her, but that little bastard hadpletely forgotten about him!


    He was too angry at the time to turn around and walk away. He had been watching her from the dark, and he nearly couldn¡¯t help but grab her.


    He should not have been anxious after all these years, but he had waited too long to find warmth in her, and that was why he was so angry when she did not think of him.


    Yan Yao¡¯an didn¡¯t care, because she still had a lot of questions. ¡°What did you say to Ah Zhen?¡±


    ¡°Were not you waiting down there? Why did you go up to her? ¡±


    Yan Yu closed his eyes and opened them after a long time. ¡°He Yi.¡±


    He rarely called her by her title, and when he did, he was usually serious.


    Yan Yao¡¯an straightened her back, staring straight at him. ¡°What?¡±


    The carriage was walking on a spacious road. The wheels of the carriage made a dull noise, but sitting inside the carriage was perfect smooth. There was no bumpiness in the carriage.


    After a long silence, Yan Yu slowly said, ¡°I want to marry Xie Zhen.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an thought she had misheard him. Her chin nearly dropped to the bottom of her feet as she stuttered once more, ¡°What, what did you say?¡±


    He did not repeat, but simply said, ¡°After we return to the pce, I will ask father for permission to marry her. If he doesn¡¯t agree, then speak up for me.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui used to be in love with imperial concubine Hui, so he also doted on the two children of them.


    If it was useless for one person to say it, then the two of thembined would be able to convince him.


    Yan Yao¡¯an was shocked speechless, ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Why would you marry Ah Zhen?¡±


    She had never heard him talk about Xie Zhen, and every time he face Xie Zhen, he would always be neither hostile nor friendly. Is it the first time they¡¯ve seen each other since they met again.


    Why were they getting married?


    What about second brother?


    Yan Yao¡¯an was still a little reasonable, and knew it was hard to deal with. ¡°Second brother has already told esteemed empress that if you¡¯re going to intervene, so how could he possibly be willing to do that?¡±


    ¡°What if father has already granted him to marry Ah Zhen?¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s pupils darkened. It was not that he hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility. If it was really so ¡­


    He couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like for him to marry her to Yan Tao. If that ever happened, he would be a lunatic and try to snatch her away regardless of the consequences.


    With this thought, Yan Yu opened the curtain and ordered the driver to hurry back to the pce.


    Yesterday, the singing and dancing was going on all day, Emperor Yuan Hui left court this morning, and then was staying in the hall to rest.


    After hearing the the old eunuch¡¯s words, Yan Yu did not ask why. He opened his robe and knelt on the ground outside the hall.


    His body was straight and his eyebrows were firm. Even though he was kneeling down, there was an air of neither servility nor arrogance about him.


    the old eunuch was frightened and hurriedly went to help him up. ¡°What is Your Highness doing?¡±


    ¡°If you have urgent matters, this old servant will go in and inform His Majesty. Why should you kneel?¡±


    However, even after helping him for a long time, he did not manage to help him up.


    Yan Yu was an extremely stubborn man. Once his decision was made, not even ten oxen would be able to bring him back, let alone an old eunuch.


    He did not move as he stared straight ahead. ¡°There is no need to tell royal father. I will kneel here for as long as possible, until he wakes up.¡±


    the old eunuch was worried, how could it be so simple as he said?


    If His Majesty were to wake up and find his treasured son kneeling outside, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for any of them servants.


    the old eunuch¡¯s eyes crinkled with anxiety and helplessness. ¡°Why on earth should you kneel?¡±


    ¡°Let this old servant tell His Majesty about that. And the stone floor is cold, you kneel and will get sick.¡±


    After talking for quite a while, he still remained unmoved, as if he had not heard the old eunuch¡¯s words.


    He didn¡¯t want anyone waking His Majesty up, so he steeled his heart to kneel until the end.


    the old eunuch could not dissuade him, so he let him go, sighing under the eaves with his whisk.


    He knelt there for four hours until the sun set in the west. Then, he heard a servant say that His Majesty had woken up.


    the old eunuch did not dare to dy any longer and hurriedly went in to report.


    At this moment, Emperor Yuan Hui had just woken up, and was currently dressing himself in the maid¡¯s arms. He had reached his 40s, and several strands of hair had already grown white by his sideburns. However, he still looked very spirited.


    When he looked up and saw Eunuch Yu, he asked casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to wait outside?¡±


    Eunuch Yu called out ¡°Your Majesty¡±, then said, ¡°the Sixth Pce hase. He¡¯s been kneeling outside the hall for several hours now.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui frowned, not understanding. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t hee in, why is he kneeling outside?¡±


    How could Eunuch Yu know the reason? He had asked Yan Yu ten times, but he was unwilling to tell him.


    ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know either ¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty should ask him personally.¡±


    After dressing himself, Emperor Yuan Hui walked out of Pce Xuanshi and saw Yan Yu kneeling on the bed.


    He raised his eyebrows and had him lifted from the floor. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Did you do something wrong to apologize to me? ¡±


    He remained unmoved. In the end, the guard did not dare to do anything to him, instead he helped him a few times, but he didn¡¯t get up. Instead, he was yelled at by him, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The guard looked at Emperor Yuan Hui awkwardly.


    Emperor Yuan Hui then asked, ¡°Do you want me to help you up?¡±


    Yan Yu shook his head, his lips dry and his voice hoarse. ¡°Before I set out, father promised me one thing ¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you still abide by your promise?¡±


    Who would have thought that it was actually because of this. Emperor Yuan Hui was both angry and amused. ¡°Of course I will do it. This Emperor¡¯s word is clear, how could I cheat you?¡±


    He pressed his lower lip and because of he had knelt for too long, his legs got numb, his body heavy but his mind clear, and he said, ¡°I have a matter that I wish to ask father¡¯s permission.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui was not in a hurry to ask him what was the matter. Instead, he asked with interest, ¡°You¡¯ve been kneeling for so long just for this matter?¡±


    He did not feel embarrassed and nodded crisply. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Say it, what¡¯s it?¡±


    Yan Yu lower his eyes and said without thinking: ¡°I want Xie Zhen.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui stunned. ¡°Who?¡±


    He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. For some reason, he felt a little nervous, and his throat burned with pain. ¡°I want to marry the fifth girl of the Xie Family as my wife and beg Imperial father to fulfill my wish.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui understood what was going on, and he was also a little happy. After kneeling for so long, he just wanted to beg for his granting marriage?


    Originally, granting a marriage wasn¡¯t a troublesome matter. It was rare for him to have a girl he liked. As a father, he should try his best to satisfy him.


    However, coincidentally, the Crown Prince had just told Emperor Yuan Hui the same thing the day before yesterday, and he also wanted to marry the fifth girl of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, causing the Emperor Yuan Hui extremely curious. Who exactly was this Fifth Girl, to be able to make both of his sons like her?


    Emperor Yuan Hui did not reply, so Yan Yu kneeled down on the spot.


    At the side of the main hall, the pce maidservants and eunuch were holding their breaths, not daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing the two.


    For a moment, the wind was quiet and the clouds stopped moving. after a long while, Emperor Yuan Hui called out to him, ¡°Don¡¯t kneel anymore. Stand up and speak.¡±


    Yan Yu wanted to get up, but it was a pity that he had lost all feeling in his legs and was unable to move at all.


    The guard helped him up from the left and right, barely managing to lift him up from the ground.


    Emperor Yuan Hui calmly asked, ¡°Why do you want to marry the fifth girl of Xie family?¡±


    ¡°Do you know her? When did you know her?¡±


    Obviously, he wanted to force him to confess. He had to say, ¡°When I was young, I lived in Qing Zhou and we are neighbors.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui did not doubt his words, but he did not expect that there was such a rtionship between the two.


    Xie Liqing had previously served as a prefect in Qing Zhou, and he had also lived Qing Zhou for seven or eight years. All of this was truly a coincidence.


    Emperor Yuan Hui thought it in his heart, but his expression was very serious. ¡°Did you fall in love with her since young?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yan Yu paused and looked away, refusing to answer the question.


    After seven or eight years, Emperor Yuan Hui knew very well about this son¡¯s character. He said yes and meant no, and his face was cold and passionate. It was typical of him that he cared about face even if he died.


    For example, right now, he clearly had a good impression of that girl, but he refused to admit it.


    If he admitted it, he would agree with him. Could it be that hard to tell the truth?


    A childhood sweetheart, innocent ymates, it was indeed a good pair.


    Xie Zhen was the daughter of Xie¡¯s concubine, marrying Yan Yu as imperial princess¡­


    He looked at Yan Yu and asked, ¡°Can it start as that she marry you as your side imperial concubine first?¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t have any room for discussion, ¡°I want to marry her as my wife.¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to kneel down again.


    Not a side imperial concubine, not even a concubine.


    Emperor Yuan Hui ordered servants to stop him. He frowned and thought for a while before his tone turned serious. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t promise you, but your second brother also asked me for help a few days ago. I promised him to consider it for a few days ¡­¡±


    ¡°If you insist on marrying the Fifth Miss of X , have you decided how to face your second brother in the future?¡±


    Yan Yu hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding, ¡°Your son has decided.¡±


    It looked like he already had an idea. Emperor Yuan Hui sighed with mncholy, ¡°Let me think about it again. You can go back.¡±


    Normally, when Emperor Yuan Hui said this, he would agree.


    Yan Yu bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui sighed again. He finally knew that having many sons was not necessarily a good thing.


    Within a few days, there was the imperial edict of granting marriage.


    Eunuch Yu came to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion with the people from the Ministry of Rites and asked the Xie family¡¯s second branch to take the imperial edict.

 Chapter 44 - The Imperial Edict

    <h4>Chapter 44 - The Imperial Edict</h4>


    When the imperial edict passed down, Xie Zhen was sitting under the tree with a bowl of dates soup, sipping it.


    Recently, the weather was getting hotter and hotter. Even with only a thin blouse made of leno on, it was of no use. She was so warm that she could only let the servant maids work harder, who were both fanning her.


    Xie Xun, who was drenched in sweat, asked as shey on the bamboo basket beside her, ¡°sis, am I baked enough?¡±


    Xie Zhen swallowed a mouthful of sour dates soup, touched her tender lotus-like arm, squeezed it, ¡°Soon, you¡¯re already 80% done.¡±


    She rolled over, trying to bake herself more evenly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get some more sun.¡±


    Xie Zhenughed at her. She brought the jujube soup to her mouth and fed it to her. ¡°Are you going to bake yourself and eat yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not delicious,¡± Xie Xun gulped down more than half a bowl, with beads of sweat on her nose.


    After sniffing Xie Zhen for a while, she curiously leaned over to her, ¡± sis, what¡¯s the smell?¡±


    Xie Zhen was puzzled, and followed her to take a smell. ¡°What?¡±


    She finally found the source and put her arms around Xie Zhen¡¯s waist. ¡± sis smells good.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When it got hot, the smell of Xie Zhen¡¯s incense seemed toe out of her bones, rising up with the heat, and if someone else came close enough, her nose would be full of her scent.


    Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be so thick. Perhaps it was really too hot today, so Xie Xun felt that it was rare.


    It was already hot, and with the two of them so close together, it was even more unbearable for Xie Zhen.


    Holding the porcin bowl in one hand, she nudged Xie Zhen¡¯s head with the other hand, pursing her lips in deliberate disgust. ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°Your sweat is all over me! ¡±


    Xie Xun refused to go, still clinging to her.


    The two of them made a ruckus over the bed, and when people from the front yard arrived, Xie Zhen was being held down by Xie Xun to beg for mercy.


    Xie Xun rubbed her head against her shoulder. Her eyes curved in a smile. ¡± Ah Xun, if you keep up like this, I¡¯ll be mad!¡±


    Unfortunately, her tone was too soft, and there was a hint ofughter in her voice. She did not have any deterrent effect at all.


    The nannie from the front courtyard hurriedly rushed over. When she saw this scene, she almost knelt on the ground. ¡°My two little ancestors, why are you two still arguing? The imperial edict has already been passed down!¡±


    The two people on the other side suddenly stopped.


    The smile in Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t fade in time, and for a moment she didn¡¯t know what happened. ¡°What imperial edict?¡±


    The nannie ordered someone to help them up, then called for someone else to inform Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. She stomped her feet anxiously. ¡°This old servant doesn¡¯t know either. Please follow this old servant to take a look first. The pce has sent you an imperial edict. You must not neglect it!¡±


    Xie Zhen slowly stoppedughing and sat up from the bed and let Shuang Yu put on Beizi for her.


    Not long after, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing walked out from the room. With a grave expression, they led Xie Rong and the two of them towards the front courtyard.


    All the way there, Xie Zhen was a little worried. She didn¡¯t know if she was overthinking things and felt that the imperial edict seemed to have something to do with her.


    She remembered what Yan Yu had said to her at the Cuiying attic a while ago. Wasn¡¯t it about emperor granting the marriage?


    Thinking of this, her hands and feet grew weak.


    Arriving at the front courtyard, Duke Dingguo and his wife had already arrived, along with the third branch and fourth branch.


    When they heard that the Emperor had bestowed an imperial edict on them, their eyes were filled with strangeness.


    After everyone had gathered, Duke Dingguo led them to go down on their knees. Eunuch Yu nced in the direction of the Second branch, opened the imperial edict and slowly read out the words, ¡°The Fifth Miss of Xie Family is noble, virtuous, and pure kindness ¡­¡±


    ¡°I hereby bestow her upon the sixth prince Yan Yu as his wife, who shall be married on the sixth day of October. The Ministry of Rites shall handle all of it.¡±


    Finish talking, he looked at the stunned crowd and coughed, ¡°The Fifth Miss of Xie Family will not obeying the imperial edict, right?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s head was empty, she could only instinctively move forward and receive the imperial edict with both hands, ¡°I ept the imperial edict ¡­¡±


    When Eunuch Yu returned, the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was in an uproar.


    Especially the olddy and Madam Xu, it could be said that their expressions were wonderful. Their faces alternated between livid and white, and they were unable to speak for a long time.


    Madam Wu¡¯s expression was somewhat strange, but she still forced herself to step forward to congratte her. ¡± the fifth girl, you¡¯re so lucky ¡­¡±


    Actually, what she wanted to ask was, how exactly was it you?


    She had never heard of the sixth prince before, with no his news at all, so why did he suddenly want to take a wife?


    And married to the second branch¡¯s daughter?


    Xie Zhen was also dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t expect the imperial edict toe down so fast. She thought it would take at least a long time.


    Just what method did Yan Yu use to convince His Majesty?


    Was she really going to marry him?


    There more two other persons who were more stunned than her, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. Without warning, how could a girl not have grown up and be someone else¡¯s ¡­


    The bystanders were all congratting them, even though they were a bit confused, unsure of how to respond.


    Only Duke Dingguo was truly happy for her. He stroked his beard and grinned from ear to ear, ¡°My Little Lamb has good fortune, good luck!¡±


    Xie Zhen held the imperial edict at a loss, looking at Madam Leng, and called out ¡°mother¡±.


    Madam Leng pulled her to the front of her, forced a smile and replied to the questions from the other branches, sending them away first.


    Xie Ying looked at Xie Zhen with aplicated look before leaving. Her lips were pursed in a mixture of jealousy and unwillingness to ept the oue of the event. ¡±


    After everyone had left, Madam Leng asked in a serious tone, ¡°Tell Mother, what is going on?¡±


    Tears welled in Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes, and she said after a long time, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the sixth prince¡­¡±


    Hearing this, even someone as calm as Madam Leng became anxious. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When did you see him?¡±


    ¡°What did you say? What does that have to do with the Emperor¡¯s granting?¡±


    When Xie Zhen thought of the conversation in the Cuiying attic that day, she was so helpless that she had to agree to Yan Yu¡¯s proposal, even though she didn¡¯t want to marry anyone.


    Actually, she didn¡¯t want to be the Crown Prince¡¯s concubine, nor did she want to marry him as a princess. She only wanted to stay by her parents¡¯ side for a few more years, then marry someone who was on par with her, and live a happy life.


    When she thought of this, a wave of grievances arose in her heart. She hugged Madam Leng with both hands, and just like when she was young, bowed towards her. ¡°Mother, the sixth prince is Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    Madam Leng¡¯s reaction was the same as hers. She couldn¡¯t remember who it was. ¡°Who?¡±


    She repeated gloomily, ¡°Li Yu.¡±


    Now, Madam Leng recalled him. Li Yu was the son of the Li Family who used to live next door. At that time, Li family left without a trace, Madam Leng would never expect to see them again.


    Hearing what Xie Zhen had said, she was shocked. ¡°How could he be a prince?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know either. ¡°I asked him. He didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing nced at each other, seeing the shock in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Xie Zhen was still at loss. She said to herself in a worried voice. ¡°I think he¡¯s changed a lot.¡±


    ¡°He is more fierce at me. He hated me so much. Why did he marry me? ¡±


    Madam Leng touched her head, recovering from her initial shock. After finding out that the other party was Li Yu, she gradually calmed down. ¡°You two have known each other since you were young ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been many years since youst met, so your rtionship should be better than before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good at all,¡± Xie Zhen said.


    Every time they met, he looked like he was going to eat her.


    She was very sad at the thought of living with him for a lifetime.


    She felt that she had to think of a way to make a way out of this life.


    Eunuch Yu, who had read out the edict, returned to the pce and reported the result to Emperor Yuan Hui, ¡°The Fifth girl of Xie Family has received it and thanked for your kindness.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui sat on the Dragon Throne and casually flipped through the imperial reports. He tilted his head to the side and asked the youth, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    This brat came to the study room early in the morning and waited there. Other than saying ¡°I¡¯vee to visit father¡± when he first came in, he didn¡¯t say a word for the next few hours. Everyone knew that he was waiting for the result!


    To see his father?


    Emperor Yuan Hui sneered, ¡°a fool would believe it¡±.


    Yan Yu stood in the backlight, sunlight streaming in from the fan and shining on his chin.


    His thin lips curved in a rare way, and he rarely smiled, but when he smiled, it was very pleasant.


    Unfortunately, it onlysted for an instant before he withdrew his smile and quickly recovered his cold and arrogant face. ¡°Thank you, father¡±


    Hmph, stinking brat.


    Who knew how happy you were, but you were still putting on a show here.


    Emperor Yuan Hui finished reading the imperial report and cast a sidelong nce at him. ¡°Someday, we can discuss the time with the Ministry of Rites and then go to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to send betrothal gifts and money over to the bride.¡±


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t wait.¡±


    Yan Yu paused, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After a while, Emperor Yuan Hui thought of something and said sincerely, ¡°you¡¯ll take some time to visit the crown prince¡¯s residence. You stole your second brother¡¯s girl, so you should at least give him an exnation.¡±


    It was very difficult for him to be a person between his two sons.


    Yan Yu was silent for a moment, the answer vague, ¡± Xie Zhen is not his girl.¡±


    Oh, I said the wrong words.


    Emperor Yuan Hui changed his words, ¡°Yes, yes, she¡¯s your girl.¡±


    He didn¡¯t make a sound, which was considered tacit agreement.


    ¡°Your mansion outside the pce will bepleted by the end of August. You can order some things for yourself for the next month. If you have anything you don¡¯t know, you can ask the empress and tell me what you need.¡±


    ¡°On the time you marry your wife, if your mansion is iplete, people will take it as a joke.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui had thought about everything thoroughly. The elder imperial brothers had only built their pces after their marriage ceremonies, and the imperial concubines of their mothers had helped to take care of it. There was nothing to worry for father.


    Only he, who hadn¡¯t taken a wife, and even his mother passed away, how could the father not to take care?


    Yan Yu agreed.


    After everything was settled, Emperor Yuan Hui saw that he had nothing to do, so he waved him off.


    Yan Yu did not return to Qing Jia Pce. Instead, he rode on his horse and headed in the direction of the crown prince¡¯s residence.


    There was one thing that Emperor Yuan Hui was right about, he had to give Yan Tao an exnation.


    The imperial edict had been read out in the morning, and by this time all people that must have been known might have known.

 Chapter 45 - Marriage Proposal

    <h4>Chapter 45 - Marriage Proposal</h4>


    Indeed, Yan Tao learned this from Liang Kuan.


    At the same time that Eunuch Yu came to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion with the imperial edict, Yan Tao knew that Xie Zhen was going to be given to Yan Yu by the emperor.


    He thought that the matter was certain, but who would have thought that something unexpected would happen in the middle of it.


    This was his sixth brother, who was usually quiet, being efficient when he did things.


    Yan Tao was sitting in a rosewood chair, holding the scented sachet that was embroidered by Xie Zhen. He was looking at it thoughtfully as he slowly rubbed his thumb against the patterns on it.


    In his thought, Xie Zhen was a little smart, but not experienced, and still a very simple little girl.


    If such a girl came to the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce and even the imperial harem, she would be plotted.


    He wanted her because he felt that he could protect her innocence, allowing her to live a peaceful and carefree life in the future.


    It was probably because he had gone through too many experiences and hadplex thoughts. Thus, her innocence seemed to be extremely valuable to him.


    So what did Sixth Brother like about her?


    Before Yan Tao coulde up with an answer, a servant came in and said, ¡°Your Highness, the Sixth Pce is here.¡±


    He did not seem surprised at all. He lowered his head slightly, unable to figure out his emotions. ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    The servant left and soon led Yan Yu to the central room.


    Yan Yu stepped across the threshold and saw the sachet embroidered with jasminum flower in his hand. His eyes dimmed and he stopped where he was and called out ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    He knew that was the work of Xie Zhen. He had been listening at the door when Xie Zhen had spoken to Yan Yao¡¯an. He had heard every word clearly.


    Not only did that little bastard make a scented sachet herself, she also embroidered her favorite jasminum flower. Did she want to anger him to death?


    Even though he knew she knew nothing about it, he could not help but feel angry.


    At the same time, he was shocked by Yan Tao¡¯s methods.


    In terms of meticulous thoughts and profoundplexity, no one couldpare with the Crown Prince.


    He didn¡¯t even let Xie Zhen see her, but sessfully led her into the trap.


    If he hadn¡¯t came back in time, he would found she had been gone by the time he got back to capital.


    After thinking about it, he felt extremely lucky.


    Yan Tao lifted his eyes and seemed to notice him. He gestured for him to sit, ¡°Sixth Brother, you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Sit down and talk.¡±


    Yan Yu did not sit down. He stood still and said with surprise, ¡°Second brother, can you give me the scented sachet?¡±


    Yan Tao was stunned for a moment before he immediatelyughed in annoyance.


    This brat had robbed his woman, and now he was even righteously standing in front of him, asking for the scented sachet. How could he have such a big face?


    He ced the scented sachet back on his waist, feeling very calm. ¡°I need to sleep on this scented sachet at night, I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    His thin lips were drawn in a thin line and he looked unhappy.


    He was already so jealous before he had a wife. If he were to marry a wife in the future, wouldn¡¯t he die from drinking a jar of vinegar every day?


    Yan Tao thought that he was here to admit his mistake. He did not expect that he would actually want something. It seemed that he had overestimated his sixth brother. With his brain, he probably did not know how to write the word ¡°admit his mistake¡±!


    Thinking of this, Yan Tao became more open-minded. He leaned back with a rxed posture and said, ¡°The imperial edict that was issued this morning, aren¡¯t you going to exin?¡±


    His eyes never left the sachet. He said quietly, ¡°I met Xie Zhen earlier than second brother.¡±


    Yan Tao was a little surprised, but he raised his eyes and said, ¡°How early?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were five,¡± he said.


    So early!


    Yan Tao didn¡¯t think that there would be such a reason. He had never seen him meet with Xie Zhen before, so he assumed that they never knew each other. The reason why he stole Xie Zhen away was because he wanted to go against him.


    ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never heard you mention it before?¡±


    A look of uneasiness shed across his face. He hadn¡¯t mentioned it before because it was a memory he had buried deep in his heart. Once he told others, it wouldn¡¯t be his own.


    The reason he didn¡¯t mention it now was because he didn¡¯t want others to know that she was his weak point.


    He tilted his head. ¡°Nothing worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to touch women, and second brother knows it. She¡¯s the only woman I¡¯ve known since I was a child, so I can only ept her.¡±


    Yan Tao quietly studied the expression on his face. After a long while, he smiled and said, ¡°You mean, second brother must give her to you?¡±


    Yan Yu turned around and met his gaze. ¡°Second brother, please do as you please.¡±


    ¡°So what if I don¡¯t? The imperial edict has already been passed down. Do I have to defy it?¡±


    A meaningful smile appeared on his lips, along with a sense of helplessness. ¡°Ah Yu, you are pping your second brother¡¯s face.¡±


    Yan Yu stood there without saying a word.


    They were originally a pair of good brothers, and from this moment onwards, it was likely that the two of them would be estranged from each other.


    In fact, Yan Tao had treated him very well. He had taught him a lot over the years, allowing him to clench his teeth and endure until today.


    Unfortunately, they were not the same person, and even without Xie Zhen, they would still be at odds.


    After a long silence, Yan Yu said, ¡°Actually, I was very grateful to second brother.¡±


    Yan Tao raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked with interest, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He thought back to that time, and then his expression softened a little. ¡°When we were at Puning Temple, Xie Zhen and I were kidnapped, and it was second brother who let us go, right?¡±


    Yan Taoughed softly, ¡°When did you know?¡±


    ¡°As soon as I entered the pce,¡± he said.


    His memory was not bad. At that time, he was six or seven years old.


    Even though Yan Tao was dressed in ck and had his face covered, some of the characteristics of a person would not change.


    After he had guessed it, he would only get close to one of the princes, ask him for help, and serve him loyally.


    Yan Tao reflected on what he just said and suddenly realized, ¡°The little girl who protected you was Xie Zhen?¡±


    He was stunned for a moment before he nodded and said yes.


    It was a night he would never forget in his life, and the little body of Xie Zhen, standing in front of him, trembled more than he did, but it was the face of a hen protecting her cubs, determined and brave.


    He still couldn¡¯t figure out where she got so much courage from.


    Such a small one, shouldn¡¯t she let him protect her?


    Every time he thought about it, the pain of the sharp de piercing his skin felt like it was reyed once, and his memory was still fresh.


    Yan Tao did a quick double take, ¡°No wonder you want to marry her.¡±


    After a while, he looked at Yan Yu who was still standing there. He might as well take this opportunity to say, ¡°I don¡¯t care about this, what else do you want to tell me?¡±


    Yan Yu knew what he wanted to hear. After hesitating for a moment, he said, ¡°I will help second brother aplish your big cause.¡±


    Even though the Second Prince had been set up as the crown prince, the First Prince and Third Prince were still eyeing him covetously.


    The Third Prince was not worthy of being feared, but the First Prince was like a beast that had been lurking in the shadows for many years, not to be looked down upon.


    Yan Yu was highly regarded by the Emperor Yuan Hui. His words could be set Yan Tao¡¯s mind at rest. As for the matter of snatching a woman, he could let it go for the time being.


    After Yan Yu the crown prince¡¯s residence, Yan Yu had originally wanted to make a trip to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion but imperial edict had just been issued in the morning, then he came over now, did it seem he was too impatient to wait?


    In the end, he rode his horse around the streets outside the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion before returning to the pce slowly in the evening.


    The people from the Rites Department had set the date for the marriage proposal to be held on the first day of the next month. There were still seven or eight days left until now.


    Emperor Yuan Hui had already given the imperial edict, so that proposing the marriage was like a formality, but the people in the pce were still too busy to get tired of it.


    First of all, because the Emperor had personally granted him a marriage, and second of all, because the sixth prince, who had never been close to a woman, was getting married. Everyone couldn¡¯t wait to know what sort of girl he was, to pull him off the altar and make him one of the many living creatures.


    On the first day of the month, the sixth prince was riding on his steed and leading a few officials from the Ministry of Rites towards the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Duke Dingguo and his wife were already waiting for him in the main hall. Below them were Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. They were sitting upright and unperturbed, afraid that they would be slighted in the slightest.


    Yan Yu arrived just after 7 a.m.


    Duke Dingguo and his wife, Xie Liqing and his wife, greeted them at the door. They watched as the group of people escorted Yan Yu out from behind the crane, deer and spring Shadow. They forced a smile and cautiously greeted him, inviting him in.


    Yan Yu was wearing a robe embroidered in indigo blue with dark gold patterns, looking even more majestic than usual.


    He had a handsome face and looked like a first-rate son-inw. However, his eyes were always cold and arrogant, making people feel apprehensive just by looking at him.


    Duke Dingguo invited him to his position, but he didn¡¯t hold back and immediately sat down.


    There was no need for him to ask about the marriage proposal. Normally, the people from the Rites Department would be talking by the side, so he just needed to listen.


    All he heard was how he and Xie Zhen matched up, how the heavens matched the earth¡­


    He did not bother to hear these words. He listened to every word carefully.


    After they finally finished speaking, the next thing he needed to do was to discuss the gifts and marriage process. asionally, he would interrupt with a few words. He wasn¡¯t as difficult to get along with as he seemed on the surface.


    When all the discussion was finished, it was still before noon. The Minister of Rites was about to return to the pce, but Yan Yu suddenly said to Duke Dingguo: ¡°Let me meet with Xie Zhen.¡±


    Duke Dingguo was stunned, ¡°This ¡­¡±


    On the other side, Madam Leng quickly replied, ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me. ording to the etiquette, you won¡¯t be able to meet my daughter until the wedding.¡±


    He didn¡¯t leave, and the other officials couldn¡¯t leave either. They stood around trying to persuade him.


    He was consistent. ¡°I can only say a few words to her. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    In the end, the people from the Ministry of Rites rushed back to report the situation to Emperor Yuan Hui. They helped Yan Yu persuade Duke Dingguo, and when he could no longer bear it, the Minister said, ¡°Your Highness, please make a long story short.¡±


    So they went out into the backyard and called Xie Zhen out.


    On the side, Madam Leng frowned. She still didn¡¯t agree.


    She thought that a girl should be a little more reserved. Before marriage, she would let the other party have no chance to see her face. After the marriage, he would cherish her with all his might.


    This marriage was too sudden. At the beginning, she had not been prepared. After epting it in front of her eyes, she calmed down and decided to properly consider her daughter¡¯s future.


    This child Yan Yu was not bad when he was young, but she didn¡¯t know if his character had changed over the years ¡­


    Not long after that, the servant maids led Xie Zhen out of the backyard. Xie Zhen was wearing a white silk shirt and a gold cloth skirt. She was dressed very coolly. It seemed like she was unprepared and had been called over without any warning.


    She stepped over the threshold and looked up to see Yan Yu sitting in the center. She pursed her lips and called out to the crowd one by one, but she didn¡¯t greet Yan Yu.


    She didn¡¯t deliberately ignore him, but rather didn¡¯t know how to address him.


    Right now, his identity was the sixth prince, but in her heart, he was still the brother Xiao Yu who didn¡¯t like to talk back when he was young.


    Did she have to bow to him?


    But he would be her husband anyway.


    Struggling, she missed the best time.


    Just as the olddy was about to scold her for not understanding the rules, Yan Yu said to the crowd, ¡°All of you go down. I have something to say to her alone.¡±


    The Ministry of Rites took the lead and walked out of the central room. Madam Leng and Xie Liqing were worried, so they looked at Xie Zhen a few more times before walking out.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were the only two people left in the room. She slowly looked away and met Yan Yu¡¯s eyes. After a long pause, she said, ¡°What do you want to say to me?¡±


    She stood far away, clearly in the same room, but it was as if they were separated by thousands of rivers and mountains.


    Yan Yu¡¯s hand tightened on the cloudy armrest and he said to her, ¡°Stand closer.¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head like a rattle drum. ¡°Why, can¡¯t you talk while you¡¯re standing here?¡±


    He pulled his face down. How could he talk from so far away?

 Chapter 46 - Requests

    <h4>Chapter 46 - Requests</h4>


    There was a long silence between them, and the room was silent.


    Xie Zhen was standing a few feet away, and her eyes were wide and moist, with no intention of approaching.


    Yan Yu was getting impatient. He didn¡¯t have much time left, so he couldn¡¯t afford to waste it all on this.


    He looked at Xie Zhen. ¡°Are you going toe over or not?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head and said easily, ¡°You tell me. I can hear you from here.¡±


    Who cared if she heard or not?


    Was she standing so far away, afraid that he would eat her?


    Yan Yu shook the armrest, stood up abruptly, walked to her, grabbed her hand without any exnation, and pulled her to the side of the chair. ¡°Sit down,¡± he said.


    After he finished speaking, he felt the soft and boneless hand in his palm. He couldn¡¯t help but squeeze lightly, and she shrank back.


    He realized that not only was she younger than him, even her hands were smaller. She hadn¡¯t grown for so many years?


    Why was everything of hers so small?


    After a short time, he finally loosened his grip.


    He sat on the square chair beside him and looked towards the cab with virid yarns at the entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t get close to the crown prince in the future.¡±


    Xie Zhen moved silently to the other side of the chair and nodded obediently. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have any objections to that. She didn¡¯t want to have too much contact with the crown prince, especially when she thought of the scented sachet she had embroidered for him. She felt an indescribable awkwardness.


    She only hoped that she wouldn¡¯t meet him in the future and that she wouldn¡¯t live her own life.


    Yan Yu¡¯s expression eased a little. He coughed and tilted his head, saying, ¡°In another two months, my mansion built in the Beining Street will bepleted. If you have anything you want to buy, just tell me. I will have someone prepare it.¡±


    Then he thought for a while and added, ¡°I will bring you there to check it. Everything in the mansion can be arranged ording to your wishes.¡±


    Xie Zhen seemed uninterested and gave a little ¡°oh¡± sound.


    There was nothing more to say.


    There was a moment of silence again. Yan Yu pursed his lips and suddenly turned to look at her: ¡°You don¡¯t have any requests?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t think much of it, and for a while she didn¡¯t think much about it.


    But since he asked, she wanted to answer him sincerely, so she tilted her head and seriously thought for a moment, ¡°Can I put my bed where the morning sun is?¡±


    ¡°I like the sun when I get up in the morning. ¡±


    Yan Yu wrote it down in his mind, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Her next wordspletely destroyed his good mood. ¡°How many rooms are there in the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Do I sleep in the side room? ¡±


    Yan Yu almost jumped up. He suddenly became angry and asked irritably, ¡°You want to sleep in the side room?¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked by his sudden change of expression, she leaned back in her chair, keeping as far away from him as possible.


    ¡°Then should I sleep in another room?¡±


    She didn¡¯t even know what kind of tricks he was ying, how could he suddenly get angry?


    Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips pursed into a frown, his jaw taut, he spat out word by word, ¡°You want to sleep in a seperate room from mine?¡±


    Xie Zhen was stunned. Would it be that she was wrong?


    From the very beginning, she had thought that their marriage was only a formality. She wanted to avoid the crown prince¡¯s entanglement, and it was only because he didn¡¯t have a girl he liked that he came to her side. Since they didn¡¯t like each other, why did he force her to sleep with him?


    Xie Zhen remained silent for a moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t touch me?¡±


    Yan Yu suddenly froze where he was. The expression on his face twitched for a moment, and his anger gradually disappeared. He probably felt like he lifted a rock and smashed his own feet.


    ¡°Who said I would touch you if I slept in the same bed?¡±


    ¡°If we split up and sleep in separate rooms, wouldn¡¯t it be a joke if word of it got out?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought for a moment that what he said made sense, and not only would he be seen as a joke, but she would also be given trouble by Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the side room, anyway,¡± she conceded. ¡°It won¡¯t spread too far, because we are in one room.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In short, she had made up her mind not to sleep with him. Yan Yu recognized this reality. It was as if there was ayer of dark clouds above his head; it was dark and heavy.


    However, he couldn¡¯t take back the words he said. Xie Zhen was still regretting his words, so he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, did you agree?¡±


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the side room, you¡¯ll sleep in the inner room.¡±


    Xie Zhen was a little surprised and quickly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Thus, the matter was settled. Yan Yu prepared to leave in order to save her from saying something that would enrage him again. By then, he didn¡¯t know if he could bear it anymore.


    Unfortunately, before he could take two steps, he was grabbed by the back of his sleeve by Xie Zhen. Her strength was very small, and she had some hesitation on her face.


    He stopped, turned around and snappily asked, ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    Xie Zhen raised her watery eyes, and her thin and white teeth bit into her lips. She asked in a shy tone,¡± Would you promise me on a few requests?¡±


    As soon as Yan Yu heard this, he knew it was not a good thing. Without thinking, he said, ¡°No.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and continued to walk out.


    He looked down at the small white hand on his sleeve and looked back ¡ª Xie Zhen got up off her chair and looked at him hopefully, her eyes like a fawn¡¯s, making him soften a little.


    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked. ¡°You saidst time that you didn¡¯t like someone and had to marry me, right?¡±


    He was stunned. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She asked again, ¡°Then after you have someone you like, can you let me go?¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes became cold and he blurted out, ¡°No.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, he met her pitiful gaze and could only change the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡±


    There would be no one there anyway.


    Xie Zhen was afraid that once she got into his territory, she would be eaten to the bone, and then she would have no way out, so that she would be too miserable.


    ¡°I want to go home once a month.¡±


    It was better to agree to this request. He woulde back with her every month, so Yan Yu nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She added, ¡°In the future, no matter how angry you get, you can¡¯t hit me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t yell at me. ¡±


    When had he hit her?


    When did he yell at her?


    Yan Yu¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he almost fell over, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You said you won¡¯t touch me. ¡±


    She was still worried.


    Yan Yu pursed his lips. After a long while, he finally gave a dry grunt of assent.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your life, and you won¡¯t interfere with mine in the future, will you?¡±


    His face turned ck. ¡°You want to find a man outside?¡±


    Xie Zhen blushed and gave him a baffling look. ¡°What are you talking?!¡±


    He gave a slight snort. Wasn¡¯t that what she meant by her words?


    She wouldn¡¯t have the chance even if she wanted it!


    As long as she married him, she would be his woman. Whether they took consummation or not, they could not change this indisputable fact.


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    After a pause, he turned around and said, ¡°How can couples not interfere with each other¡¯s lives?¡±


    ¡°If you marry me, you will interfere with me.¡±


    What nonsense was this?


    But Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t deny it!


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Yan Yu asked, ¡°Do you have any other requests?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I think of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yan Yu brushed his sleeves. He was already so angry that he even lost his temper. He said coldly: ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Xie Zhen stood there, watching him go. ¡°Go then.¡±


    He stopped at the door and turned to look at her.


    Her hands were sped behind her back, and her face finally broke into a smile. She was wearing a goose-yellow blouse made of leno and a blue dress that looked like a ray of sunlight piercing through silk, exuding warmth.


    At that moment, Yan Yu really wanted to hug her.


    When he thought of something, his handsome face reddened unnoticeably. In order to conceal his insanity, he deliberately lowered his voice and said, ¡°Can¡¯t youe over and send me off?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s smile faded. She did not to know what to do. ¡°How should I send you off?¡± she asked.


    Her parents and grandparents were standing outside the courtyard. If she went out to send him off, she would definitely be criticized for not being reserved enough.


    She looked at him, embarrassed, and saw that his face was a little red. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Yan Yu tilted his head, ¡°It¡¯s too hot, it¡¯s sunny.¡±


    She did not doubt it, but she forgot that she had heard the words. When they were young, he had answered it the same way, leaning against the wall.


    She stood in the doorway, mulling it over, and chose a more tactful way. ¡°It¡¯s not noon yet. If you don¡¯t leave, the afternoon sun will be hotter.¡±


    Yan Yu ruthlessly exposed her, ¡°You really want me to leave?¡±


    She looked up, her long, raised eyshes shing and blinking, making his heart itch.


    He really wanted to take her away now. In the future, he would be the only one looking at her.


    Xie Zhen shook her head. She was smart. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, you can stay for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Who cares about her lunch?¡±


    Yan Yu opened his mouth several times, wanting to call out her name so that she could hug him. Unfortunately, in the end, he could not allow himself to do so.


    He stepped over the threshold, this time without looking back. ¡°Go back.¡±


    After a long time, Xie Zhen called in Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan, and they walked slowly back to the courtyard.


    Xie Xun was waiting in the courtyard for a long time. When she saw her, she rushed towards her with a worried expression. ¡°Sis, what did you talk?¡±


    ¡°Did the sixth prince make things difficult for you?¡±


    Xie Zhen said no, and took her into the room. ¡°He said he built a mansion outside and asked me if I want anything.¡±


    When hearing this, Xie Xun let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.


    Ever since she knew that Yan Yu was the sixth prince, she had been worried that her elder sister would be bullied if she married him.


    Furthermore, both she and Xie Rong were not satisfied with this marriage. After all, Yan Yu¡¯s performance as a child was really bad ¡­


    However, the imperial edict was not to be disobeyed. No matter how discontented they were, they could not resist.


    ¡°When is the wedding?¡± Xie Xun asked.


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°The sixth of October.¡±


    Xie Xun counted with her fingers. ¡®My sister¡¯s birthday is at the end of the year. In that case ¡­¡¯


    She raised her head and asked, ¡°Elder sister, you will not be fifteen years old at that time?¡±


    Xie Zhen was stunned. It seemed like it was true.


    After leaving Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Li Yu did not return to the pce. Instead, he went straight to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion on Beining Street.


    The mansion had yet to bepleted. Only the rough outline and a redcquered door had beenpleted. The two stone lions standing before the door were majestic.


    He dismounted and handed the whip to the servant at the door. ¡°Show me around.¡±


    The servants knew him, took the whip cautiously, and led him inside.


    ¡°Your Highness, please.¡±


    With wide strides, he asked as he walked, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    The servant replied, ¡°The central room and the main house are already almostpleted. There are still a few small courtyards that they are busy working day and night. The steward has arranged everything ording to Your Highness¡¯ instructions.¡±


    ¡± Spring Blossom Castle has reached thepletion stage, does Your Highness wish to take a look?¡±


    He did not have the time to take a look and went straight to the point. ¡°Bring me to the main house first.¡±


    The servant said yes and quickly led him over.


    The main house was exquisitely built and it took a lot of effort to carve a picture of a building.


    Yan Yu looked at its appearance and was quite satisfied. He then walked straight into the room, ¡°Where are the inner room and side room?¡±


    The servant was still confused and did as he was told. ¡°Your highness, please follow me.¡±


    The house had just been built, and it was empty except for the white walls and the solitary window.


    After walking past the floor cover with flowers and birds carved on it, the servant pointed to the interior and said, ¡°This is the inner room.¡±


    After saying that, he led him out of the inner room and into another small room. ¡°Your Highness, this is the side room.¡±


    He looked at theyout and saw that there was only a wall between the inner and the side rooms, so he said in a t voice, ¡°Open these two rooms and put on a door between them.¡±


    The servant was puzzled.


    However, he did not intend to exin further. After he finished, he left the main room in satisfaction.

 Chapter 47 - Hint

    <h4>Chapter 47 - Hint</h4>


    After the marriage was decided, she would start preparing for the dowry and other things.


    Before making a gown, she needed to be measured first. When she got herself measured, she realized she was a little taller than she had been before she came to capital.


    She was so happy that she hopped around the room, and her gloomy mood swept away. ¡°Who said I¡¯m not going to be tall? I¡¯m still growing up!¡±


    The rest of the her body had yet to be measured out properly, but Madam Leng let her to stop for a moment. ¡°Look at how happy you are. You¡¯re getting married and yet you¡¯re still so restless.¡±


    As soon as her mother mentioned marriage, her entire body withered, and she pouted her mouth in usation. ¡°Mother can¡¯t say anything good about me.¡±


    Madam Leng let Shuang Li and Shuang Lu hold her down. The brocade shop owner measured her chest and waist. Looking at the bulging clothes on her chest, she was a little embarrassed and finally became quiet.


    When she reached her waist, she wrapped the soft ruler around her waist and made a small circle. Looking at the size, she couldn¡¯t help but praise her: ¡°Fifth Miss¡¯ waist is really thin.¡±


    The shop owner had noticed it when she measured her size. She was slender and well-proportioned at every turn.


    Considering that this was a girl from a noble family, there was one thing she didn¡¯t say in her heart, and that was ¡°a natural beauty.¡±


    When a man touched this body, even his bones would be softened.


    Xie Zhen measured it with her hand. She held it up in front of her face and thought it was more exaggerated than the shop owner had said.


    She had been depressed recently. She had eaten less than before, so of course she would be thinner. It was all because of this marriage!


    When the measure work was done, it was an hourter, and shey exhausted on the chaise bed with her eyes closed for a moment.


    It was hot outside, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to go out.


    Xie Xun probably knew that thesest months with her sister were thest days, and she came to her room almost every day to pester her, either to chat with her or to embroider flowers together. She had never been docile before, and she even took out the dried fruit she had kept hidden for a long time to share with her.


    They had slept in the same bed when they were young, and had slept in separate beds since Xie Zhen was ten years old.


    Xie Xun wanted to get closer to her before she got married, but when she thought of that her sister would be someone else¡¯s, she became even more reluctant to part with her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xie Zhen said happily, chewing on a winter melon.


    She might have disagreed before, for it was so hot, how could they sleep at night when they were stuck together and greasy?


    But she also knew she didn¡¯t have much time to spend with her, as Xie Xun had thought. She wouldn¡¯t refuse if her younger sister wanted to sleep with her.


    Xie Xun was overjoyed. She got up and was about to go back to her room to get her pillow. ¡°Sis, wait for me!¡±


    Xie Zhen held her face and reminded with a smile, ¡°Remember to take two more fans!¡±


    There were these things in her room, but since Xie Xun was willing, she wouldn¡¯t stop her.


    On the table were the snacks Xie Xun had brought, including dried winter melon fruit, jujube fruit and preserved dark plum etc.


    Even Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know that this gluttonous ghost had secretly hidden so many desserts!


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    She used to share it with her as soon as she had something to eat. she thought angrily, and she had to eat them all, to make her feel even.


    Just as she was putting a preserved dark plum into her mouth, there was a sound from the door. She thought it was Xie Xun, so she opened her mouth and asked, ¡°Have you found the fan?¡±


    There was no sound from the door. She looked up and saw Xie Ying standing at the doorway with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Fifth sister, it¡¯s me.¡±


    If she had nothing to do, Xie Ying definitely wouldn¡¯t havee to the Jade Yard.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯te even if she had something to do.


    So when she appeared here, Xie Zhen was still a little surprised. She bit on the dried fruit and asked, ¡°Why is third sister here?¡±


    Xie Ying walked over and sat down in front of her. She smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯te here often before because I was busy.¡±


    ¡°You know that I need to learn my homework and my needlework, and I also need to learn the zither. Ever since you and Second Aunt returned from Qingzhou, I have been unable to find the time toe over.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xie Zhen said, pushing the jujube in front of her out of politeness. ¡°Will you eat it?¡±


    ¡°So you came here today, it must be something very important, right?¡±


    Xie Ying looked at the candied fruits on the te. In order to maintain her stature, she hadn¡¯t eaten sweets for a long time.


    ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t force her. She asked Shuang Yu to bring two sses of jujube juice, preferably ice-cooled.


    Unexpectedly, Xie Ying still refused to drink because the taste was too sweet.


    Then Xie Zhen left her alone and sat in her seat and ate her own, waiting for her to speak.


    Xie Ying forced a smile. She had always been bossy and proud before, and she had never been so nice to her.


    ¡°Fifth sister is the first Golden Phoenix to fly out of our Mansion¡­¡±


    She was actuallyplimenting Xie Zhen, but Xie Zhen was very ufortable, sitting on the cushion and twisting, thinking that she might as well be a bit mean to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, third sister.¡±


    Could it be a courtesy before a soldier?


    She remembered that when the imperial edict passed down, Xie Ying looked at her with eyes that could tear her apart. Why did she change so much in just a few days?


    Xie Ying ignored her words and continued, ¡°After you marry the sixth prince, you will enjoy endless riches and glory, and your status will skyrocket to even greater heights.¡±


    ¡°In the future, when the sixth prince speaks up for Second Uncle in front of His Majesty again and awards him an official position or something like that, then the rest of your family will be boundless and free from worries about your food and clothing for the rest of your lives.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t much like her saying that, as if she¡¯d married Yan Yu just to get the benefits.


    Thus, she pursed her lips and did not reply.


    Xie Ying was a smart person. Seeing her displeasure, she didn¡¯t waste any more time on the topic and started to praise the advantages of the Yan Yu.


    ¡°The sixth prince is valiant and fearless. He is the hero of a youth when he goes to battle ¡­¡±


    ¡°He is so handsome. It is so lucky for Fifth sister to marry him ¡­¡±


    After listening for a long time, Xie Zhen still couldn¡¯t figure out what she was talking about. She asked slowly with her chin in her hands, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the third sister also likes the sixth prince?¡±


    Xie Ying waved her hands, indicating that she didn¡¯t have any good feelings towards the sixth prince. ¡°Fifth sister, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m justmenting a little.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded. ¡°Is that what third sisters came to me for?¡±


    She said no, and finally got to the point. She asked the most perplexed question in her heart: ¡°Could it be that you have some sort of rtionship with the sixth prince ¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did His Majesty give you to him?¡±


    ¡°We only met once.¡±


    She did not lie. Ever since she came to the capital, she had only met with Yan Yu once.


    Just the only meeting was enough to make the decision for the rest of his life.


    Xie Ying clearly didn¡¯t believe her. Her eyes inadvertentlynded on her face. She didn¡¯t think that it was impossible ¡­


    Most men would probably be attracted to this face.


    She smiled again and said in a very friendly tone, ¡°No matter what you say, Fifth sister will be a member of the royal family in the future ¡­¡±


    ¡°You must not forget us sisters at home. ¡±


    At this point, Xie Zhen finally understood. It was hinting that she would help her, to make the second phoenix to fly up the branch.


    Xie Zhen wanted tough, but she held it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, third sister, how could I forget you guys. Even if I get married, I¡¯lle back to visit you guys all the time.¡±


    Xie Ying didn¡¯t mean it that way. She was worried and but could not speak out frankly. ¡°It¡¯s troublesome toe back often. If you want us, you can hold a family banquet at any time. Call a few more people, and we can all gather together.¡±


    How could Xie Zhen not understand such an obvious hint? She was only pretending not to understand.


    To hold a banquet in the mansion and call them over, she might even meet nobles of the royal family who were on good terms with Yan Yu. If it did happen for times, wouldn¡¯t that make her a matchmaker?


    She sighed and finally understood why Xie Ying hade.


    On the surface, she was unable to refuse, so she perfunctorily replied, ¡°third sister is right, but I can¡¯t decide on this matter. I need to discuss it with the sixth prince.¡±


    A disappointed look appeared in Xie Ying¡¯s eyes as she forced a smile, ¡°Fifth sister, you¡¯re right. Wait until you get married, then we can discuss this with His Highness.¡±


    As she spoke, she sat down for a while, unable to find a topic to talk about. Xie Ying got up to take her leave, then turned around to catch sight of Xie Xun standing underneath the down-to-ground openwork screen.


    Xie Ying jumped in fright, called out ¡°Sixth sister¡± and walked around her.


    Xie Xun, holding the pillow in one hand and the two fans in the other, quickly ran up to Xie Zhen. ¡°sister, what did third sister talk to you?¡±


    Noticing Xie Ying had already walked far away through the window, Xie Zhen said with a gentle smile, ¡°Come and use her spear to stab her shield.¡±


    Half a monthter, the Ministry of Rites brought people to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to give betrothal gifts.


    The betrothal gifts flowed like water, and after being carried for a full hour, themoners outside the mansion began to count quietly. There were a total of a hundred and eight pieces of gifts.


    The style of the royal family was different. The crowd were in a daze, they all sighed at the good fortune of the fifth girl of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    The Duke Dingguo asked the steward to lead people in through the back door and into the storehouse, where he would write down all the betrothal gifts and count them in the evening.


    In the evening, when they counted the boxes filled with things, they were simply dazzled.


    Jewellery, pearl agate, and treasured antiques, silks and brocades.


    All of them were of the finest quality. Even Duke Dingguo, who was used to experience kinds of big events, couldn¡¯t help but sigh with emotion. ¡°His Majesty has truly put in a lot of effort.¡±


    It was clear how much he doted on the sixth prince.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t see the scene, but the first thing she thought about was not how valuable things were, but could they be recorded in the second branch?


    No matter what, it was a treasure that she had obtained from selling herself!


    Then she didn¡¯t think much about it, because the gown was alreadypleted, and she was going to embroider a lily with her own hands on the cor.


    Her embroidery was not good, and it took several nights for her to make it look good.


    After finishing the embroidery, she tried the gown out and found that it was all of the right size. She asked the maidservants to put it away and waited to wear it on the day of the wedding.


    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the summer heat passed and it turned into autumn.

 Chapter 48 - Getting Married

    <h4>Chapter 48 - Getting Married</h4>


    The sixth prince¡¯s Mansion was already in the stage ofpletion.


    There was argeke in the backyard. An eight-pointed pavilion was built in the middle of theke, and the Nine Winding Bridge stretched out towards the shore. On the shore, there were two rows of willow trees and a row of pors.


    Next to the backyard was a moonlit door. Inside the door was a cobblestone path that led into the depths. Looking up, under the cover of the leaves of the parasol tree, one could faintly make out the signboard of the courtyard ¡ª Spring Blossom Castle.


    This was the small courtyard that Yan Yu had instructed the steward to specially construct. The furnishings inside were the same as the Xie family¡¯s Spring Blossom Castle in Qing Zhou.


    Xie Liqing created a small courtyard for Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, which was decorated in their favorite style, with a vine swing and a brook.


    On his memory, Yan Yu made people build identical courtyards.


    He walked out into the yard and looked. The wisteria flowers on the flower racks had failed, and the swings had changed from two to one. The rest was the same.


    For a moment, he thought that he was still in Qing Zhou.


    He stood on the arched bridge and looked down at the carp in the pond. Suddenly, he remembered something and said to the steward, ¡°Go get two turtles and put them in the pond.¡±


    The steward didn¡¯t think much of it. He thought that he liked it, so he record it down.


    Not that Yan Yu liked them. He done it only because he recalled thelittle QianSui and thebig QianSui of young Xie Zhen and wanted to impress her.


    Other than the Spring Blossom Castle, the other areas had also been built extremely well.


    Especially between the side room and the inner room of the main room, ording to Yan Yu¡¯s instructions, there was a cab with virid yarns. There was no lock, and if one wanted, he could enter and leave at any time.


    After seeing it, Yan Yu was very satisfied. When the beds and wardrobes were ready, it would be really like a home.


    The steward had hired a dozen carpenters to make furniture, such as tables, chairs, beds, and tables in a small courtyard. In just one month, they had all been done.


    Not only did they worked quickly, they were also very meticulous. The steward led his men to take a look around, but he didn¡¯t find any ws at all.


    The steward paid off the carpenters and carried the furniture to the courtyards, arranging them one by one.


    All that remained were some minor details.


    Originally, letting the steward handle all of it would be fine, but every day, Yan Yu would take the time toe over and see if there was anything he needed to improve.


    He cared more than the steward, and even the colors of the bed sheets had been chosen by himself ¡­


    The steward was shocked at first, but gradually got used to it, so he let him go.


    The bridal chamber was more borate than anywhere else, with two palisander chairs and a square table, on which were white zed vases and pine potted nts, andrge blue and white porcin vases on either side.


    In the inner room, there was a carved cab with a dresser beside it. On the other side, there was a bed made of yellow pears. The bed was draped with curtains, and on top of the bed was a quilt with a big red embroidered pattern of fish. It was the most festive ce in the room.


    The steward led Yan Yu around to take a look, ¡°Is Your Highness satisfied?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded, ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡±


    All that was left was to set up the wedding room and prepare for the wedding.


    The steward would go out to the street and get some jade and put it in the house for decoration.


    As Yan Yu was free today, he went out with him.


    The Jade Artifact Market was quite a distance from the Beining Street, and the carriage took about an hour.


    The man¡¯s purchasing efficiency was very good. In just a quarter of an hour, Yan Yu and the steward chose several kinds of porcin and, after paying the bill, carried them to their carriage and prepared to return home.


    As Yan Yu was riding on the horse, he turned his gaze and saw the two sisters who had walked out of Ling shop not far away.


    Although they were both wearing curtain hat, he recognized Xie Zhen of them at a nce.


    He stopped and looked in that direction.


    When Xie Zhen and Xie Xun got into the carriage, they didn¡¯t seem to want to go home, instead, they came to the other direction.


    That direction was the opposite of where he should return. The steward saw that he didn¡¯t move for a long time and followed his line of sight, only to discover that there was nothing there. ¡°Your Highness, should we return?¡±


    He tightened his grip on the reins and rode after her. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Without turning his head, he caught up with the Xie Family¡¯s carriage, following behind them without batting an eyelid.


    The steward didn¡¯t quite understand his actions, but since his master had already ordered, how could they servants dare to disobey? They could only follow him in the carriage.


    After walking for a while, Yan Yu came to the window on his horse. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the wall, he heard the conversation inside and put his hand back.


    Xie Zhen stayed at home for two months, and Madam Leng didn¡¯t allow her to go out of the house. She was allowed to marry properly and learn some manners, but she could not afford to be idle.


    With great difficulty, she managed to persuade Madam Leng to make a trip today. Then, she took Xie Xun and a few servant maids along with her to take a stroll around the streets.


    After going to Ling shop, she picked out a pair of earrings with jadenterns and gold iy for herself, preparing to take Xie Xun to the Babao building for dessert.


    Babao building¡¯s snacks were well-known, especially the jujube cake, which made many people envious.


    Xie Xun was one of them. She had wanted to eat it for a long time, but now she finally had the chance to taste it.


    Sitting in the wagon, Xie Xun counting on her fingers. Xie Zhen was puzzled, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She muttered, ¡°I¡¯m counting the days until my sister gets married.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen puffed out her cheeks and said, ¡°Have you finished counting?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Fifty-one days.¡±


    When Xie Zhen didn¡¯t say anything, she asked, ¡± sis, do you want to marry sixth prince?¡±


    Xie Zhen hid her head in the pillow. ¡°So what if I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°The imperial edict has passed down, and it¡¯s not for me to decide.¡±


    That was true. Xie Xun tilted her head and suddenly said, ¡°I think big brother Gao Xun is pretty good too. If we had known this would happen, sister would have gotten engaged with him in Qing Zhou.¡±


    ¡°He has liked you for so many years, he would be very sad to hear the news of your marriage.¡±


    When she mentioned it, it urred to Xie Zhen that Gao Xun had gone to join the army before they returned to the capital, so he hadn¡¯t been informed.


    If he knew, he would definitely me her.


    She wondered what sort of reaction he would have when he heard that she was going to be married off.


    Xie Zhen thought of his persistence and it made her feel guilty for no reason, but fortunately he hadn¡¯t known it, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t know how to face him.


    Xie Zhen was thinking about it and didn¡¯t respond to Xie Xun, but in the other¡¯s ears, it became a tacit agreement.


    Yan Yu¡¯s hand clenched into a fist as he prepared to knock on the wall of the carriage, thought angrily that she had been always with Gao Xun during the years since he had been gone.


    That Gao Xun¡­


    He had been infatuated with Xie Zhen since he was young and praised her as a little fairy in his ear every day, but he never thought that he would still be so superficial when he grew up!


    He grunted silently, clenched his teeth, and turned away on his horse.


    As the days went by, it grew colder and colder. People took off their summer clothes and changed into their autumn clothes. Soon, it was the third day of the tenth month.


    The whole Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was decorated withnterns and colorful decorations, full of jubtion.


    There was red all over the ce, and Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know why. Every time she saw the color, it made her nervoustely, so she shut the door, staying in the room.


    However, escaping was useless. In the blink of an eye, it was already the fifth night and tomorrow she would get married. However, she seemed to have not prepared anything yet.


    When she thought of marrying away to another ce tomorrow, leaving her parents and siblings, she could not help but feel sad and secretly wiped her tears on the pillow. Before she finished crying, Madam Leng came in from outside.


    It was already dark, and the moon was misty outside the courtyard. Thenterns under the veranda were flickering in the wind.


    Light filtered in through the window and shone on Xie Zhen, enveloping her small body in a hazy halo and casting a huge shadow on the wall.


    Madam Leng sat beside her, helped her up, and wiped her red eyes with a handkerchief. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow is the day of the wedding. If your eyes are swollen, you will probably beughed at by others.¡±


    She whined and swallowed, no longer caring about anything else. Sheid her head on her shoulder and cried out, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with my mother and father ¡­¡±


    ¡°And Ah Xun and brother. I don¡¯t want to be married. ¡±


    Hearing this, Madam Leng¡¯s heart ached. How could she and Xie Liqing bear to let her marry?


    At this point, it was useless to retreat.


    She gently stroked the top of her head, her voice gentler than ever. ¡°Silly girl, even if you marry someone, you will still be the Little Lamb to me and your father.¡±


    ¡°If you miss us, you cane back to visit us anytime. ¡±


    Xie Zhen could not listen to it. She thought it was Yan Yu who made her part with her family. ¡°I hate Brother Xiao Yuu. How could I have liked him when I was a kid?¡±


    When Madam Leng heard this, her sadness was swept away. She asked in amusement, ¡°Did you forget?¡±


    ¡°You pestered him every day when you are young, and you didn¡¯t know how tired you are at all. You just wanted to y with him every day.¡±


    ¡°You were upset for a long time after he moved away with the Li family. ¡±


    She had the impression that this was indeed the case. She said gloomily, ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand ¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡± asked Madam Leng.


    She said, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Madam Leng straightened her and knocked on her forehead. Smiling, she said, ¡°Then don¡¯t cry. Quickly wash up and go to bed. Tomorrow you will be married off.¡±


    With a withering sound, she climbed down from the bed and let the Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan help her change her clothes.


    After washing up, she turned her head and discovered that Madam Leng was still sitting on herdy couch.


    ¡°Mother, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Madam Leng withdrew servant maids, and called her over. She then took out a booklet from her sleeve and ced it in her hands. ¡°Before you go to sleep, you can casually flip through it.¡±


    Xie Zhen was confused ,¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    Madam Leng did not exin further. She patted the top of her head, stood up and walked out of the room.


    When Xie Zhen went to bed, she had a light left on. Shey in bed and opened the booklet that Madam Leng had given her.


    She immediately saw the two persons entangled on the back of the horse ¡­


    She choked on her saliva and coughed until her face was red. She could not help but nce at it curiously, then quickly closed the booklet and hid it under her pillow, not daring to open it again.


    Thanks to this booklet, a horse came out in her dream and it carried two persons, one was her and the other was Yan Yu.


    She opened her eyes in rm and discovered that it was already the day. The servant maids were busily pacing back and forth outside, and everyone¡¯s faces were filled with joy.


    She¡¯s getting married today.

 Chapter 49 - Wedding

    <h4>Chapter 49 - Wedding</h4>


    Since waking up in the morning, she hadn¡¯t rested for a second.


    Early in the morning, she was ced in front of the copper mirror by Madam Leng.


    It was fine to take a bath, and she feltfortable in a bath of petals. But it was different to open one¡¯s face, which was to remove the fuzz on one¡¯s face and hurt a lot.


    Fortunately, her skin was delicate, and there wasn¡¯t much fuzz on her face. After much effort, the biddy managed to wring two fuzzes for her. She let out a cry, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Madam Lady pressed her shoulder and found it funny. ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡±


    She said coquettishly, ¡°It hurts ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng could only let the biddy to be gentle. Who knew that after searching her face for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t find anything else. She withdrew her hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Xie Zhen thought she would be able to rest for a while. Who knew she would have tob her hair and change her clothes and put on makeup.


    She sat there for two or three hours.


    During this time she could not even move. When everything was ready, she wanted to stand up, but found that her body was stiff and she could not move.


    Finally, she pitifully called out to ¡°Mother¡± and got Madam Leng to help her up.


    In her bright red dress, she had time to study the girl in the mirror.


    In the mirror, she wore a gold crown and a golden mask. She wore a bright red dress with a flowery design. Her waist was covered with aplicated ring that jingled and tinkled as she walked.


    Looking up along her sleeveless shoulders, she could see a slightly makeup face. She had probably never dressed like this before, but at first nce, she didn¡¯t recognize herself.


    The servant maids who usually waited on her were also dumbfounded. Each and every one of them gaped in a daze, unable to speak.


    Before Xie Zhen could see enough, Madam Leng gave her a gold bottle and told her to carry it all the way to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Yan Yu brought someone to greet the bride. She simply didn¡¯t have any time to rest.


    Xie Zhen was tired. After begging Madam Leng for a long time, she sat on thedy couch for a while, not even bothering to eat her lunch.


    When the time came, there was a drumming outside, and before anyone could call her, Xie Zhen suddenly woke up from her dream.


    She opened her bleary eyes and looked outside, forgetting where she was. ¡°Why is it so noisy?¡±


    The biddy called out to the little one and covered her with a gold cap. She carried her quickly to the door.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t even have time to say good-bye to Madam Leng and Xie Xun, who finally realized that she was going to be married.


    She grabbed Xie Zhen¡¯s hand at the door.


    Xie Xun followed her, reluctant to part with her. ¡°sister shoulde back often to see me ¡­¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes, I will!¡±


    The biddy carried her to the door, which was already full of people greeting their bride.


    Yan Yu was in the forefront on his steed. He wore a red polo neck robe with a hairpin. The flower was red in color, and his features were handsome.


    Ever since Xie Zhen came out, his eyes have been on her, waiting for his wife to be put in the big wicker pnquin. Just as the pnquin was about to start off, her hand tightened around Madam Leng¡¯s hand, unwilling to let go.


    This scene was extremely normal in the eyes of the onlookers. After all, she was the youngdy who would be married off. Which one of them wasn¡¯t reluctant to part with their family?


    However, in Yan Yu¡¯s eyes, it was a different story.


    Xie Zhen held on to Madam Leng¡¯s sleeve for a long time, and she refused to let go. Under her bright red clothes, a pair of white and tender hands tightly gripped onto Madam Leng¡¯s sleeve, giving off a rather pitiful feeling.


    In the end, the biddy was worried that she might have missed the good time, so she forcibly separated the mother and daughter¡¯s hands and sent her to the bridal sedan.


    As soon as she put down the lid, she immediately got up from the pnquin.


    In the pnquin, she tried to pull back the curtains to take onest look at her father and mother, but the biddy held the curtain tightly to prevent her from lifting it.


    The biddy also wondered, after so many years of being a match maker, she had never seen a girl so homesick.


    Isn¡¯t marrying the sixth prince a joyous asion for the entire family ¡­?


    Why were the expressions of father and mother so mncholic in this family?


    The wedding procession wind the trumpets all the way, and the gongs and drums were loud enough to make Xie Zhen¡¯s ears ring in the big pnquin.


    She held a golden bottle in her arms, and after being told by Madam Leng not to break it, she tightly hugged it. She sat straight and did not dare to move an inch.


    There should have been a lot of people on the street, but unfortunately, her line of sight was blocked by the gold cap. She couldn¡¯t see anything, and she could only hear the moring of children, apanying her all the way to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion.


    Her heart skipped a beat as the pnquin gentlynded.


    Yan Yu dismounted from his horse, took the arrow from the servant¡¯s hand, drew the bow to aim, and shot the door of the pnquin.


    Everyone cheered in unison.


    The match maker helped Xie Zhen out of the pnquin and handed herrge red ribbon.


    As soon as she held it in her hand, the biddy handed the other end to Yan Yu, ¡°Your Highness, please take this end.¡±


    They held the two ends of the red ribbon, Yan Yu nced at her, his gaze falling to her white hands as tender as bamboo shoots. He pursed his lips and silently led her into the mansion.


    There were many rtives and friends who came to congratte him. On one side was the nobleman and royal members, and on the other was the high officials and loyal officials. When they saw the new couple walking over, some of them who were close to Yan Yu could not help but y jokes with him.


    The bride had to cross the brazier to get in, and someone with a bad heart had added more charcoal to the brazier, and the fire suddenly went up high, and Xie Zhen, in her tedious jubilee, simply couldn¡¯t get over it.


    She stopped in front of the brazier and was in a dilemma. She hatefully thought to herself, if let her know who did it, she won¡¯t forgive him ¡­


    But anyway, she had to cross the brazier.


    Several young juniors on both sides began to jeer. The Seventh Prince also called out, ¡°Sixth sister-inw, why don¡¯t you let Sixth Brother carry you over?¡±


    Everyone else agreed.


    Standing next to the seventh prince was the crown prince. With a smile on his lips, Yan Tao looked at the girl in the bright red wedding dress quietly.


    She looked like she was in a difficult situation, but she wasn¡¯t flustered at all. She looked like she was from a big family.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t expect Yan Yu to carry her. She was about to pick up the hem of her dress and clench her teeth and jump over when she felt a sudden tightening in her waist, and a sudden suspension of her body, and she leaned against a solid chest.


    In the next moment, she was ced on the ground.


    Due to the red clothes he was wearing, Yan Yu¡¯s face was slightly red from the reflection. However, his expression didn¡¯t show much as he continued leading her towards the central room.


    In the central room, Emperor Yuan Hui was very happy when he and the empress sitting on the square chairs. However, due to the presence of the crown prince, he couldn¡¯t smile too clearly. He only pursed his lips and smiled as he watched Yan Yu and Xie Zhen walk over.


    Yan Yu¡¯s mother, imperial concubine Hui, passed away, and the empress Wang took over the marriage ceremony. The empress Wang was dignified and gentle, but after all, it wasn¡¯t her own son¡¯s wedding. So, she only gave a slight smile.


    The pair of newlyweds knelt on the prayer mats, listening to the host¡¯s lead. After they finished worshipping the heaven and earth, the couple paid their respects and then entered the bridal chamber.


    The bridal chamber was in the main courtyard, and the surroundings were all red.


    Surrounded by several servant maids and biddies, Xie Zhen was escorted into the inner room. Inside, she seemed to hear the voices of Princess He Yi and the Crown Princess.


    She thought it was an illusion, but it wasn¡¯t.


    Princess He Yiughed and shouted.¡°Sixth Brother, quick, flip the hood. I want to see what Ah Zhen looks like.¡±


    Yan Yu took the jade ruyi from the match maker and walked to the bed. Sitting on the bed was the girl he had spent so much effort to marry.


    Xie Zhen sat properly, her head slightly down, unable to see the expression under the red hood.


    He held the jade ruyi in his hand and ced it under the hood. Before anyone could react, he lifted the hood.


    With a sudden sh of light in front of her eyes, Xie Zhen raised her eyes to the man in front of her.


    She was originally a peerless beauty, but now, after meticulously dressing up, her beauty was even more breathtaking.


    The top of her head was covered with a red curtain, and behind her was a red silk quilt. Under the light of the huge candle, her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were beautiful.


    Even the match maker who was used to seeing newlyweds couldn¡¯t help but be stunned at this moment.


    Only then did Xie Zhen realize that there were so many people standing in the room, including the Crown Prince, third Prince, fourth Prince and their princesses, as well as a few other women.


    She only recognized Princess He Yi and the Crown Princess, so she gave them a gentle smile before lowering her gaze.


    The smile became a blush in the eyes of the others, and the bride¡¯s smile was so beautiful that the whole room seemed to be lit up.


    The match maker reminded Yan Yu, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to drink the wine.¡±


    Yan Yu regained hisposure and suddenly became awkward. He coughed lightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He sat next to him, hands on his knees, and his hands tensed almost imperceptibly.


    Before drinking the wine, the match maker took a lock of their hair and tied it into a knot. Then she cut off the lock of their hair with a pair of gold scissors and ced it in a rosewood box.


    ¡°Love and happiness always.¡± After saying that, she passed them a cup of wine.


    Xie Zhen held her wine cup and looked up at the man opposite her.


    The two of them were closer than they had ever been before. It was as if they could only move forward a little more and touch each other¡¯s noses.


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, making her feel a little ufortable. Just as she was about to speak, he suddenly raised his cup and gulped down the wine in one gulp.


    Without waiting for her to finish, he got up and walked out of the room.


    Xie Zhen held her ss in her hand, somewhat stunned.


    The others were also stunned. They had never seen such an unromantic groom on his wedding night. Leaving his beautiful bride aside, what was he in a hurry to do?


    The match maker quickly tried to cover it. ¡°Your Highness is being shy. Empress, don¡¯t mind him. When hees back tonight, he¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡±


    Xie Zhen was a little aggrieved. She lowered her head and muttered, ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    She knew that Yan Yu did not like her, but she had not expected he disliked her to this point.


    Did he not think she would be embarrassed when he left?


    Princess He Yi helped her to scold Yan Yu. After scolding Yan Yu, she came to a conclusion, ¡°Sixth Brother must have found you too beautiful today. He¡¯s too embarrassed to see you so he left!¡±


    The Crown Princess seemed to be experienced, so she spoke reasonably, ¡°Sixth Brother is still young and doesn¡¯t know how to take care of ady. Please forgive him. Just teach him a lesson in the future.¡±


    To be honest, Ling Xiangwu did not expect that Yan Yu would marry her in the end.


    Last time, the girl with the finest embroidery was clearly the third miss of the Xie family. The fifth miss had only embroidered a single leaf of a por tree. Dosen¡¯t Sixth Brother like the girl who was the most adept at craftsmanship? Why would he fancy her?


    But on the other hand, there was nothing to be curious about.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes were red, and her natural beauty made her look even more pathetic.


    None of the men could resist her smile.


    ¡­.


    Yan Yu was an exception.


    After everyone had left, only Xie Zhen and the four servant maids and two biddies she had brought with her from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion were left in the room.


    After a tiring day, Xie Zhen put on a red pleated jacket and begonias. She slept on the bed for a while in a pale, leather-tinged ganoderma tattoo coverd half of her arm.


    When she finished sleeping, she was still very angry.


    She did not think she would forgive him in the short term.


    ¡°When will he be back?¡± she asked Shuang Yu.


    Shuang Yu had just sent someone to the front yard to take a check, so she replied straightforwardly, ¡°His Highness was kept by the crown prince and the Seventh Prince. It¡¯ll probably take some time ¡­¡±


    She puffed out her cheeks and angrily said, ¡°If he doesn¡¯te back, that¡¯s for the best. I¡¯ll sleep on my own!¡±


    As she said that, she crawled into the bed. She was so angry that she was full that she covered her head and went to sleep.


    Shuang Yu did not know whether tough or cry. She had never heard of a couple who were in a difficult situation on their wedding night. She advised, ¡°Miss, at least wash your face ¡­¡±


    She remembered that she had put a lot of makeup on her face, so she climbed out of the bed, stood in front of the bronze bowl of the wooden frame, washed her face and rinsed her face. Then she took off her hair and sat on the edge of the bed.


    After washing her face, she no longer felt so drowsy.


    She sat on the edge of the bed with her eyes half closed, thinking about something.


    The candles in the room had been burning for most of the night, but Yan Yu still hadn¡¯t returned.


    Atst there was only a small wick, dimly lit, barely illuminating the room.


    When Yan Yu returned, it was alreadyte in night.


    Today, he was overjoyed. He had drunk quite a lot of wine. He felt dizzy and his head was spinning, and even walked with a light gait.


    The maidservant was about to change his clothes, but he had to return to the inner room first.


    His mind still retains some sense, and knew that Xie Zhen¡¯s in there.


    The lights in the inner room were extinguished, leaving only a single oilmp on the table, illuminating the room and making it dim.


    He walked to the bed and frowned. He felt as if a fire was burning in his throat.


    He sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little nervous. After a long while, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°You¡¯re asleep?¡±


    There was no response from the bed.


    He looked inside and felt that something was wrong. He stretched his hand and realized that the bed was empty. Where was she?


    He immediately woke up from his drunken stupor. By the light of the moon, the bed was indeed empty.

 Chapter 50 - Apologize

    <h4>Chapter 50 - Apologize</h4>


    Yan Yu stood up abruptly and said sternly: ¡°Somebody!¡±


    The servant maid hurriedly ran in. When she saw that his expression was unpleasant and thought that she had made some mistake, she knelt in front of him in panic and asked, ¡°Your Highness, do you have any instructions?¡±


    He asked, ¡°Where is the Princess?¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    The servant maid ventured to look at the bed. Seeing that Xie Zhen was not in there, she suddenly did a quick double take what was going on. She said with lingering fear, ¡°Your Highness, the Empress said you woulde backte. She had a light sleep at night, so she rested in the side room first.¡±


    Xie Zhen was too tired today to wait long enough to go to bed, but she was angry with him and did not intend to share the bed with him.


    Anyway, they had already discussed this beforehand. After marriage, they would split the beds and sleep in the same room.


    When Yan Yu found out, his expression eased up a lot. He said to the servant maid, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    The servant maid responded with a ¡°yes¡± and retreated quietly.


    There was only onemp left in the room, and the candlelight flickered. It was estimated that it wouldn¡¯tst long.


    Yan Yu sat on the bed for a moment, then suddenly stood up. He tried to knock on the door of the side room, but before he could raise his hand, he let his hand fall.


    He repeated it three or four times, so that he began to look down on himself.


    She was in there. Why would he not dare to go in?


    Aren¡¯t they getting married? Shouldn¡¯t they be sleeping in the same bed as a matter of course?


    But before the marriage, he had promised not to touch her.


    Yan Yu struggled for a long time before lying back on his bed. He gazed at the bright red embroidered gold curtain above his head and recalled that it was his wedding night. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little deste.


    He jumped up, and no longer cared about the promise, he strode to the door of the side room and the inner room, lightly pushing with his hand.


    The door was not open.


    He frowned and pushed again, but still didn¡¯t open it.


    Didn¡¯t he tell the steward not to put the bolt on?


    In fact, the steward did not have a bolt on, but when Xie Zhen came in, she found the door utched, so in case someone had evil designs, she ordered Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan to bring the table and put it against the door.


    He stood in the doorway for a moment, and then called out, ¡°Xie Zhen?¡±


    There was no response, and Xie Zhen went to bed early.


    Since he had made up his mind, he would not give up so easily. With a heavy push, the gate was pushed open a wide crack.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Xie Zhen was wakened by the noise. She asked Shuang Yu, who was sitting on the edge of Xie Zhen¡¯s bed. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Shuang Yu stared at Yan Yu, who was crawling in through the crack in the door, dumbfounded. She stammered, ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    Yan Yu gave her a sidelong nce. She did not dare to continue.


    Xie Zhen thought it was nothing, so rolled over and went back to sleep. Before she went to sleep, she said, ¡°Remember to keep your eyes on the table.¡±


    At the time she said this, Yan Yu was already by the bed.


    It was a cool autumn night, and she was wearing a flowered silk blouse and a thin mattress.


    It was most likely due to her dishonest sleeping state. Her cor was slightly open, revealing her red embroidered undergarment. Moonlight spilled in from outside the window and fell on her body, making her look even more delicate and soft.


    Yan Yu watched. He leaned over her and wrapped her in his arms.


    Shuang Yu stood to the side, stunned, and whispered, ¡°Your Highness ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu tilted his head and said coldly, ¡°Get out.¡±


    Master¡¯s orders could not be disobeyed, but Shuang Yu was worried that he would be unfavorable to Xie Zhen, so she hesitated for a moment. ¡°The girl is sleeping¡­¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t seem to hear her. ¡°I told you to go out.¡±


    His tone was inconsequential.


    Shuang Yu scowled miserably as she left the side room. In her heart, she prayed that the Bodhisattva would protect the girl and His Highness from harm.


    After Shuang Yu left, only Yan Yu and Xie Zhen were left in the room.


    Xie Zhen slept fitfully, so that Yan Yu only dared to hold on to her and didn¡¯t do anything superfluous.


    He studied her face in silence, and when she slept, she was more like when she was a child.


    Her face and nose were exactly the same. They were still small and delicate, and even her body didn¡¯t seem to have grown much.


    His gaze descended down to the part. It seemed she had grown up ¡­


    He wanted to talk to her, but he didn¡¯t know how to, so he watched for a good half an hour.


    Finally Xie Zhen a grunt and no pressure on the back of his hand, he eased out and stood at the edge of the bed and scratched her nose before he left.


    This time, heid back on the bed in the inner room. Although he still felt a little regretful, he felt more at ease than before.


    He closed his eyes and slept through the night.


    When he opened his eyes, he was more sane than he had beenst night.


    He sat up, feeling his throat burning with thirst, and was about to call servant maids to serve him tea, when he caught sight of Xie Zhen in front of the dressing mirror, holding a candlestick in her hand. At the end of the candlestick was the gold thorn of a burnt candle, and she didn¡¯t even blink as she tried to stab herself in the wrist!


    Yan Yu thought she was going to kill herself, so he didn¡¯t even bother to put on his shoes. He quickly grabbed the candlestick and gasped, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Due to his anxiousness, his voice was a little strict.


    Xie Zhen had just woken up, too, and his ck hair was pulled back to cover most of her face, which was only the size of a palm.


    She raised her head to look at him, her big watery eyes filled with calmness. ¡°Mother said that on the first day of marriage, I would bring a handkerchief with blood into the pce. I didn¡¯t bleed, so I wanted to use this to cut my wrist. Two drops of blood.¡±


    She was very afraid of pain, and before she could decide where to cut, he had already rushed over like a madman.


    She¡¯d thought a lotst night, and since he didn¡¯t like her, they¡¯d just be a nice couple.


    She didn¡¯t expect anything from him, so she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself in the future.


    So she hadn¡¯t thought to count on him about cutting her wrist.


    Yan Yu¡¯splexion changed from ck to blue, then from blue to white. He finally recovered from the fright earlier, and hisplexion returned to normal.


    He picked up the candlestick and expressionlessly drew a cut on his arm. Immediately, beads of blood began to appear.


    With his other hand, he grabbed Xie Zhen¡¯s handkerchief from her, put it over his arm, wiped it a couple of times, and handed it back to her. ¡°Is that all right?¡±


    But Xie Zhen ignored him, stood up and walked inside. ¡°We will enter the pceter, you can hand it over to the people around the empress.¡±


    Yan Yu stood at the same spot with the handkerchief in his hand, slightly frowning.


    For some reason, there seemed to be something wrong.


    On their first day of marriage, they had to pay their respects to the emperor and the empress. Considering they were newlywed, Emperor Yuan Hui allowed them to go an hourter.


    Xie Zhen changed into a pinkish shirt and a white dress embroidered with flowery and bird. It was perfect sunny today, and it was warm, making one easily get refreshed.


    She was sitting in front of a grapevine mirror, with Shuang Yu brushing her hair behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror and out of the corner of her eye she saw Yan Yu standing by the window, staring at her back.


    Xie Zhen pursed her pink lips and looked away, ignoring him.


    Shuang Yu made her a lily bun hairstyle, a headwear with a pair of golden silk leaf on it, a drop of ruby between the forehead pendants. In the end, she looked beautiful and peerless.


    She got up and walked out of the inner room. Without asking whether Yan Yu had been ready, she asked the servant maids to take her to wait in the carriage outside the door.


    Yan Yu followed her, finally unable to bear it any longer, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xie Zhen said, nodding slightly as she walked in the porch.


    And then there was nothing more to say.


    Yan Yu¡¯s breath was caught in his throat, making him feel ufortable, yet he did not know where to vent it.


    He watched her walk away without waiting for him. His jaw tightened as he silently watched her back. He felt as if he had been abandoned.


    Wu Ze, his personal attendant, came from the front yard and stopped in front of him respectfully, ¡°Your Highness, the carriage is ready. Are we going now?¡±


    He pursed his lips and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wu Ze asked again, ¡°Are you riding or taking a carriage?¡±


    Normally, Yan Yu was used to riding on horseback when he went out of the pce, and Wu Ze was the only one who would ask this kind of question.


    Without thinking, Yan Yu answered, ¡°taking the carriage.¡±


    As Yan Yu spoke, he had already arrived at the door. There was a boxwood carriage parked outside the door, and there was no one around.


    He strode forward and stepped on the shafts of the carriage. He lifted the curtain and said to the servant maids, ¡°There is no need for any servants to apany to enter the pce. All of you, leave.¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan looked at each other, then at Yan Yu and then at Xie Zhen.


    The young couple was in an awkward situation. It was really difficult for them servant maids.


    Finally, the two of them bowed and said to Xie Zhen, ¡°Miss, the servant has to leave¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at Yan Yu without saying anything, and looked away, then said gently, ¡°just leave.¡±


    After the servant maids left, Yan Yu got in from outside.


    He didn¡¯t do anything but sit next to Xie Zhen.


    The carriage was not small, but he sat down and took up quite a bit of space, which made her side seem a bit crowded.


    Xie Zhen moved aside and he did the same.


    In the end, Xie Zhen was forced into a corner, one side was to the side of the car and the other side to him.


    She tilted her head to look at him, her dark eyes expressionless, her pink lips slightly parted. ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    It¡¯s not like that.


    She didn¡¯t do that to him.


    When she had faced him before, she had been innocent and coquettish, with a sweet smile and a soft voice.


    And not so cold and calm as she was now.


    She was alright yesterday, so why was she different today?


    He felt a little uneasy and wanted to ask her what was going on, but the words that came out of his mouth became: ¡°After entering the pce, there will always be people watching. Sitting close to you will not arouse anyone¡¯s suspicions.¡±


    Xie Zhen believed it and ignored him.


    She lowered her head and yed with the flower and bird patterns on her skirt. What was so beautiful about the patterns that she was so entranced by it?


    Yan Yu looked down at her face. Her skin was pale white, her eyebrows were delicate, and her lips were delicate. Each of them was very alluring.


    Her long eyshes quivered, and he wanted to reach out and touch them, but his hands tightened on his knees and did not.


    He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes in frustration. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°very well.¡±


    He asked again, ¡°How long did you waitst night?¡±


    ¡°Not long,¡± she said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°When do you want to return to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    She thought for a moment. ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    Yan Yu paused, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then silence again.


    After a long time, when the carriage was far away, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡±


    She said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s face darkened. He closed his eyes and went to sleep, not saying another word.


    The carriage soon arrived at the entrance of the pce. The carriage did not stop until it reached the Zhaoyang Pce.


    A pce maidservant weed them outside the hall. After inviting them out of the carriage, she led them into the hall.


    In the end of the long stairs, the empress was already waiting for the two of them in the main hall.


    The empress felt weak and was somewhat tired after a while. Seeing the two of theme over, she forced a smile and said, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve finallye. Quick, take a seat.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s birth mother died early, so Xie Zhen should serve tea to her.


    In the end, the two of them didn¡¯t sit down. Later, a pce maidservant served a bowl of hot tea, Xie Zhen took the bowl, and handed it to Empress Wang . ¡°Esteemed Empress, please have some tea.¡±


    Empress Wang took it, took a sip, and had her gift prepared for Xie Zhen brought up.


    The pce maidservant handed over a box of red sandalwood carvings. She opened it and handed it to Xie Zhen. Inside was a pair of red jade bangles. They were crystal clear and wless.


    Xie Zhen knelt down and paid respects. After all, she was the golden branch and jade leaf of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. Her gesture was not only a gesture of favor, but also one that was perfectly done, giving people a sense offort in their hearts.


    Empress Wang told her to get up, leaving the two of them to talk for a while.


    However, the empress found it difficult to recover from the difort. She had no choice but to let the two of them leave first. Then, she returned to her room to rest for a while.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen walked out of Zhaoyang Pce one after the other, neither paying attention to each other.


    Not long after, a person appeared in front of them. He wore a purplish red persimmon pattern embroidered robe, and his head was tall and his steps were wide. His disposition was extraordinary.


    He was followed by two attendants, who wereing towards him.


    Xie Zhen noticed Yan Yu slight stiffening in the air.


    When he called out ¡°second brother¡±, she realized that he was the crown prince.


    Her heart tightened, but her face remained calm. She lowered her eyes and did not take another look. She obediently followed, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    When Yan Tao heard that Empress Wang was in a bad situation, he rushed over very early in the morning. When he saw the two of them, he still put on a graceful manner, ¡°Are you guys here to serve tea with mother?¡±


    Yan Yu straightened up and blocked Xie Zhen behind him. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yan Tao smiled and looked at the girl with her head above his back. Without saying anything, he patted his shoulder meaningfully and walked past her. ¡°I will go visit mother.¡±


    After the Crown Prince had left, Yan Yu directly held Xie Zhen¡¯s hand and strode into the royal study, ¡°You are walking too slowly. Follow me.¡±


    Xie Zhen was suddenly grabbed by him, stumbled and tried to get away from him. ¡± I don¡¯t need you to take me,¡± she said.


    He squeezed her hand and said nothing. ¡°You do.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Hearing their conversation, the pce maidservant at the front couldn¡¯t help but curl the corners of her mouth and snicker.


    Yan Yu held it in for a long time. He felt a lump of foul air in his heart, and said with a strange tone: ¡°When we were young, didn¡¯t you want to hold my hand?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at him as if he were a madman, and probably thought he was mentally ill. ¡°That was a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hold hands with you now. ¡±


    His thin lips drew into a line as he stared straight ahead. ¡°Why?¡±


    She tried two times, puffed up her cheeks. ¡°There¡¯s no reason,I just don¡¯t want to.¡±


    After saying that, she sessfully broke away from his control and continued to follow him at a moderate pace.


    The palm suddenly became empty, Yan Yu grasped his hand into a fist, thinking tha woman was too strange. Was every woman as changeable as Xie Zhen?


    Just like that, they arrived at the imperial study, where the Emperor Yuan Hui was approving the files. After Eunuch Yu went in to pass the information around, he let them in.


    The emperor had never met Xie Zhen before. Today was the first time they¡¯d met, and after meeting, he seemed to know why his two sons were arguing over her.


    She was indeed a rare beauty.


    In the entire capital, there was no one who could be as pretty as her.


    Xie Zhen served tea to him. ¡°Good, good,¡± he said, with a satisfied smile. ¡°Good.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui was in a good mood. He rewarded her with a few items, among which was a luminous pearl the size of a palm.


    Xie Zhen was obviously interested in it, and she toyed with it all the way back, holding it in her hands to see if it was really glowing, and then she looked at it in the sun, and she didn¡¯t have time to think about Yan Yu.


    Therefore, on the way back, Yan Yu¡¯s face was overcast.


    He asked, ¡°Is it that funny?¡±


    ¡°Do you want more?¡±


    She said no, ¡°One is fine.¡±


    The carriage drove all the way back to the sixth prince¡¯s mansion on Beining Street. As soon as it came to a stop, Xie Zhen walked down, holding onto her skirt. She didn¡¯t wait for him.


    Shuang Yan and Shuang Yu were already waiting at the door. She stepped forward and followed them back into the mansion.


    Yan Yu was left outside the door, staring at her back.


    Steward Zhao ordered the coachman to stop the carriage in the backyard and turn to the front. When he saw the young couple, he couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Your Highness, did you and the empress have a conflict on the road?¡±


    ¡°Why does the empress seem angry?¡±


    Yan Yu turned to look at him and realized something, ¡°You said she¡¯s angry?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this obvious?


    The steward seemed somewhat powerless. ¡°Empress didn¡¯t seem to smile all day, didn¡¯t you notice?¡±


    As if someone had suddenly woken him up, he threw down the steward and strode into the mansion.


    His legs were long and wide, and Xie Zhen walked slowly, so it wasn¡¯t long before he caught up with her under the Gallery veranda.


    He caught her wrist breathlessly, met her quizzical eyes, and swallowed nervously. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Are angry?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at him in silence and did not answer.


    He asked again, ¡°Why are you angry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she said childishly. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t touch me.¡±


    He choked, unable to refute.


    He stood in front of her in a huff, blocking her way. ¡°Xie Zhen, talk to me!¡±


    The servant maids behind him were stunned. They had never seen the sixth prince in such a hurry.


    Xie Zhen tilted her head, blinked and stared at him. ¡± Aren¡¯t you angry if I left you alone in the wagon?¡±


    His eyes flickered, but he didn¡¯t deny it.


    She asked, ¡°Are you angry that I went out in the morning and left you alone?¡±


    He finally nodded.


    Of course he was. Did she think he didn¡¯t exist?


    Xie Zhen looked at him, and asked, ¡°Then why can¡¯t I get angry when you left me alone in the bridal chamberst night?¡±


    Then, without waiting for a response, she walked around him.


    Yan Yu was enlightened and his heart was beating fast.


    He came to know why she had ignored him, why she had not smiled at him, and he came to know where he was wrong.


    In fact, he hadn¡¯t left her behind on purposest night. With so many people watching and she was so beautiful, he was afraid that if he continued to look at her, he would do something that would cause him to lose hisposure.


    With an evasive attitude, he turned around and left, but he did not consider her feelings.


    Had she been wronged by the presence of so many people?


    After thinking about it, he immediately threw away his dignity and wanted to chase after her and exin things to her.


    But the porch was empty, and she had been far away.


    He chased her all the way to the main yard, where she had gone, and, knowing she was in the room, went in quickly.


    Xie Zhen was sitting in front of the dressing table, arranging the things the empress and His Majesty had given him.


    Just as she was about to stand up, she looked up from the copper mirror and saw Yan Yu behind her.


    She didn¡¯t know how long he stood there, but when he saw that she had noticed, he realized that his voice was hoarse and heavy. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked, ¡°Why should I do what you want?¡±


    He looked out of the window at the withered leaves of the tree. He was not used to apologizing to others, so he spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Last night, it was I ¡­¡±


    Halfway through his words, he remained silent for a long time.


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips.


    Seeing her leaving again, he was anxious to get in front of her and look her in the eye ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± he said.


    When he finished speaking, he blushed deeply.

 Chapter 51 - Trying to Please Her

    <h4>Chapter 51 - Trying to Please Her</h4>


    It was not easy for him to say those words.


    If it was in the past, he would have never admitted his wrongs regardless of whether you were angry or not. He would act just like when he was young. After holding it in for half a day, he would have said, ¡°Do you want toe to my house to fly a kite?¡±


    Now that he hade to his senses, it was different.


    They were a couple who would want to spend their lives face to face, and if he didn¡¯t admit he was wrong, Xie Zhen would never forgive him.


    If Xie Zhen didn¡¯t forgive him, she would ignore him as she did today, and he cannot stand the treatment.


    So, ashamed and disgraced as he was, he said it anyway.


    After he finished speaking, he looked around at the surrounding servant maids and said with an unfriendly tone, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    There were eight servant maids in the room, four of whom were brought from Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion by Xie Zhen, Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan, Hong Mei and Tan Mei.


    They¡¯d been working for Xie Zhen for years, and they were good at it.


    The other four were the servant maids of the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion, Qing Xia, Sun Ya, Cui Xiu, and Lv Ao.


    These four servant maids were quite clever and had very neat appearances. But when they were serving the princess, they still didn¡¯t got to know well about her tempers.


    With such an order from Yan Yu, the other servant maids knew that he would not hurt Xie Zhen, so they lowered their heads and retreated. Only one of them remained standing.


    Yan Yu frowned, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    That servant maids was Qing Xia, the most beautiful one of the servant maids. She obediently replied, ¡°Your Highness and the Empress are both angry. What if your rtionship with the Empress is damaged ¡­¡±


    ¡°The servant begs you to remain in the room.¡±


    Yan Yu frowned, ¡°Who allowed you to make your own decision?¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Qing Xia was startled. She raised her head and looked at him. Perhaps she was scolded, so tears quickly filled her eyes.


    She bowed her head and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then, she bowed and left. From the looks of her back, she seemed rather pitiful.


    Unfortunately, Yan Yu was a person who didn¡¯t know how to appreciate rtionships with women, and he also didn¡¯t pity women. If he did, then he probably wouldn¡¯t force Xie Zhen and himself to such a state.


    After everyone had left, he looked into Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes, and when he saw she didn¡¯t respond, but looked thoughtfully at the door, and he was instantly annoyed. ¡°Did you hear what I just said?¡±


    Xie Zhen retreated her gaze before subconsciously relpying. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Right after she said that, his face turned ck once again.


    When Xie Zhen came back to herself, she said straight to the point, ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    This person was even more arrogant than others when he apologized.


    He said it was his fault, and Xie Zhen waited most of the day without waiting for him to say what was his fault.


    Did he think that just by saying ¡°it¡¯s my fault¡±, he would be able to finish it?


    If she allowed him to fool her so easily, then in the future, how could her position in the family still remain?


    Yan Yu did not expect her to chase after him relentlessly. What¡¯s wrong with him?


    What would he say?


    He pursed his thin lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing those words, she was truly angered to death!


    Of course she knew, she was afraid that he didn¡¯t know!


    Only after he said that would he be able to realize what he had done wrong and correct himself in the future.


    But it was hard to pry a word out of him, and Xie Zhen gave him a hard look, thinking she was a fool if she still hoped for him.


    She turned and left the room, and he went after her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    Yan Yu strode up to her, one hand holding the screen, the other holding the wall to block her way. ¡°You didn¡¯t forgive me?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought it was funny, and then curved her lips. ¡°It is not your fault.¡± she said. ¡°Why should I forgive you?¡±


    He came to understand her now, and knew she was angry.


    The room was so quiet he couldn¡¯t help putting his hands down and trying to hold her, but he was afraid she would get even angrier. ¡°Xie Zhen¡­¡±


    His tone was a little pitiful.


    Xie Zhen ignored him.


    He lower his eyes and said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left you in the housest night.¡±


    She had her head down, her expression unreadable, and all he could see were two rows of long eyshes.


    He went on apologetically: ¡°I came back toote.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t drink cross-cupped wine with you. ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink cross-cupped wine with you.¡± she finally said.


    Yan Yu pretended to not hear it, but no longer easily angry because he got used to being dissed by her.


    These words seemed to give him a way out. He had the servant maids immediately prepare two cups of wine to serve to him in order to make up forst night¡¯s etiquette.


    Very quickly, Hong Mei walked into the inner room with a tray in her hands. On the tray were two golden wine cups filled with fine wine; it was a high-quality Shaoxing wine.


    She bowed. ¡°Your Highness, the Empress, here is the wine.¡±


    Yan Yu told her to put down the wine, ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Hong Mei ced the tray on the square table next tody couch and left.


    Yan Yu walked over by holding Xie Zhen¡¯s hand. They sat side by side. He handed her a cup of wine and took one for himself.


    He caught her eye and quickly moved it away. ¡°After drinking cross-cupped wine


    We are the real couple. ¡±


    Xie Zhen thought in her heart. Who wanted to be a real wife with him?


    They hadn¡¯t been willing to marry each other from the start.


    But she didn¡¯t say it, because he¡¯d hooked his arm around her arm and poured the wine down his throat.


    Xie Zhen restrained eyesign, and took the cup to her mouth, tasted it with her tongue, and felt it was so strong that she frowned.


    Seeing that Yan Yu had already finished his drink, she did not think too much about it and instead imitated him to drink it all in one gulp.


    The wine slid down her throat into her stomach. It was the first time for her to drink wine, so she coughed fiercely.


    Yan Yu quickly put down his cup and patted her back, ¡°Are you better now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had a drink before? ¡±


    She shook her head.


    They were close together, the way he was patting her back, looked like he was holding her, and his heart softened. ¡°Xie Zhen, will you forgive me?¡±


    However, after waiting for a long time, he still did not hear her reply.


    He was frustrated and ruffled. How would she forgive him?


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far ¡­¡±


    Before he finish speaking, she fell into his arms.


    Stunned, he hugged her helplessly, not knowing where to put his hands.


    Her body was small and soft, her head buried in his stomach, looking so cute.


    ¡± Xie Zhen?¡±


    He tried to call her, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    He called again, ¡°Little bastard?¡±


    Still no reaction.


    He turned her so that she might not be suffocated, and turned her to face him.


    She was unable to drink properly. After drinking a cup, her face turned red and her eyebrows knitted together. Her delicate mouth slightly opened as she moaned in difort.


    He touched her cheek and lowered his voice. ¡± Little Lamb?¡±


    She actually agreed to it. ¡°Hmm ¡­¡±


    Then she managed to move into his arms, found afortable position, and curled into a ball.


    Yan Yu was startled at first and thought she had woken up. When he saw that she was still drunk, his heart felt incredibly soft.


    He didn¡¯t dare to scream too loudly for fear of waking her up, so he covered her ears and said again, ¡± Little Lamb ¡­¡±


    ¡°You marry me and you¡¯re so unhappy?¡±


    Fearing that she would not feel well lying out, Yan Yu carried her to the bed in the inner room.


    She kept moving, tugging at thepel of her dress and raving, calling her mother, calling her sister Ah Xun.


    She called everyone she knew, but didn¡¯t call him.


    Yan Yu decided not to leave and just sat beside the bed, watching her while she was drunk.


    He didn¡¯t know that she was so light that she could be knocked down with a single ss of wine. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t drink cross-cupped wine with herst night. Otherwise, if others saw this, wouldn¡¯t theyugh?


    Thinking of this, he actually smiled.


    She held his sleeve in the palm of her hand, and he stared at her small, jade-like hand, itching for a moment, and then he opened her fingers and put his hand inside.


    When she did, she held him as tightly as she had held him when he was a child, but he was still not satisfied, so he intertwined his fingers with hers, entwined them, and did not want to let go.


    During this time, Yan Yu gave her a cup of tea. She made a ruckus for a while before finally calming down.


    Yan Yu was rubbing her fingernails with his head. She suddenly murmured, ¡± Brother Xiao Yu ¡­¡±


    He looked at her steadily.


    She rubbed her eyes with her other hand and said slowly, ¡°Why.¡±


    Thest few words were too light for him to hear clearly.


    He rolled over and wrapped her under him, his arm over her head. ¡± Xie Zhen, speak again?¡±


    She sobbed and shook her head.


    Men and women¡¯s weigh was so different. He weighed her down so heavily that she was breathless.


    He had to keep his legs on either side of her, his body hanging above her, and he kept asking, ¡°What¡¯s the why?¡±


    ¡°Speak it clearly.¡±


    At this moment, Xie Zhen¡¯s mind was in a state of confusion. How could she understand what he was asking ¡­


    All she knew was that she had a headache and wanted to get a good night¡¯s sleep, but someone was holding her back, buzzing in her ear.


    She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be noisy,¡± and it were clear, and she pursed her lips and fell into a deep sleep.


    Yan Yu helplessly pressed his hand to her forehead, clenched his teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you are noisy, but you actually dare to despise me first.¡±


    She did not answer, but slept soundly.


    Unwilling to give up, Yan Yu bent over and bit her on the cheek without any forewarning.


    Her face was smooth and tender, and her teeth scraped gently. She did not feel any pain, but rather a little itch.


    This sound was soft and soft, and the long note dragged into his heart, making him want to eat her in one gulp.


    He took another bite, not too loudly, deliberately making her sound like a spoiled child.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. His whole body felt weak, and he couldn¡¯t help but ce his palm on her waist, sliding down bit by bit.


    There were two shallow teeth marks on her face, and he licked them, wetting her entire face before long.


    Nothing out of the ordinary happened in the end, but he ate up all the parts of her that he could touch all through the night.


    Xie Zhen had a strange dream at night.


    In the dream, a big dog suddenly rushed into her house and threw her onto the ground without any exnation. She didn¡¯t even have time to struggle before her face was covered with saliva.


    Not only that, the dog licked her face down to her neck and even her hands.


    She tried to resist, but her hands and feet were too weak to do anything but let it do as it pleased.


    When she woke up the next day, facing the morning light outside the window, she was still in a trance. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was dreaming or reality.


    She smelled her hands, and they smelt odd.


    Shuang Yu came in from outside and she asked, ¡°Did you have a dog in the yardst night?¡±


    Shuang Yu shook her head curiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t see a doge in.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with miss?¡±


    She sat up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Her small face was wrinkled like a bun¡¯s, and she said bitterly, ¡°I guess I sweated a lot at night.¡±


    ¡°I feel I stink. I want to take a bath first. ¡±


    Shuang Yu answered. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let the servants prepare it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take a while. Let¡¯s eat breakfast before taking a bath, right?¡±


    She put down the washbasin and stepped forward to put on her shoes.


    She rubbed the space between her eyebrows, thinking back to the scene fromst night. She was still a little confused. ¡°How did I fall asleepst night?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I have any memory of it?¡±


    Shuang Yu replied, ¡°You and His Highness drank the cross-cupped wine together. When I came in, you were already asleep.¡±


    She finally remembered to ask, ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°His Highness got up early and practice his swordsmanship. His Highness is now outside and waiting for you for the morning meal.¡±


    After changing clothes and washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she casually tied her hair into a concentric bun and followed Shuang Yu out for a meal.


    It was chilly in the morning, and she was wearing an embroidered silk blouse and a colorful skirt. As she walked, she wiped her face with a wet handkerchief and walked out of the inner room, meeting Yan Yu¡¯s gaze.


    He sat here for quite a while. After practicing his swordsmanship, he wore a long robe with green flowers wrapped around it. His eyes were clear and bright, and he looked even more refreshed than before.


    A few tes of porridge cakes sat on the table, untouched. He was waiting for her.


    Seeing hering, he took the initiative to speak first, ¡°Sit down. We¡¯ll go back to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion after the breakfast.¡±


    They were supposed to go home on the third day of marriage, but that day he asked Xie Zhen, and Xie Zhen said she would return home today, and in an effort to please her, he agreed.


    When he thought about it this morning, he hurriedly asked the steward to prepare the return gifts. Fortunately, the steward was efficient and had already prepared everything in the morning.


    After hearing this, Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up and finally let out a smile that he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°How long will we stay there?¡±


    He said, ¡°One day.¡±


    She wilted and sat silently across from him.


    He saw she kept wiping her face with a handkerchief, so asked, ¡°What happened to your face?¡±


    She said, ¡°It was like being bitten and licked by somethingst night, and my face was sticky.¡±


    He was stunned for a moment before he lowered his head. A trace of guilt shed across his face.

 Chapter 52 - Returning Home

    <h4>Chapter 52 - Returning Home</h4>


    After breakfast, Xie Zhen went to the inner room to take a bath. The bath barrel was ced behind a curled screen that was embedded flower and bird pattern.


    The screen wasn¡¯t big, barely block her figure.


    She took off her clothes and sat in the water , scrubing herself from hair to toe.


    She didn¡¯t dare to bath too slowly, because they would return her hometer. After washing herself quickly, she stood up and looked to the side. She found that she had forgotten to bring her clothes with her.


    She had to sit back down and called Tan Mei. ¡°Take my clothes.¡±


    Tan Mei was standing outside, hearing this she hurriedly responded and then turned around to get her clothes.


    Yan Yu had already packed everything up. He was sitting on the rose chair of the fragrant rosewood outside, lowered his head, expressionless as he waited for the others.


    Tan Mei was in a hurry with a little of rashness. After finding Xie Zhen¡®s clothes, she quickly ran over, wantting to give them to her.


    She stumbled over her left foot on her right foot and staggered a few steps, dropping Xie Zhen¡¯s orange bellyband to the ground.


    A gust of wind blew, and the bellyband just happened to float to Yan Yu¡¯s feet.


    At first he didn¡¯t know what it was. He bent down and picked it up.


    His mind was in turmoil. When he thought about Xie Zhen was taking a bath, he felt a surge of Qi and blood rushing up his chest, straight into the top of his skull.


    He covered his mouth and coughed lightly, then handed bellyband to Tan Mei, ¡°Quick, send it in.¡±


    Tan Mei suddenly came to a realization and said: ¡°This servant iscking in manners.¡±


    She quickly walked into the inner room.


    Finally, Xie Zhen thought that the bellyband was dirty, she had Tan Mei take another one from the cab.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t know that Yan Yu had touched it. She didn¡¯t have the time to reprimand Tan Mei, changed clothes andbed her hair into a bun, and hurriedly got on the carriage back to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    It was probably the result of the bath, but there was a mist of moisture about Xie Zhen that made him feel cool sitting next to her.


    As she hurried off, she sat in the carriage and put on her body perfume. It was the fragrance of the lotus she used the most. She lightly touched it to her neck and wrist, and it gave off a delicate fragrance.


    Not longter, the entire carriage was filled with the fragrance.


    She did not shy away from Yan Yu; she sat beside him as if she could not see him.


    Other than them, there were also Shuang Yan and Shuang Yan in the carriage. The carriage was very quiet on the way, and no one said a word.


    Yan Yu pretended to ask casually, ¡°What fragrance?¡±


    She covered it with a porcin stopper and concisely said, ¡°Lotus body perfume.¡±


    As she mentioned it, he remembered the handkerchief the Crown Prince had picked up.


    It was precisely because of this fragrance that Yan Tao was unable to forget her. He frowned in displeasure, ¡°Don¡¯t use this fragrance any more.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked up at him and it was obvious from the look in her eyes that she was saying, What¡¯s it got to do with you?


    Yan Yu also knew that his request was unreasonable, but he could not exin himself. Thus, he turned his head to the side and said incoherently, ¡°I don¡¯t like this fragrance.¡±


    But instead, Xie Zhen gave a gentle smile, like a water lily blooming on a summer¡¯s day, and without warning, bloomed with a beautiful color.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t like it, it¡¯s fine as long as I do.¡±


    She leaned back against the Delicate embroidered satin pillow, closed her eyes, and paid no more attention to him.


    There were servant maids in the carriage, so he couldn¡¯t say too much. Even though he was filled with anger, he still silently swallowed it back when he saw her sleeping figure.


    She was really sleepy. Soon, she fell into a deep sleep, falling her head on the pillow. She didn¡¯t look like ady from a big family at all.


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer, so he sat down and supported her head so that she could lean on him.


    She was obedient. Sheid her head on his shoulder without a word ofint, and after a while her head slid down on his chest.


    He opened his arms and drew her into them.


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. Someone knocked on Xie Zhen¡¯s head, and a nasty voice sounded out, ¡°Wake up, we¡¯re here.¡±


    She slowly opened her eyes and saw Yan Yu¡¯s exquisite face.


    She opened her eyes wide and looked around in confusion. She then did a quick double take that she had actually fallen into his arms. Immediately, she scrambled out of his embrace, puckered her temples, and unhurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯m asleep.¡±


    Yan Yu did not expect her to have a guilty conscience. He could not help but take a few more nces at her.


    This was a rare opportunity. He pointed at the watermark on his chest, ¡°If someone sees itter, how should I exin it?¡±


    She turned her head at a nce, her ears pink and delicate, her voice soft and small. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips curved up in a faint smile, almost as if she was deeply in love with him. ¡°You took my life and didn¡¯t thank me?¡±


    She lifted the curtain and was about to go down when Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan began to be worried about their miss. It was already at the door of her home, they didn¡¯t hope to see they had any argument anyway¡­


    Fortunately, Xie Zhen just got off the carriage and waited for Yan Yu toe down before following him into the mansion without saying a word.


    Yan Yu seemed to be in a good mood and did not keep a straight face.


    Xie Zhen was small with narrow steps, while Yan Yu was tall with wide steps, so after a while, the gap between them becamerger andrger.


    He didn¡¯t realize it, but after walking for a while, when he looked back, he saw that Xie Zhen was a dozen steps behind.


    He stood where he was, waiting for her to arrive. The first thing he said was, ¡°Why are you walking so slowly?¡±


    Xie Zhen said calmly. ¡°I can¡¯t walk fast.¡±


    Yan Yu nced at her legs, feeling that it was understandable. He then asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡±


    She held her dress up the steps and stood on the third steps, still not as tall as he was.


    She looked back at him. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you to find out.¡±


    When she finish speaking, she turned and led the way.


    Yan Yu had nothing to say, but he did learn to be wise, slowing down and walking beside her, taking her situation into ount, deliberately taking smaller steps.


    He asked her, ¡°Have you not grown in these seven years?¡±


    When mentioning it, Xie Zhen felt her umtion of depression was difficult to smooth. She stared at him. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve grown taller, don¡¯t you see?¡±


    Was that so?


    There was obvious doubt in Yan Yu¡¯s eyes. She looked just as she had been when she was young.


    ¡°You are always taller than me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so she walked ahead without saying a word.


    Yan Yu slowly followed behind her. On a whim, he raised his hand and pointed it at the top of her head, right at his chest.


    Who would have thought that she would catch this scene. She suddenly turned around and angrily said, ¡°Don¡¯t be proud, my brother is taller than you!¡±


    He was stunned for a moment before he remembered that she also had an elder brother who was extremely protective of her.


    The two of them finally arrived at the central room, surrounded by arge group of people. When the people from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion heard that the sixth prince was bringing his princess back, they stood up early in the morning to wait for them.


    Now that he heard the servants say that the two of them had arrived, they hurriedly went to the entrance to wee them.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen walked over side by side, the Duke Dingguo bowed with his family, ¡°This old official pays his respects to your majesty, and greets the Empress.¡±


    Xie Zhen saw that he and her parents were about to salute her, how could she bear it? Her eyes reddened as she rushed forward, ¡°Grandfather, are you trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to pay your respects, and neither are you, Father and Mother!¡±


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing stood behind the Duke Dingguo. Their eyes were filled with a bitter smile before finally turning into a single sentence, ¡°Little Lamb has returned.¡±


    Duke Dingguo and the Second Branch were pardoned by Xie Zhen to avoid saluting, but the others didn¡¯t have her pardon, and had to bow to her and Yan Yu.


    The first branch all forced themselves tough. their own daughter hadn¡¯t been married yet, and Xie Zhen¡¯s rank in the family was much smaller than Xie Ying¡¯s. Who would expect that she would actually marry so well.


    When Xie Zhen got home, she and her parents naturally had endless talks. She pestered Madam Leng and hugged Xie Xun. It was just two days since they hadst seen each other, as if they had been separated for more than a decade.


    Madam Leng said that she was married, so she should have the appearance of a married woman. However, she was still a child in the depths of her bones. After saying a few pleasing words in Madam Leng¡®s arms, she easily fooled around with it.


    While Yan Yu was talking with the duke and the men in the mansion, Xie Zhen and the wowen went to the west wing. When they separated, she looked more like a wildmb, no longer needing to dress up and couldugh without restraint.


    Madam Leng touched the tip of her nose. ¡°You¡¯ve been so restrained these past two days?¡±


    She nodded. As for the reason, she couldn¡¯t say. She could only shrink back into Madam Leng¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mother, please be good to me. I have to leave today.¡±


    Madam Leng scolded her for being heartless, ¡°Do I treat you badly?¡±


    ¡°What did you say.¡±


    She chuckled and held onto her arm, unwilling to let go. ¡°Mother treats me the best, better than anyone else.¡±


    On one side, the mother and daughter were tiresome with their words. On the other side, Madam Wu and Madam Xu listened for a while. Madam Wu could not help but interject: ¡°Why did Ah Zhen say that?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the sixth prince treats you badly?¡±


    Xie Zhen raised her eyes, and gave Madam Wu a nce before saying with a smile. ¡± Brother Xiao Yu¡¯s been very good to me. When we entered the pce together, His Majesty even gave me such a big luminous pearl.¡±


    As she said that, she gestured with her hand. Her tone was filled with excitement and joy, looking just like a naive and ignorant little girl.


    Madam Wu noticed the size of her gestures and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a bit of envy.


    Thinking of something, she deliberately looked left and right before whispering, ¡°But howe I¡¯ve heard of it ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted her head. ¡°What did you heard?¡±


    Madam Wu pretended to mutter and mumble, ¡°I heard that you and the sixth prince ¡­¡±


    Madam Wu could not finish her words before Madam Leng stopped her with harsh words and looks, ¡°Third Sister-in-Law!¡±


    Xie Zhen had never seen Madam Leng so angry before, and she stiffened in her arms. She knew it was not a good thing.


    She innocently grabbed Madam Leng¡¯s hand and gentlyforted her, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry. I came back today, so why should you be angry?¡±


    As the words came out of her mouth, the expression on the face of Madam Leng had eased up a bit. On the other side,Madam Xu responded: ¡°Second Sister-in-Law can block our mouth, but you can¡¯t block the mouths of others.¡±


    The whole circle ofdies knew that Ah Zhen and sixth prince hadn¡¯t even drunk a cross-cupped wine on their wedding night, and the sixth prince had left her alone in their bridal chamber. He didn¡¯te back until thetter half of the night.


    ¡°I wonder where he has gone to during this time.¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect that it was actually about this matter.


    On the day that Yan Yu had left her in the bridal chamber, there weren¡¯t many people. She could count them with a finger.


    Princess Yi and the Crown Princess didn¡¯t seem to be gossips who knew how to shut up. So, who was the one that spread the news?


    Xie Zhen clenched her teeth and felt a little cold in her heart.


    She didn¡¯t expect that it would be her first aunt and third aunt who would embarrass her in the end.


    After calming down from her rage, her heart calmed down. She held Madam Leng¡¯s hand tightly as ifforting her while biting her lip with a smile. ¡°First Aunt and Third Aunt, where did you hear that from?¡±


    Madam Wu couldn¡¯t hide the gloating look in her eyes. ¡°Everyone is saying, who knows where it came from.¡±


    They had been jealous for a while of the way Xie Zhen was granted the marriage to the sixth prince without warning.


    And now there was a scandal that seemed to give them something tough at, something to hold on to so hard that it made them live better than Xie Zhen, or, rather, it made them feel a little better in their own hearts.


    Xie Zhen said slowly. ¡°Did Third Aunt see it with your own eyes?¡±


    Madam Wu stared nkly, and said indignantly: ¡°I didn¡¯t see it, but I was not the source. Someone must have seen it with their own eyes, that¡¯s why they said that.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s hand that gripped on Madam Leng¡¯s hands gradually turned cold, and her heart was in a mess.


    This was a fact. No matter how angry she was, she could not refute this fact.


    Madam Leng was so angry that her entire body trembled. ¡°Third Sister-in-Law is the elder of Little Lamb. How can you say such things in front of her?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that you want the child to see with her own eyes what it means to be an elder without elder¡¯s respect?¡±


    Madam Wu choked. ¡°Why do I not have the respect?¡±


    In end, Madam Wu was impulsive and easily angered by Madam Leng. She coldly snorted as she sat to the side, unwilling to ept this: ¡°You still don¡¯t want me to speak the truth?¡±


    Madam Xu gave her a look, telling her to be quiet. Then she said to Madam Leng and Xie Zhen, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as we know about this. Even if Little Lamb admits it, we aunts won¡¯tugh at you.¡±


    ¡°How could someone as noble as the sixth prince have his eyes on ¡­? ¡±


    Halfway through her speech, she stopped.


    Xie Zhen was angry to extreme. Instead, she smiled. ¡°First aunt is wrong, no matter what his previous identity was, but after the wedding, he is my husband.¡±


    Then she raised a pair of beautiful eyes and calmly nced at them. ¡°The mouth is others¡¯, and the ears are your own.¡±


    ¡°If others believe what they hear, they are fools.¡±


    Those words silenced the two of them.


    Madam Xu stood up furiously: ¡°How did you talk to your elders?¡±


    Xie Zhen still sat on the couch. ¡°Do you think you act and speak like an elder?¡±


    She was still the same, eloquent, able to choke people half to death with her easy words.


    Madam Xu was so angry that her chest rose and fell. Normally, she would have punished her with the olddy. However, since the olddy was not here today and Xie Zhen had be the esteemed Prince¡¯s wife, she really couldn¡¯t be harmed for the time being.


    In the end, she had no choice but to swallow her anger until her face turned purple.


    It was the first time that Xie Zhen had displeased others like this.


    But they couldn¡¯t me her. They had said all this in front of her and her mother, but they hadn¡¯t considered their feelings from the start, so why should she think about theirs?


    Xie Ying stood behind Madam Xu. Previously, she showed her good will towards Xie Zhen, so she didn¡¯t say much, but now she couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Madam Xu: ¡°It¡¯s not my mother¡¯s fault. Ah Zhen, aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s nonsense. why should I exin?¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the door. ¡°Your Highness, the Empress is inside.¡±


    When Xie Zhen looked behind the screen, the door was pushed open with a squeak.


    It turned out that the conversation in the main hall had ended and was about to have lunch. Yan Yu came to find Xie Zhen. As soon as he entered the room, he felt that the atmosphere was not right.


    He looked to Xie Zhen sitting next to Madam Leng, her head drooping in a pitiful way.


    Yan Yu walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She looked up, with her eyes red, the tears rolling in her eyes, as if she would burst into tears in the blink of an eye.


    Yan Yu was startled and panicked. He squatted in front of her and wanted to touch her, but he didn¡¯t dare. He anxiously asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What are you crying for? Can¡¯t you tell me? ¡±


    She sniffled and whined, ¡°First Aunty said ¡­¡±


    Most likely, she was too wronged. She held onto his sleeve and didn¡¯t finish aplete sentence for a long time.


    However, Yan Yu heard the first part clearly.


    He suddenly stood up, turned around and fiercely red at Madam Xu, then questioned: ¡°What did you say to her?¡±


    When Madam Xu met his eyes, she trembled all over.


    Who would have thought that, Xie Zhen was still fine and majestic like a lion cub a minute ago, but then cried so pitifully just as the sixth prince arrived?

 Chapter 53 - Supporting Her

    <h4>Chapter 53 - Supporting Her</h4>


    Madam Xu didn¡¯t reply. With a cold face, he asked again, ¡°I asked you, what did you say to her?¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf?¡±


    At this point, no matter how foolish she was, it was impossible for her to hide it.


    In addition, the sixth prince was in a rage. His sharp eyes made her heart shudder and her heart tremble as she knelt on the ground. At this moment, she still wanted to hide it, ¡°Your Highness ¡­¡±


    ¡°I am just talking about family matters with the Empress ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu was not someone to be fooled. With a wave of his sleeve, he threw the teacup off the square table in front of her, sshing tea leaves all over her face. ¡°Just talking about family matters, you make her cry?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t speak the truth, this prince will destroy the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion!¡±


    He rarely used his identity in front of anyone, and he rarely called himself ¡°this prince¡±. Xie Zhen had never heard the words ¡°this prince¡± from his speech.


    Perhaps he was so angry today that his words were filled with killing intent. He was like a sharp dagger that could stab into the other party¡¯s heart at any moment.


    With these words, not only was Madam Xu rmed, but everyone on both sides knelt down, including haughty Madam Wu.


    Madam Wu¡¯s face was deathly pale, and she appeared to be trembling violently.


    She also told tales about Xie Zhen just now, she was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape today¡¯s cmity¡­


    Xie Zhen sat in Madam Leng arms, she looked up at Yan Yu¡¯s back and wondered what she was feeling.


    She had pretended to be pitiful when he came in, guessing that they were couple after all, and no matter what, he would definitely help her vent her anger.


    However, she didn¡¯t expect him to be so serious as to help her teach the first aunt a lesson ¡­


    It made her feel a little guilty.


    She lowered her head and silently rubbed her eyes. She didn¡¯t know why, but her eyes felt a little sore.


    Some people could no longer sit still after Yan Yu¡¯s vicious words.


    Madam Wu lowered her head and nervously exined, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I started it first ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu tilted his head and looked at her.


    She continued anxiously, ¡°The day before yesterday, when Your Highness and Ah Zhen got married, word came out that Your Highness had abandoned Ah Zhen on the night of your wedding ¡­¡±


    ¡°I just concerned about Ah Zhen, so I asked a question.¡±


    At this point, she could almost feel the sharpness of his eyes on the top of her head, her body suddenly became soft, and she forced herself to continue speaking, ¡°Later on, eldest sister-inw took up a few words, perhaps it was because she said it too seriously, that it made Ah Zhen feel aggrieved.¡±


    Hearing this, Madam Xu looked at her in shock.


    Yan Yu looked displeased, ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Madam Wu continued, ¡°She said that Your Highness left because you didn¡¯t put your eyes on Ah Zhen ¡­¡±


    ¡°Third sister-in-Law!¡± Madam Xu suddenly shouted. She gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°How can you do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Did you not join it?¡±


    At this time, Madam Wu¡¯s attitude waspletely different from before. She became a good aunt who was wholeheartedly venting anger for Xie Zhen, ¡°I only said some words, how is it like you have a harsh tone?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t because of you, could Ah Zhen have cried?¡±


    Madam Xu family was so angry that as if smoke was rising from her head, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to refute her. After all, she had said those words herself.


    Yan Yu¡¯s expression was ugly. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, as if he could attack at any moment.


    The two argued incessantly. Neither of them allowed the other to speak. However, Madam Xu was not as good as Madam Wu on argument, and soon, they were both choked with anger.


    Seeing this, Xie Ying and Xie Yin rushed forward to console their mother. In addition, the people from the fourth branch were also trying to persuade her. All of a sudden, a small room was filled with women¡¯s talking.


    ¡°Shut up all!¡±


    Yan Yu could not help but rebuke.


    There was a fire burning in his chest, and it almost burned himself out.


    He was annoyed that these people were bullying his Xie Zhen, but also regretting that he was the source of all this.


    If it weren¡¯t because of him, would their wedding night have been filled with such words?


    Then how could Xie Zhen be criticized?


    Even her aunt¡¯s rtives could casually gossip about her. It was hard to imagine what others would talk about her.


    Perhaps the argument in the west wing had alerted the central room, a short whileter, and Duke Dingguo and the olddy hurried over to take a look and were stunned by the scene of kneeling inside.


    In the main room, the third and fourth branches were kneeling on the floor, and Xie Zhen was sitting on thedy couch with bloodshot eyes. Beside her were Madam Leng.


    The two old men had an intuition that something serious had happened, and only after asking did they know that it was the two daughters-inw that caused the trouble with their mouths.


    The olddy knocked on her cane and pointed at Madam Xu: ¡°You, you two ¡­¡±


    No matter how bad Xie Zhen was, she was still a Prince¡¯s wife. How could they talk nonsense in public?


    Moreover, she had returned together with the sixth prince today. ording to the rules, she should return and visit them tomorrow. Since the sixth prince was willing to agree to her return today, that meant he was very fond of her.


    And the return gift was well-prepared, giving enough face to Xie Zhen. They can¡¯t even see that, really wasted decades of living.


    Madam Xu and Madam Wu finally stopped talking. Both of them realized that they had said something they shouldn¡¯t have said and felt regret.


    No matter how angry the old madam was, she still had to plead for her two daughters-inw. She was about to kneel down at the same time, ¡°Your Highness, on ount of them being the elders of Xie Zhen, please forgive them this time ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen were indeed like a couple. He said the same word that Xie Zhen had said, ¡°Do they take themselves as elders?¡±


    The olddy and the Duke Dingguo looked at each other, unable to figure out what his intentions were. They joined in pleading, ¡°Your Highness ¡­¡±


    He had made up his mind. Today, he would definitely punish these women with their gossipy. Otherwise, who knew what kind of words they would say in the future?


    It didn¡¯t matter if they were elders of Xie Zhen or not. Anyone who bullied his wife could not be let go easily. ¡°Madam Xu is discussing the royal family in private. They are disrespectful to the Prince¡¯s wife and they are extremely audacious.¡±


    His sword-like eyebrows furrowed as he sternly retorted, ¡°Men, bring them down and p them!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares to be so talkative in the future!¡±


    As the sound of his voice faded, Wu Ze walked in from the outside with his two guards, carrying Madam Xu with him as he prepared to leave.


    Madam Xu¡¯s face turned pale with fright. She was just a woman. If she were to be smacked by these arrogant guards, would she still be able to survive?


    After struggling to beg for mercy from Yan Yu, seeing that he was not moved, she went to beg for help from Xie Zhen, ¡± Ah Zhen, I¡¯m still your first aunt, don¡¯t tell me that you are willing to¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen put her head in Madam Leng¡¯s arms and pretended not to hear.


    In fact, the corners of her mouth had already curled up. It turned out that there was someone who stood up for her, and she was even happier than if she had stood up for herself.


    Xie Xun sat beside her, thinking she was sad again.


    Just now, when sister was being mocked by the first aunt and the third aunt, she and Madam Leng were anxious on the side, but unable to help.


    At that time, she really hated Yan Yu and thought of him as a big bad guy who mistreated sis. Now, seeing he supported her older sister, she changed her view about Yan Yu, even looked at him with new eyes.


    In the end, she was still a child. Her emotions came and left quickly. She called out, ¡°Brother-inw.¡±


    At first, Yan Yu didn¡¯t react and quickly understood that he was being called. He rxed his emotions and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Xie Xun pointed at Madam Wu and exposed her. ¡°Third Aunt was just talking about sis. She even said that outsiders were all telling the truth.¡±


    Madam Wu¡¯s face paled. Before she could beg for mercy, Yan Yu said coldly: ¡°Then take her down and p her.¡±


    Her eyes widened in astonishment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Just as the guard was about to take her away, Yan Yu said ¡°wait a moment¡±. Madam Wu thought that there was a way to turn the situation around, and her eyes shone with hope.


    Who would have thought that his next sentence would be, ¡°If I hear this next time, it won¡¯t be as simple as pping you.¡±


    With that, the guard led her away.


    Yan Yu¡¯s imperial bodyguards were all martial practitioners. They were strong enough. With a p, one of Madam Xu¡¯s teeth was knocked out. Almost half of her face immediately swelled up into a steamed bun.


    When Madam Wu saw this, her legs went limp, and she begged for mercy with tears streaming down her face.


    Unfortunately, Yan Yu didn¡¯t say anything. No one could save her.


    A good family banquet ended up in a bad mood.


    The Duke Dingguo was also very depressed. He had the cheeks swollen Madam Xu and Madam Wu sent back to courtyard without saying a word. He repeatedly apologized to Yan Yu, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for disciplining them badly¡­¡±


    Yan Yu said, ¡°As you have disciplined badly, then discipline them properly in the future.¡±


    Duke Dingguo agreed, ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I will definitely manage my family well.¡±


    In the end, they hurriedly ate lunch in the main hall. Xie Zhen¡¯s appetite was not good, so only ate a little. No matter how Madam Leng tried to persuade her, it was useless.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t say anything from beginning to end, but his expression gradually became unsightly. Seeing this, Duke Dingguo was afraid that he would get angry again, so he hurriedly ordered people to prepare almond cheese that Xie Zhen liked to eat.


    When the almond cheese was served, she ate a few more before Yan Yu looked better.


    After lunch, Xie Zhen went back to the Jade Yard to rest with Madam Leng. Yan Yu was not suitable to enter the inner courtyard, so Xie Liqing said to Xie Rong, ¡± Rong¡¯er, why don¡¯t you apany the sixth prince for a stroll around the estate?¡±


    He thought that Xie Rong and Yan Yu were about the same age, so they should have somemon topics to discuss. It was a pity that he had miscalcted.


    Xie Rong led Yan Yu out. Both of them had a taciturn personality. They walked for more than half of the courtyard, talking to each other without saying many words.


    Yan Yu thought of how Xie Zhen looked like when she cried, his mind was in a mess, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to try to get close to his brother-inw.


    Xie Rong was not a person who liked to talk. He had said two sentences: ¡°This way,¡± and ¡°That way.¡±


    The two of them finished their tour of the enormous mansion not longter.


    When they were about to return to the central room, Xie Rong finally spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re not suitable for littlemb.¡±


    Yan Yu stopped and looked at him.


    Actually, Xie Rong¡¯s words are reasonable. Yan Yu and Xie Zhen¡¯s personality were really not appropriate. Both of them are immature, childish, and impulsive.


    Although Yan Yu was much calmer than before, he was still too young to be calm when he was with Xie Zhen.


    Moreover, he spoke too much duplicity and was arrogant and wouldn¡¯t easily lower his head.


    Xie Zhen was also a stubborn one. It was not good for two equally stubborn people to run into each other.


    Xie Rong continued, ¡°Although it¡¯s a littlete, I want to tell you, don¡¯t let her suffer from the grievances she suffered today. If you can¡¯t do it, return her to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s gaze turned cold, ¡°return her to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    How could he return his wife to her family after he had married her?


    He strode to the front and threw down the following words: ¡°I know my limits. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    Xie Zhen follow Madam Leng to the Jade Yard, at first she was a little dejected, but not long after lying in Madam Leng¡¯s arms, she fell asleep.


    She slept in the same way she had when she was a child. She liked to hold the corners of Madam Leng¡¯s clothes, curl up in a ball, and sleep contentedly and sweetly.


    Madam Lengy on her side, a fan in her hand, gently blowing the wind. It was early autumn and still a little hot in the afternoon, but she did not stop for fear that she would sweat.


    The servant maids wanted to take over, but she wordlessly waved her hands to retreat.


    Xie Xun sat aside and asked worriedly, ¡°Mother, do you think their words are true?¡±


    She didn¡¯t mean to be nosy. She just wanted to know what exactly Yan Yu had done to Xie Zhen.


    Madam Leng lowered her eyes, and pushed away the hair on Xie Zhen¡¯s face. ¡°So what if it¡¯s true or false?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the sixth prince stand up for your sister today?¡±


    ¡°As long as he is good to the Little Lamb, I shall have nothing else to ask of him.¡±


    As for what the others had said ¡­


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, there must be something else behind it.¡±


    Xie Xun seemed to understand, but didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Then, does mother think he likes older sister?¡±


    Madam Leng smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he likes her, but I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t hate her.¡±


    As she said this, she remembered the time the Lee family moved away when Xie Zhen was seven, and how she cried and said, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu hates me.¡± Until today, she still seemed to think that Yan Yu hated her.


    She touched Xie Zhen¡¯s forehead lovingly and thoughtfully, this was a silly girl, can¡¯t she see that Yan Yu was protecting her so obviously?


    Xie Zhen only slept for less than an hour before she woke up. When she woke up and saw her mother and younger sister by her side, she immediately felt assured. She really wanted to stay and not leave.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as she had hoped. She still had to leave. It was just that sooner orter.


    Before she left, Madam Leng specially called her aside to ask, ¡°Do you and the sixth prince ¡­¡±


    ¡°Have the consummation?¡±


    Xie Zhen put her hands behind her back, she looked around. ¡°No,¡± she said.


    The answer was honest and Madam Leng didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    She raised her head and asked, ¡°Does Mother me me?¡±


    Madam Leng shook her head. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she only replied, ¡°As long as you live well. Let it be.¡±


    She was overjoyed. Mother didn¡¯t force her, and she felt much more rxed.


    She still had a lot of things to say, but the people in front had already came to prompt her. The carriage was waiting outside the door, so she couldn¡¯t bear to part with her family, but she had to leave as well.


    Madam Leng and Xie Xun escorted her to the door of Jade Yard. She turned three times in each step until she could no longer see them. Then, she walked briskly to the entrance of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    At the door stood the Duke Dingguo, Xie Liqing and the others. Yan Yu stood beside the carriage and looked in her direction.


    She said good-bye to her grandfather in turn, then stepped on the footstool and got into the carriage.


    As Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan were about to enter, but they were stopped by Yan Yu. ¡°You two, sit outside.¡±


    As he spoke, he took down the curtains and walked in.


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan had no choice but to sit on the shafts. With a whip in coachman¡¯s hands, the carriage slowly pulled the carriage out.


    Yan Yu sat beside Xie Zhen. He didn¡¯t know what he wanted to say to her alone, so he insisted on sending the servant maids away.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t urge him. The sun was streaming in through the window, throwing dappled shadows at their feet.


    Her face was covered with ayer of gold, perhaps because she was thinking about something. She slightly restrained eyesign, appearing to be in a trance. There was even a hint of a warm smile on her lips.


    Yan Yu opened his mouth in excitement, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen looked to him, a smile that hadn¡¯t yet melted in her eyes, which made his wits go haywire.


    His heart beat so hard that he was afraid she would hear him. He moved a little to the other side, afraid to look away. ¡°The wedding night¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would turn out like this. ¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°So what do you expect?¡±


    He had helped her today, and she was grateful.


    However, upon further thought, wasn¡¯t all of this because of him? Thus, after making ends meet, she did not n to express her gratitude towards him.


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were distant and uncertain, obviously without any confidence, ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen waited curiously, wondering what he was going to say.


    He held it in for a while. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone again.¡±


    When they were young and in danger, she didn¡¯t even abandon him when they was in danger. Why had he been willing to leave her by himself?


    It was toote to regret it now.


    Xie Zhen curled her eyes, and smiled under the sunshine. ¡°How many times do you want to leave me?¡±


    For a moment, he thought that there was no longer any misunderstanding between them. Finally, he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and reached out to hug her. ¡°I ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen retreated, and blinked with innocent eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    She said that because she was in a good mood and because he behaved well today, but that didn¡¯t mean he could touch her at will.


    Yan Yu stiffened. He withdrew his hand and sat back down, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After thinking about it for a while, he still couldn¡¯t understand why she only smiled at him once when he helped her vent her anger today.


    Can¡¯t you smile a little more?


    At night, the two of them slept separately.


    Xie Zhen was in the side room, and he was in the inner room.


    Since the first night when Xie Zhen learned there was no bolt in the side room, she had one installed the next day, so it was impossible for him to enter even if he wanted to.


    When they finished washing seperately in the night, Xie Zhen sat in front of the brass mirror and undid Pearl hairpins. Hong Mei stood behind her, brushing her hair.


    Yan Yu sat under themp, reading a book. asionally, he would nce at her. What was written on the book, not even a single word could be read.


    Shebed her hair and got up to go to the side room. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    Yan Yu subconsciously called out to her. She turned around, he couldn¡¯t think of an excuse to leave her stay with him. He stared at the ancient scripture in the book: ¡°There¡¯s rain tonight, close the window.¡±


    Xie Zhen was confused. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cloudy in the evening.¡± he said.


    She nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    Then she turned and walked on.


    He added, ¡°There also is thunder.¡±


    This time Xie Zhen got to understand, turned and looked at him. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    He red at her. ¡°How could I be afraid?¡±


    He was afraid of that she would be afaid, ok?


    Who would have thought that this heartless little bastard actually didn¡¯t understand his intentions. She mysteriously retorted, ¡°Then why are you telling me all this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    He pursed his lips, refusing to admit that he was disappointed.


    Not long after Xie Zhen entered the side room, he put down his scrolls and washed his face and rinsed his mouth and went to bed.


    Oddly enough, he had always slept alone before, and he had never felt anything was wrong. But after he got married with Xie Zhen, he felt odd for sleeping alone.


    He raised his arm to his forehead and looked out at the moon, wondering what Xie Zhen was doing.


    Did she fall asleep?


    In thetter half of the night it began to rain.


    At first the rain was small, but then it began to get heavy, and the heavy rain fell on the eaves and made a noise so intense that one could not sleep.


    Yan Yu was awakened by the sound of the rain. The room was dark, and the oilmp on the table had long since burned out.


    For a moment he could not get used to the darkness, and hey in bed for a moment, barely able to make out the outline of the inner room.


    He remembered Xie Zhen had light sleep when she was a child, and the slightest sound in the night would wake her.


    One night it rained and thundered, and she did not sleep well all night, and the next morning there was a bruise under her eyes.


    He felt it was funny at the time, but now he cared how she slept.


    Just as Yan Yu was hesitating, he turned his head and saw a figure walking towards him.


    He thought it was Xie Zhen, maybe she was afraid of thunder. He sat up and said, ¡°You¡¯re wakened?¡±


    A bolt of lightning shed outside the window, lighting up the room in a split-second.


    Then he saw her face, and it was not Xie Zhen.

 Chapter 54 – The Raining Night

    <h4>Chapter 54 ¨C The Raining Night</h4>


    It was the servant maid, Qing Xia.


    He didn¡¯t have a deep impression of the maid in the room, so it took him a while to recall her name.


    He frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Qing Xia was holding an oilmp in her hand. When she saw him awake, she stood a few steps away from him with her eyes lowered and her voice almost inaudible under the thunder. ¡°I saw that themp in the inner room has gone out, wishing to renew it for Your Highness.¡±


    Yan Yuid back down and said without a word, ¡°No need, you may leave.¡±


    Tonight, she and Sun Ya were on duty. Sun Ya had long since fallen asleep on the doorframe.


    She paused, then asked hesitantly, ¡°The wind is blowing heavily tonight, is Your Highness cold?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to bring you another nket? ¡±


    At this moment, Yan Yu only wanted to be left alone. He felt that her voice was very noisy, so he said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Go to the side room and see if the princess is awake. If she¡¯s awake,e and tell me.¡±


    Qing Xia bowed and turned to look at the bed. She saw his arm resting on his forehead with one of his legs bent. It was obvious that he was upset.


    Her eyes shed, and it was unknown what she was thinking.


    When she arrived at the door of the side room, Qing Xia lightly knocked on the door twice.


    The door was quickly opened, revealing half of Shuang Yan¡¯s faces. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    She said, ¡°It¡¯s raining heavily tonight. His Highness sends me to ask if the princess is sleeping well?¡±


    Shuang Yan nodded. ¡°Very good, you may go back.¡±


    She looked inside, but it was dark and she couldn¡¯t see what was inside.


    She could only see a blurry shadow curling up into a ball. She didn¡¯t know if she was sleeping or waking up.


    She said yes, then closed the door and retreated.


    She entered the mansion after it waspleted. At that time, she had only heard that the sixth prince was about to be married, and that this mansion was prepared for the future princess.


    At first, she thought that the rtionship between the sixth prince and the future Princess waspatible, and they loved each other that no one could shook. Who knew that on the first day of their marriage, the sixth prince would leave the Princess alone in their bridal chamber until deep into the night before returning.


    In addition, they still split up to sleep in separate rooms.


    This shocked the servant maids in the room, but they had been told by the steward that if any one of them brought this matter to light, they would not be able to bear the consequences.


    Although everyone was surprised, they all held it in in their hearts. No one dared to say it, much less discuss it.


    The next morning, the princess and the sixth prince got into an argument.


    The servant maids secretly guessed that the sixth prince must have been dissatisfied with His Majesty granting the marriage, which was why he had been at loggerheads with princess so often not long after their wedding.


    Once, when everyone had been holding it in for too long, they couldn¡¯t help but whisper to each other in the servants¡¯ room, ¡°If this goes on, won¡¯t His Highness divorce the princess?¡±


    Lv Ao scolded her for talking nonsense and quickly told her to shut up.


    However, Cui Shan felt that what she said made a lot of sense, ¡°After wedding, they are not consummated. Not only that, they sleep in separate rooms.¡±


    ¡°Even if His Highness doesn¡¯t give up on his wife, he still needs a concubine, right?¡±


    After saying that, she teased Qing Xia, ¡°You are the most good-looking in us. Let¡¯s guess if you will be the one who be the concubine first?¡±


    Qing Xia¡¯s face immediately turned red, but she didn¡¯t respond to her words.


    Lv Ao was truly angry. She stood up and retorted, ¡°Isn¡¯t the princess more beautiful than us?¡±


    ¡°If His Highness doesn¡¯t like her, can he take a fancy to us?¡±


    Cui Shan replied, ¡°The princess doesn¡¯t know how to please His Highness. Perhaps His Highness likes the obedient girls?¡±


    These words deeply rooted in Qing Xia¡¯s heart.


    He didn¡¯t like being opposed to him and liked the obedient girls.


    She could do all of that.


    After returning to the inner room, Qing Xia saw Yan Yu was lying on the bed, unable to tell if he was asleep or not.


    She gathered up her courage and stepped forward. As soon as she came to the bed, she met Yan Yu¡¯s cold and calm eyes.


    She hurriedly lowered her head and respectfully said, ¡°Your Highness, the princess has already fallen asleep.¡±


    Yan Yu was disappointed. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    She still wanted to stay, but she was afraid of arousing his displeasure, so she bowed and left.


    The heavy rain did not stop half an hourter. The rain and wind outside the window made it so noisy that people could not fall asleep.


    Yan Yu decided not to sleep anymore. He put on his outer robe and walked to the door that was connected to the side room. As soon as he put his hand on it, the door opened gently.


    It turned out that after Qing Xia asking about the princess¡¯s sleep, Shuang Yan forgot to bolt the door, so he could easily enter.


    Yan Yu tried his best to suppress the joy in his heart. He waved towards Shuang Yan beside the bed, indicating that she should go out.


    Shuang Yan, who had been sprawled at the head of the bed, saw hime in and waked immediately. Seeing he let her out, knowing that he would not harm Xie Zhen, she ran out.


    Yan Yu sat on the bed, looking at the little girl who had curled up herself into a ball. Just then, there came a loud thunder outside the window, causing her to frown.


    Yan Yu took off his shoes and went to bed, throwing them over her and wrapping her in his arms.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t fall asleep at all. How could she have slept when there was so much noise outside?


    However, she was really tired. She vaguely felt that someone hade in, and thought it was Shuang Yan who had gone out ande back. She didn¡¯t care at all. Who would have thought that she would be tightly held by someone in the next moment?


    She opened her eyes wide and saw only one head. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked in horror.


    Yan Yu whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    His low, hoarse voice was especially clear at such a close distance. Her ears were numb as she raised her hand to resist. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    Thunder rumbled outside the window as if there was no end to it.


    She wasn¡¯t very strong, but she couldn¡¯t continue struggling like this.


    Yan Yu wrapped his arms and legs around her and decided all at once, saying confidently, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of thunder.¡±


    As expected, Xie Zhen stopped. She turned her head in incredibility. ¡°Are you afraid of thunder?¡±


    Unfortunately, he was too close and his face could not be seen.


    Yan Yu pursed his thin lips, determined not to repeat himself a second time.


    She chuckled, and after she finishedughing, her tone became much softer. ¡°I asked you just now, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not afraid?¡±


    He did not speak.


    A bolt of lightning shed down from the sky, lighting up the room.


    There were two people on the bed, and the tall man covered the petite girl tightly. One could tell that each of his gestures was in a position of possession.


    Then the thunder rose up, and she was pressed closer.


    Xie Zhen finally got his weakness, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn¡¯t bother about with him, ¡°Why are you afraid of thunder?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, and neither is Ah Xun. You¡¯re a man, why are you afraid? ¡±


    Yan Yu thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. If it wasn¡¯t for you, why would I pretend to be like this?¡±


    After speaking this, Xie Zhen reminded him. ¡°When the rain stops, you go back to sleep.¡±


    Yan Yu remained silent.


    Xie Zhen was really talkative. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep, she asked curiously, ¡°Are you too scared to talk?¡±


    Yan Yu clenched his teeth, ¡°No.¡±


    She said, ¡°Oh, thank you for helping me today.¡±


    Yan Yu closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t like hearing her say the words ¡°thank you¡±. They were couple, so whatever he did was what he should do.


    Therefore, he only said, ¡°All right.¡±


    They were so close that he could feel the softness of her chest. His face turned red. Fortunately, but it was dark inside the room and she couldn¡¯t see it.


    But after a long time, there would inevitably be a reaction, so he calmly retreated, not letting her notice the change in him.


    ¡°Why did you help me?¡±


    This was the question she had been pondering for the entire day, but in the end, she could note up with an answer.


    Yan Yu ced a hand on her waist, her delicate waist made him unable to let go. His palm slid down a bit, not daring to be too presumptuous, afraid that she would notice it, he put his hand under her waist, and his resisting made his palm heating.


    His voice was hoarse. ¡°You were crying.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s watery eyes were bright and she was focused on the conversation, so she didn¡¯t notice his restless hand at all.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it all your fault ¡­¡±


    He paused and nodded.


    It was not easy to make him realize his mistake. He knew he was wrong today, and he probably wouldn¡¯t do the same again in the future.


    Outside, the rain ckened and the sound of Xie Zhen¡¯s voice faded. By the time the rain stoppedpletely, she was asleep in his arms.


    Yan Yu pushed himself up, touched her face, touched her eyes and nose, and finally stared at her pink lips, eager to taste them.


    He started to lower his head, but she rolled over, scaring him to a halt.


    He was probably the type of person who felt guilty of being a thief ¡­


    He gave up atst, and went to sleep with her.


    What about ¡°going back when the rain stopped¡±?


    He had forgotten.


    The next day, after a night of washing, the sky was clear and blue.


    Xie Zhen slept until the noon, when she was finally strangled awake.


    She only felt that she was out of breath, and that her entire body was bound and in great difort.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw that Yan Yu was clinging to her like a big dog, wrapping her in a tight embrace.


    No wonder she felt sick.


    Her mind was sluggish as she thought back to the scene fromst night. He said that he was afraid of the thunder, so she had barely let him hug her for a while ¡­


    Then they all seemed to be asleep?


    Xie Zhen pushed him away in a muddle, almost kicking him out of bed. ¡°You, you get up!¡±


    Yan Yu was awakened by themotion. He frowned and slowly opened his eyes.


    When he woke up, he looked a littlezy. His pretty face had lost its edge, his cor was slightly open, and his eyes were misty. All of this made Xie Zhen at loss for a second.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    he asked uprehendingly when he saw her.


    Xie Zhen came to herself, and retreated to the corner of the bed. ¡°You¡¯re still asking me?¡±


    ¡°This ¡­¡±


    ¡°This is my bed. ¡±


    He woke up with a sound of ¡°En¡±ing out of his slumber. He pursed his lips and actually acted like a rascal. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s already dawn, so there¡¯s no harm in sleeping a little longer.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and really wanted to sleep.


    How could Xie Zhen let him do that? She pushed and shoved him out of bed.


    She called the servant maids over and had them watch from outside the door. No one was allowed to enter. After changing her clothes, she went outside to wash her hair.


    Yan Yu had already changed into a new set of clothes. At this moment, he was washing his face in front of the copper basin, returning to his usual noble and cold appearance.


    Qing Xia was wringing out the towel for him and was about to wipe his face when he expressionlessly epted the towel. He was not used to letting other women touch him.


    Hearing a voice behind him, he said without turning his head, ¡°After breakfast, I will bring you to a ce.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xie Zhen sat in front of the mirror and looked at him.


    He wouldn¡¯t say.


    Emperor Yuan Hui had specifically granted him ten days off for his newlywed vacation, so he didn¡¯t need to enter the imperial court for the next ten days.


    Instead of staying at home and having nothing to do, he might as well find some fun.


    After breakfast he led her out.


    There were puddles everywhere in the yard, and if one wasn¡¯t careful, they would step into puddles and ssh on the muddy water.


    Xie Zhen walked carefully, holding her skirt trailing behind him, and now he learned to wait for her, asionally offering his hand and leading her from the other side.


    So along the way, Xie Zhen found they were walking in potholes.


    When they finally reached the cobblestone path, the road was easier to walk on, and just as Xie Zhen was relieved, a big puppy popped out of the grass and called out to her.


    She let out a cry and went forward to tightly hold Yan Yu¡¯s hand, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu!¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s body stiffened. He followed her gaze and said, ¡°It won¡¯t bite.¡±


    She said, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Yan Yu broke off a branch from a nearby tree and waved it away.


    She was relieved.


    The two of them continued to walk forward. She hadpletely forgotten what she just blurted out, but it caused quite a ripple in his heart.


    After the wedding, she didn¡¯t call him by his name, nor did she call him Your Highness. Did she still think of him as big brother Xiao Yu?


    Finally they stopped in front of a yard.


    ¡°Spring Blossom Castle?¡±

 Chapter 55 - Childish Things

    <h4>Chapter 55 - Childish Things</h4>


    The name of Spring Blossom Castle, once ran through the whole of Xie Zhen¡¯s childhood.


    Most of her joys and sorrows had happened here.


    At that time, Xie Liqing had built she and Xie Xun a house like this. Both of them had spent most of the day in it. It contained a vine swing, a small bridge, and two small turtles they raised.


    Every time someone came to visit them, they would invite their little friends to Spring Blossom Castle.


    As she grew older, she and Xie Xun still often went there and sat on their swings and whisper to each other, though they were no longer as noisy as they had been when they were children. When they returned to the capital, the things in Spring Blossom Castle could not be moved over, so they had no choice but to give up.


    So when she saw these three words, her first reaction was shock, then surprise.


    She walked up the steps, leaving Yan Yu behind, and walked impatiently into the yard.


    The scene was the same as before. In the middle of the courtyard, there was a wisteria rack. All the wisteria flowers had withered away, leaving behind only a few withered yellow branches. There was a swing beside it, and on the left was a small arched bridge with streams running under it. She walked to the water¡¯s edge and saw more than a dozen carps and two turtles, one big and one small.


    Surprised, she walked to the bridge and looked down. Her eyes were filled with joy. ¡°Big Qiansui and Little Qiansui!¡±


    On closer look, the patterns on the turtle shell were somewhat different, but it was enough. Seeing this, she was already very satisfied.


    When she got off the bridge, she kepting to the swing, swinging it back and forth, holding the rope, and looking at Yan Yu with a bright smile. ¡°Why did youe up with the idea to build this yard?¡±


    Yan Yu had been following her ever since she had rashly run in, watching her run from here to there, then from there to here. But somehow, seeing her so happy, his heart blossomed like a flower, one flower after another filling his chest.


    He tilted his head and looked away. ¡°This courtyard is too remote. There¡¯s no need for it. So I¡¯ll use it to build something for you.¡±


    After finish speaking, he turned to check Xie Zhen¡¯s reaction.


    Xie Zhen tilted her head, her eyes sparkling before saying softly, ¡°But I like it.¡±


    When she smiled, her cheeks had a shallow pear swirl, her eyes were curved, like the crescent moon, bright and bright.


    Yan Yu¡¯s ears were red, and the blush was spreading to his face. He stood under the sun and struggled, ¡°Oh ¡­¡± After a short pause, he added, ¡°It¡¯s good as long as you like it.¡±


    Xie Zhen really liked it. It would be better if only she could get Xie Xun to join her too. But she was grateful, for whatever reason, that he had the heart to build her a ce like this.


    ¡°Can I bring Ah Xun inter?¡± he asked.


    He nodded. The yard belonged to her anyway, and she could bring anyone she wanted. ¡°Of course.¡±


    She looked up at him. ¡°And my brother?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She then asked, ¡°And my father and mother?¡±


    He was patient. ¡°Sure.¡±


    She seemed excited and said many names in session, ¡°And Yaoan? And Ling Xiangyun? And Xie Ying and Xie Yin?¡±


    The corners of his eyes twitched. ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    After a long time, she asked, ¡°And you?¡±


    He was stunned for a moment, then he could not restrain his delight, but he insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t like these things.¡± When he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he immediately regretted it and hurriedly added, ¡°But I can apany you.¡±


    Unfortunately, by the time he said this, Xie Zhen was distracted by something else.


    Behind the tree, there was a mottled deer. Its round eyes seemed rather familiar. She walked over, surprised and pleased. ¡°Hey, you. Are you the deer at Mingqiu Lake? ¡±


    The deer, of course, would not answer her. She turned to Yan Yu, who was still lost in the conversation and nodded absently.


    Did she hear what he said next?


    If so, why not she say something? If she didn¡¯t hear it, why did she get over it so quickly?


    Unaware of his entanglement, Xie Zhen sidles around behind the deer and grabbed its tail. ¡°Why are you here? Who brought you here? ¡±


    Frightened, the deer broke free of her grip and ran quickly behind Yan Yu, showing a pair of antlers and a pair of eyes in curiosity and fear.


    ¡°You brought it back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, trying to repeat what he¡¯d just said. ¡°Xie Zhen, I¡­¡±


    The deer ran away from him, and she hurried after it: ¡°Wait for me!¡±


    Yan Yu was speechless.


    Finally the deer was chased out of the way and plopped into the pool, with Xie Zhen right behind it, who was unable to dodge in time and was sshed all over with water. The carps, rmed, scuttled around.


    With beads of water on her face, she just stood there.


    Yan Yu walked over. He didn¡¯t expect her to be like this in such a short time. After being stunned, he wiped her face with his sleeve and angrily asked: ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to dodge?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t control his strength. The cloth rubbed hard against her delicate face, and she couldn¡¯t help protesting, ¡°It hurts.¡±


    Yan Yu stared at her, but the strength in his hands was noticeably lighter.


    He wiped the droplets off her face little by little and said in an unkind tone, ¡°The deer is so funny?¡±


    She said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±


    After a while, his sleeves gradually changed to hands, and he slowly rubbed his fingers over her eyes, unwilling to part with them.


    After waiting for a long time, Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Did you clean it?¡±


    He said no, and touched her cheek a few more times before letting go. Her skin was unblemished,like white tofu, smooth and tender.


    He took her hand before she could go and coughed. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡±


    She was puzzled. ¡°Which part?¡±


    Looking at her expression, she really hadn¡¯t heard anything. Yan Yu pressed his eyebrows together and angrily asked, ¡°What are you running around for if you didn¡¯t hear it?¡±


    Xie Zhen winced, fear shing in her eyes.


    He managed to make her smile again, and when he scolded her, she drew back into her shell. Yan Yu¡¯s heart ached and he felt vexed. His tone of voice couldn¡¯t help but lighten a lot as he repeated, ¡°In the future, whenever you want toe here, I will bring you.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded, but stopped smiling.


    She knew she was smug, but that made sense. How could she not be happy when she saw the exact same scene as when she was young?


    Was he angry because she was so presumptuous?


    On the way back, Xie Zhen stopped talking.


    Yan Yu walked distractedly in front, not knowing why she suddenly fell silent. Wasn¡¯t she fine just now? Could it be that if he was a little more fierce with her, she would get angry?


    He scowled and ignored everyone.


    He walked a little way without hearing a sound behind him, and when he looked back, he saw that Xie Zhen was walking slowly behind him, holding up her skirt. He pursed his lips, strode back, stopped in front of her, bent down, and, without a word of exnation, picked her up, and as he walked he asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk?¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked, grasped his sleeve subconsciousnessly. ¡°Talk What?¡±


    Yan Yu asked, ¡°The road is not easy to walk, why didn¡¯t you tell me to wait for you?¡±


    She was baffled and felt that this person was simply capricious. ¡°Didn¡¯t we have an argument?¡±


    He paused, his dark eyes staring straight at her. ¡°Who said we had an argument?¡±


    His eyes were like a deep water, like bottomless abyss, making her easy to drown. ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t hit me or shout at me.¡±


    He felt guilty.


    Sure enough, her next sentence was, ¡°You shouted at me just now.¡±


    Yan Yu tried to exin, ¡°That is¡­¡±


    It was a pity that he was unable to make heads or tails of it.


    As they were making their way out of the most difficult part of the road, Xie Zhen got out of his arms and saw the main courtyard ahead of them, where she could walk on her own.


    Returning to the main courtyard, the two maids stood together.


    Shuang Yu and Qing Xia ushered her into the main room. Shuang Yu turned to pour tea, but Qing Xia repeatedly looked out the door.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Xie Zhen asked suddenly after noticing it.

 Chapter 56 - Countermove

    <h4>Chapter 56 - Countermove</h4>


    Xie Zhen had already known that the maid was not in the right mood, but she simply did not pointed it out.


    Last time, Yan Yu told everyone in the room to leave, but she didn¡¯t. She said she was worried that they wouldn¡¯t be on good terms with each other. Since then, Xie Zhen knew that this was a restless maid. She was usually quite honest, but today her performance was too obvious. She probably couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, so she exposed her ws.


    Qing Xia was suddenly called out, and panic shed across her face. Quickly, she lowered her head and said, ¡°Empress, I am not looking at anything.¡±


    Xie Zhen was not easily fooled. She gave her ackadaisical look. ¡°Not looking at anything?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sitting here for a while, but you didn¡¯t pour the tea, where are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­.¡± Qing Xia wanted to say something, but she hesitated. She wanted to say that Shuang Yu had gone to pour some tea ¡­ But they had no room to refute what their master had said.


    Xie Zhen insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯m going to sell you to a trader in human beings.¡± she threatened.


    Qing Xia¡¯s face paled. They had alle out from the hands of the trades and knew what kind of life it was. Every day, the traders would always scold them, and there hadn¡¯t been a single good meal. She was immediately terrified and honestly exined, ¡°In earlier I saw that you went out with His Highness, but now only youe back. Out of curiosity, I gave you a few more nces.¡± She then admitted her mistake in fear and trepidation, ¡°I know my mistake.I won¡¯t dare to look around in the future and begged the Empress not to sell me.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Yu stepped in from outside. Upon hearing Qing Xia¡¯s words, he looked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the selling thing?¡±


    Qing Xia was sobbing. Looking at Xie Zhen, it seemed that she wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t dare to say.


    Xie Zhen held her head with ong of her hands. ¡°If there are any disobedient maids in the house, can I make the decision?¡±


    Yan Yu held another matter in his heart and said casually: ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked towards Qing Xia, smiling, ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    For a moment, Qing Xia was both ashamed and humiliated, but she quickly turned into a submissive manner, bowing slightly. ¡°I heard you, may the Empress give me another chance, and I will do my best to serve you.¡±


    Xie Zhen asked her to leave. When she reached the door, Xie Zhen called out, ¡°You¡¯ve juste into the mansion, and many things you did are not as good as the Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan. Just follow them for a few days to help them.¡±


    The eight servant maids were originally of the same status. They were all personal attendants of the Sixth Prince and the Empress. This way, only the status of Qing Xia was lower than others of them by a level. Qing Xia¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. She subconsciously looked at Yan Yu, but Yan Yu didn¡¯t even nce at her. He waspletely focused on coaxing his wife.


    As soon as Qing Xia was leaving, Shuang Yu came in with a cup of tea. Just as she was about to ask what caused Qing Xia¡¯s eyes to turn red, she saw the strange atmosphere between Xie Zhen and Yan Yu. She was with good eyesight, so she left without saying anything.


    As soon as all of them left, Yan Yu said: ¡°I spoke too loudly.¡±


    The meaning behind his words was that he wasn¡¯t yelling her on purpose.


    Xie Zhen tilted her head. ¡°How loudly?¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°As loudly as I did just now.¡±


    All right. Xie Zhen¡¯s lips pursed. She added, ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you apologize to me now?¡±


    He turned his head and looked at her incredulously.


    The look in his eyes probably meant ¡ª I¡¯ve said to this point, why should I apologize?


    Xie Zhen knew it was impossible to hear an apology from him, so she didn¡¯t force him. ¡°So, every time you break your promise, just let me stay with my family for one more day, okay?¡±


    Yan Yu thought for a while and nodded in agreement.


    In any case, he thought he would only make this one mistake and let her stay at home for a day at most.


    Qing Xia was assigned to Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan as a helper, with a sense of dissatisfaction.


    Probably she was crazy. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was Xie Zhen who was hindering her future. She was not convinced, but maintained herposure. She still did her best to do things for Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan. All the maidservants liked her, and even were willing to let her bring the desserts and tea to the living room.


    asionally, she would meet Yan Yu alone in the room. Then she would exchange a few words with him.


    Today, it should be Cui Shan¡¯duty to bring tea to the study, but Cui Shan was notfortable, so she asked her to do it. Yan Yu was alone in the study room. He sat by the bed, quietly reading a book. She stepped forward and gently called out, ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Without raising his head, Yan Yu knocked on the edge of the table. ¡°Put it down.¡±


    She put down the tea and desserts, putting them one by one in a very slow manner, ¡°What is Your Highness reading?¡±


    Yan Yu did not give her any face, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡±


    She did not flinch and said in a soft voice, ¡°When I was young, Father could read, so he taught me a few words. Unfortunately, I was too poor to afford the ink and paper, so I did not continue.¡±


    Yan Yu asked coldly, ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡±


    When he was not interested, his answers were usually divided into two categories: ¡°What¡¯s it to do with you¡± and ¡°What¡¯s it to do with me¡±.


    Qing Xia did not give up, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you want to try some deserts ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen was not enthusiam at him in these days. He was hurt, so he wanted to be alone for a moment by reading books. However, he did not expect it to not be quiet anywhere. He only felt that this woman really had a lot of nonsense to say. Why was she still standing there after giving him deserts? He looked at her coldly and said bluntly, ¡°You may leave now.¡±


    Qing Xia was disappointed as she bowed and retreated.


    As soon as she left the study room, she saw Shuang Yu walking towards her. Shuang Yu were very enthusiastic when she saw her. ¡°Little Sister Qing Xia, there¡¯s a dirty floor in the porch. I don¡¯t have time to clean it up. Help me wipe it clean.¡±


    Just as Qing Xia was about to refuse, Shuang Yu added, ¡°Normally at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, this work is done by me and Shuang Yan. After all, it¡¯s not a big deal, so I¡¯ll do it if I can.¡±


    With that, she walked far away.


    She had said it on purpose, and there was no reason for her to refuse when she said it, because Xie Zhen had told her to help her and Shuang Yan.


    Qing Xia stood in the Gallery veranda, and a trace of hostility rose inher eyes.


    Shuang Yu left the study and went straight to the main room, while Xie Zhen was sitting inside. She went in and recounted what she had heard, then suggested, ¡°You can¡¯t keep a maid like that, mistress.¡±


    Her bones were restless, and she would not take long to climb onto her master¡¯s bed. Now that Xie Zhen and Yan Yu had just gotten married, the servant maid was already ready to make a move. How good would it be after a period of time? She stood next to Xie Zhen and whispered into her ear earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s not onlyQing Xia ¡­All the maids serving in this courtyard must be properly managed.¡±


    Xie Zhen had the same feeling. ¡°So what do you say I should do about it?¡± she asked curiously.


    Shuang Yu had stayed with the Madam Leng for two or three years. At that time, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing still lived in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and had not moved to Qingzhou yet. Shuang Yu had seen a lot of such cases, so she was good at dealing with it. She whispered in her ear for a moment, then said, ¡°Mistress just needs to make an example, and the rest of them will know how to restrain themselves.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded thoughtfully. After that, she was a little confused. Why would she do that? What did it have to do with her if whoever wanted to hook up with Yan Yu?


    She thought for a moment until she found it was probably because she didn¡¯t like being fooled.


    The fifteenth day of the month was thest day of Yan Yu¡¯s vacation.


    At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. On a whim, Xie Zhen set a table of dishes in a pavilion in the yard and ate while admiring the moon.


    She invited Yan Yu to join her, and they sat at the same table, facing each other.


    Xie Zhen was smiling. She picked up a liquor saturated shrimp for him. ¡°You try this. It¡¯s my favorite dish.¡±


    Yan Yu did not like these things that needed to be peeled off. He found them troublesome, but since she was the one who picked up, he could just barely taste it. He took off shrimp¡¯s head and tail, peeled off the shell, and put it in his mouth to chew.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Xie Zhen asked expectantly.


    Other than the freshness of the meat, there was nothing special about it. Yan Yu nodded reluctantly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She smiled and picked up one for herself.


    Yan Yu barely moved his chopsticks. He had been watching her eat all the time, but in the end, his gaze made her ufortable all over her body. She stopped and asked, ¡°What are you watching me for?¡±


    She had just finished a bite of the sweet and sour sweet, and there was a little soup on the corner of her mouth, but she did not mind. She stuck out her tongue and gently licked it, unaware that it made his throat tighten.


    Yan Yu hurriedly averted his gaze and said hoarsely, ¡°Why did you call me here?¡±


    She pointed to the top of her head. ¡°To admire the moon.¡±


    Tonight the moon was like a silver te, bright and round, high in the sky, with branches on either side of it, as if one could reach out and touch it.


    However, Yan Yu didn¡¯t believe this answer. A few days ago, she treat him neither hostile nor friendly, and he even suggested taking her to Spring Blossom Castle. She didn¡¯t even agree, so why did she suddenly be friendly towards him today ¡­ Yan Yu believed there must be something strange in it. As for what it was, he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it.


    At that moment, Tan Mei brought a pot of wine over, interrupting all of his thoughts. He blocked the wine pot, ¡°You don¡¯t need to serve wine.¡±


    This wine was actually asked by Xie Zhen. ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.


    She didn¡¯t know how drunk she¡¯d been thest time she¡¯d drunk a ss of cross-cupped wine.


    Yan Yu looked at her with mockery in his eyes, ¡°Do you know what you looks like when you are drunk?¡±


    She shook her head like a rattle. ¡°I was drunk?¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t want to exin anything to her, so he just let Tan Mei carry the wine down.


    It was fine if they didn¡¯t drink, but they would eat and admire the moon. Halfway through the meal, she said she was going back to the room to take something, and she said to Yan Yu: ¡°You lie down on the table, close your eyes, and don¡¯t peep.¡±


    Yan Yu frowned, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡± she said mysteriously.


    At first, Yan Yu didn¡¯t want to do it, but when he met her gaze of expectation, he could only do so expressionlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes,¡± she repeated several times. When she saw that Yan Yu was lying t on the table, not moving at all, she quickly ran back into the room and rummaged through her things.


    A hot dish had just been prepared in the kitchen over there, and the cook was too busy to help out. So he asked Qing Xia to serve the dish.


    When Qing Xia arrived, Yan Yu was still lying prone on the stone table, half of his handsome face exposed. His eyes were closed, as if he had fallen asleep.


    She took the dish out of the box and set it on the table. He still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    So she dared toe up to him and put her hand on the back of his hand on the table.


    Before she could take it back, she was grabbed by the wrist by a strong force. It was so strong that she immediately cried out in pain.


    Yan Yu opened his eyes and looked at her coldly.

 Chapter 57 - Begging

    <h4>Chapter 57 - Begging</h4>


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Qing Xia spoke incoherently, stuttering.


    He asked nothing but said quietly, ¡°How dare you.¡±


    At the same time, Xie Zhen came out of the room empty-handed. Originally, she didn¡¯t want to take anything, but just to draw out Qing Xia. She stood outside the pavilion and quietly watched the scene.


    Qing Xia turned back to look at Xie Zhen, then realized that she had fallen into a trap and revealed a pitiful expression: ¡°Empress, why did you set me up¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen was somehow amused. This was the first time she had seen someone who could turn ck and white around. ¡°Who are you? Do you think I¡¯m trying to set up you?¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t that she harbored evil intentions, how would she be caught red-handed?


    Then, Qing Xia looked at Yan Yu and kneeled on the ground, holding onto his robe while begging for mercy, ¡°Your Highness, please listen to my exnation ¡­When I saw you sleeping in the pavilion, I was worried that you would get cold, so I wanted to test the warmth of your hand. Please, your highness, spare me this time!¡±


    That¡¯s a good reason.


    It was a pity that Yan Yu didn¡¯t want to waste too much time on her, so he got someone to invite the steward here.


    Steward Zhao arrived not longter, and he heard someone exin what was going on. Once he arrived at the pavilion, he knelt down before scolding Qing Xia, ¡°You truly ate the guts of a leopard and didn¡¯t know what was good for you!¡±


    Qing Xia drooped her eyes and said nothing.


    Yan Yu called out to him, ¡°How should we deal with this, you decide.¡±


    He got up and walked out of the pavilion, pausing to look at Xie Zhen as he passed. Then, sullenly and expressionlessly, he took her hand and led her into the room.


    Xie Zhen felt guilty. She knew she was using him, so she let him pull her along.


    Only the servants were left in the pavilion. Steward Zhao stood up and red at Qing Xia without mercy, his face full of sarcasm, ¡°You don¡¯t even look at your own identity, how dare you do such a thing in front of the empress¡¯ eyes! Now that you have such an ending, you can¡¯t me anyone else.¡±


    Both of Qing Xia¡¯s hands were on the ground, her palms clenched into fists. She was extremely unwilling to ept this oue.


    No matter what Steward Zhao said, she insisted that she wanted to test out Yan Yu¡¯s temperature.


    In the end, Steward Zhao was annoyed by her. Originally, he only wanted to lower her to a low-level maidservant and let her sweep the courtyard, but now he temporarily changed his mind. He wanted her to go to the southwest corner of the backyard to clean the closestool.


    In the past, Qing Xia was still the private maidservant who served her master. It was good fir her food and shelter. If her master was happy, she might even be bestowed one or two pieces of gold and silver jewellery, making her look much better than the other maidservants. Suddenly, she was told to clean the closestool, which was even worse than sweeping the yard as a low-level maidservant. Her face was green and white as she tugged on Steward Zhao¡¯s clothes, begging for mercy, ¡°No ¡­Steward, I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡±


    Steward Zhao waved her hand away without any hesitation, ¡°Either clean the closestool or sell you again. Pick one.¡±


    Most of the maidservants that were bought home and then sold away were not good choices to the rich families. Almost every day, they would be scolded by traders, and she had seen this before. What was even more terrifying was that they would strip her of her clothes ¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but cringe as she thought of that scene. With tears in her eyes, she said in a humiliated tone, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Steward Zhao said indifferently, ¡°Since you want to go, then go back to your room and pack up your luggage. I will bring you to where you will stay in the future.¡±


    Qing Xia stood up and swept her gaze to the side, only to realize that there were many people looking at her, including the good sisters she had known in the past. Cui Shan didn¡¯t say a word, who turned around and talked to Lv Ao, pretending not to see her.


    Her heart was dead, and she walked past them with her head bowed.


    Inside, Xie Zhe stood in front of Yan Yu with her hands behind her back, looking like she had admitted her mistake.


    Yan Yu was very angry, but when he was angry, he would not show it. His face was cold, so dark that it was like the bottom of a pan. He would only re at her fiercely.


    If one looked closely, they would see resentment in his eyes.


    Xie Zhen looked up at him, caught his eye, then lowered her head in panic, and continued to stand properly.


    Yan Yu waited for a long time, but before she could speak, he purposely asked: ¡°Where are the things you took?¡±


    Xue Zhen took nothing. She¡¯d been looking for something to make do with, but as she rummaged through the room, there were only some hairpin bracelets the girls loved at home, and she would have been disdainful to give them to him. So she gave up and came back empty-handed.


    Now that she was asked, she could do nothing but take her hands from behind her back and hold them up in front of him. ¡°I have a heart of my own here.¡±


    Yan Yu was really to be angered to death by her. He red at her big, watery eyes, wishing he could teach her a lesson. He had never seen anyone spout such nonsense. What did she mean by that? Did she take him for a fool? Annoyed, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t You have anything to tell me?¡±


    Xie Zhen quickly answered, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    He looked slightly better. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    She pursed her pink lips and her eyes blurred before finally looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yan Yu was stunned, and all his anger vanished in an instant. However, he still did not want to let her off the hook. ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    She knew what she had did, very well. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you in advance that I used you.I¡¯m sorry, but don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Unlike Yan Yu, she knew how to make amends and apologies, and unlike someone else, who didn¡¯t want to say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± even if he would be beaten to death.


    Yan Yu opened his mouth, wanting to say that it was not only so. Not only did he mind this, but she had pushed him into someone else¡¯s arms. Even though he knew it was a trap, he still couldn¡¯t let go of it. Didn¡¯t he have a tiny bit of weight in her heart?


    But he ignored one thing that if he didn¡¯t have a bit of weight, why should Xie Zhen be so upset about Qing Xia?


    It was a fundamental question, but neither of them found it.


    Xie Zhen was trying to curry favor with him. She went forward and tugged his sleeve, ¡°Do you still want to eat?¡±


    He was already full, full of anger. How would he could eat any more? Yan Yu stared at the small hand on his sleeve and snorted coldly. But his words changed the way as he spoke out, ¡°It¡¯s windy outside. Get the maid to bring the dishes into the house.¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled and her eyes curled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    His face was stern, but he did not take his eyes off her.


    The meal on the table did not been eaten for much. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan brought them up after they warmed them up again. Xie Zhen and Yan Yu sat on either side of the table. Seeing that she liked to eat liquor saturated shrimps, but she was toozy to peel them herself, Yan Yu quietly peeled shrimps and gave them to her, ¡°It¡¯s done, you eat it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± she asked.


    He used a towel to wipe his hands before lowering his eyes and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t like eating shrimps.¡±


    She replied with an ¡°oh¡± sound and moved automatically to sit beside him. Picking up a piece of shrimp meat and dipping it in the sauce, she ced it in her mouth and tilted her head to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s very delicious.¡±


    She had a smile in her eyes and a slight smirk on her lips. When she spoke, her eyes were all on him.


    Yan Yu suddenly wanted to try the taste of the shrimp in her mouth.


    He held himself back, but unfortunately, his mind was not on the food. For the whole meal time, he did not even move his chopsticks a few times. When Xie Zhen asked why he didn¡¯t eat, he said he was full.


    Even though he was full, he wouldn¡¯t like to stand up and apanied her all the way to the end of the meal.


    The next day Yan Yu left before dawn.


    As soon as Xie Zhen got up, she sat in front of the brass mirror and listened to Shuang Yu talk about Qing Xia¡¯s fate. When she had finished, she asked Shuang Yan to tell other servants that if anyone did not behave, they would end up in the same way as in Qing Xia.


    Shuang Yu had finishedbing her hair and were about to leave to prepare breakfast when they heard someone from the front courtyard say, ¡°Empress¡¯ family member wants to meet you.¡±


    When Xie Zhen heard it in the inner room, she came out and asked in surprise, ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±


    The servant said, ¡°It¡¯s the sixth Miss of Xie Family.¡±


    Ah Xun?


    She was overjoyed. After changing her clothes, she walked out. Not waiting for anyone, she walked in front like a gust of wind. At the door of the living room, she saw Xie Xun was sitting there and drinking some tea. When she saw her, she smiled and said, ¡°Ah¡¯Sis!¡±


    She stepped forward and sat beside Xie Xun. ¡°Why are you here? Father, and mother know it? Why you didn¡¯t tell me before you came?¡±


    Xie Wei shrank her neck and whispered in her ear, ¡°I sneaked in here, father and mother don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Ah Xun, you are getting more and more daring. What if you are in danger?¡±


    Xie Xun had no choice but to say, ¡°I have something to say to elder sister ¡­¡±


    Judging from her worried expression, it must not be a small matter. Reluctantly, Xie Zhen forgave her, taking her out to the backyard to talk to her at Spring Flowers Castle, and showing her around the yard.


    Xie Xun was overjoyed after looking around, just like she was on that day. She sat side by side with Xie Zhen under the flower rack. ¡°My brother-inw was so nice to you!¡±


    Xie Zhen was not used to the term ¡°brother-inw¡±, so she only realized that she was naming Yan Yu after a long time.


    She went straight to the point. ¡°Say it, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xie Xun pursed her lips and frowned a little, looking like being an adult. ¡°It¡¯s about father.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with father?¡± Xie Zhen got to be serious.


    ¡°Father has been idling at home for several months, and there¡¯s no news from the supervisor. The supervisor only said that he should wait for the Han Lin Academy¡¯s idleness. Our eldest uncle¡¯s career has gone smoothly, just like the sun in the sky. So does third uncle¡¯s career. Only our father has a bleak path ahead of him. He¡¯s in a bad mood recently, so both me and Mother are worried for him.¡± Xie Xun had lost some weight in thest two days, exposing her pointed chin. Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t noticed it until now. Now she looked up at her eagerly, and she realized it. She continued, ¡°Father and mother discussed it yesterday. They wanted to invite brother-inw to say something nice in front of His Majesty so he could quickly take on the role ¡­Later on, father and mother felt that you had just married and that it would make you trouble if they did this, so they gave up on this n.¡±


    With that, Xie Xun felt a little embarrassed. ¡°But ¡­If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t find it troublesome.¡±


    Thest sentence was almost soundless. ¡°Is elder sister thinking the same as I do ¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s the same,¡± Xie Zhen touched her hair, and said with a smile.


    Her eyes lit up, and she put her arms around her. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    After a moment of silence, she finally remembered to ask, ¡°Will Brother-inw not agree?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought for a moment, and felt it was not impossible. After all, Yan Yu was very unpredictable. No one knew what he was thinking all the time¡­ But she would try to convince him.


    After the court dispersed, Yan Yu and several other ministers went to the imperial study.


    After defeating the Western Yi¡¯s army, the border towns needed to use up a lot of financial resources to rebuild. Recently, Emperor Yuan Hui had been hesitating over who should supervise the rebuilding matter. The Crown Prince Yan Tao had only been there a few years ago, and Emperor Yuan Hui nned to slowly hand over the government to him, so it was not appropriate for him to do it. Among the remaining princes, only the First Prince, Third Prince and Sixth Prince could carry out such a heavy responsibility.


    As for the Sixth Prince, he had just gotten married and was already able to break up the couple even before the they got emotionally attached to each other. It didn¡¯t seem to be too kind ¡­.


    The emperor and his officials had been discussing all morning, but they had yet toe to a conclusion.


    Emperor Yuan Hui waved for everyone to leave, and let them return home.


    By the time Yan Yu came back, Xie Zhen was not sure how to say.


    She helped him wipe his hands for the first time, then she cleaned the handkerchief herself and handed it to him. ¡°Have you eaten at the pce yet?¡±


    He said no and looked at her again. ¡°You have something to say?¡±


    She nodded, realizing at thest moment how difficult it was to speak. ¡°I¡­ I have something I want to trouble you with. ¡±


    Yan Yu asked straightforwardly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    It was as if he would say yes to anything she said.


    So she told him about Xie Xun¡¯s visit today, and about what Xie Liqing was going through in official circles. In the end, shecked confidence and said, ¡°Can you help my father?¡±


    Originally, she thought that he definitely wouldn¡¯t agree. He didn¡¯t have much hope, but unexpectedly, he happily nodded his head and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Xie Zhen wondered if she had heard wrong and kept asking, ¡°Really, really?¡±


    He said yes, having no intention of making things difficult for her.


    In fact, Yan Yu originally intended to do this, not only because of Xie Zhen, but also because of Xie Liqing¡¯s ability. In just a few short years, he managed Qingzhou so it waspletely changed. If it wasn¡¯t for being impeached by others in the government, it was likely that he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in the same situation today. It just so happened that a few border towns needed to be rebuilt. He could rmend Xie Liqing to the Emperor. If he did well and won the favor of the Emperor, he would definitely have boundless prospects in the future.


    He didn¡¯t tell Xie Zhen that, and it wouldn¡¯t be toote to wait until everything was settled.


    ¡°I have a condition,¡± he said, suddenly changing the way he looked at the shining eyes of Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen withdrew her smile, and became serious. ¡°What condition?¡±


    He looked away ufortably and said dryly, ¡°Give me a kiss.¡±


    Xie Zhen hadn¡¯t expected that he would make such a request, so she was first stunned, then nervous. ¡°W¡­why?¡±


    Everything was fine, why did the topic change so suddenly?


    For a moment he couldn¡¯t think of a good excuse, but it was true that he wanted to kiss her. Ever since the first day he married her, he had been coveting her tender lips, not daring to utter a single word. Now that he finally had the chance, he couldn¡¯t let it go.


    But what excuse?


    Should he tell her that he had been secretly fond of her for a long time? He couldn¡¯t say.


    Yan Yu noticed that she did not move. He frowned and pressed, ¡°will you kiss or not?¡±


    The two of them had a small, unreadable feeling in their hearts, so neither of them said anything. Even though Xie Zhen knew his request was unreasonable, she still said, ¡°Then¡­then you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he said.


    The maidservants had long since tactfully retreated. She walked in front of him. He was too tall, so she simply couldn¡¯t reach him.


    ¡°Lower your head.¡± she said.


    He bent down and gave her the side of his face, his chest pounding.


    She closed her eyes and pecked him quickly in the face. Then she took a few steps back, turned, and ran into the inner room.


    Yan Yu froze on the spot, touching the spot where she had kissed him.


    Itsted for a long time.

 Chapter 58 - Misunderstanding Cleared Up

    <h4>Chapter 58 - Misunderstanding Cleared Up</h4>


    Arriving at the study room, Yan Yu asked Wu Ze to gather all the things Xie Liqing had done while he was in Qing Zhou.


    After Wu Ze left, he sat behind the desk and touched his face from time to time.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s lips were soft and warm, touching his face with timidity and shyness, and he didn¡¯t even have time to look at her expression before she ran away.


    He didn¡¯t know how he had thought at the time, so when he got hot enough to ask, he didn¡¯t know how to face Xie Zhen, so he hid himself in the study and spent the afternoon.


    Wu Ze went to the Crown Prince¡¯s residence and brought back a lot of information. There were two stacks of documents.


    The Crown Prince had recently investigated the matter and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of Lin Rui.


    Lin Rui is the eldest prince¡¯s henchman. The eldest prince was born of the former empress, while the former empress died when he was six years old. Emperor Yuan Hui had made him the crown prince, but when he was ten years old, he tried to kill his second brother, Yan Tao, and was found out by Emperor Yuan Hui. Then the emperor exempted him from the crown prince¡¯s position on the grounds of his brutal temperament, and he had changed the position of the crown prince to the second prince, Yan Tao.


    Throughout all these years, the First Prince had been hiding in the dark, umting his strength and energy. It was unknown when he would bite back.


    The Crown Prince had been afraid of the First Prince for so long that he had thought of ways to get rid of his men.


    Yan Yu opened a stack of documents that recorded Qing Zhou¡¯s tax lists and military strength for the past ten years. He looked through the pages and realized that Xie Liqing truly had some skill and shouldn¡¯t have been left unupied at home.


    He also didn¡¯t know what the Emperor Yuan Hui was nning. He didn¡¯t let him stay in Qing Zhou, nor did he give him any words of confirmation.


    Yan Yu kept reading from day to night, and thest rays of light from the evening sun slipped down from the western mountains. It quickly darkened, but he remained in a posture the entire time.


    At first, it was for Xie Zhen, but gradually, he was attracted by Xie Liqing¡¯s ability and skills. He didn¡¯t seem tired at all. With a jolt of his mind, he realized that it was alreadyte at night.


    He called Wu Ze over, rubbed his forehead and asked, ¡°What time?¡±


    Wu Ze replied, ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s a quarter past seven.¡±


    It¡¯s sote.


    He got up, with his whole body stiff. He held down the papers he had prepared and walked out of the room. ¡°Has the Princess eaten yet?¡±


    Wu Ze had been standing outside the door the whole time, as he did not know.


    When he returned to the main room, there was an oilmp burning in the inner room. Through the window, he could see the shadows inside.


    Xie Zhen was sitting on thedy couch by the window, probably freshly showered. The servant maids was standing behind her,bing her hair. She tilted her head and sang softly.


    Her voice was as soft as ever, echoing through the window and softlying into Yan Yu¡¯s ears.


    Yan Yu stopped abruptly. He had only heard her sing a song once before, and just that single song, he would never forget it for the rest of his life.


    When he thought of her song, he would recall the first time they met.


    He listened for a moment, then went in through the front door.


    Xie Zhen caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eyes and remembered that she had just kissed him, so she felt a little embarrassed and a little shy.


    She grabbed the fan on the table and covered half of her face, revealing only her pair of ck eyes. With a flicker, she asked, ¡°Why are you back sote?¡±


    ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡±


    He thought she was going to care about him, but she said regretfully, ¡°But I did.¡±


    Yan Yu choked and asked her, ¡°You didn¡¯t leave any for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.


    Then she got up from the couch and asked Shang Yu to serve the meal.


    Knowing that he had been in the study, she did not disturb him, and was afraid that it would be more embarrassing for them to be in the same room, so she did not go to have dinner with him.


    Shang Yu warmed up the meal and brought it to the table.


    Sitting at the table, Yan Yu couldn¡¯t help but look towards the inner room.


    He finished a bowl of rice in two or three mouthfuls and went to the next side room to take a shower. When he came back, Xie Zhen had already gone to sleep in the side room.


    Lying in bed, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    He sat up, put on his shoes, and knocked on the door. ¡°Xie Zhen?¡±


    There was no respond.


    He pushed at the door but didn¡¯t push it open.


    He was somewhat disappointed. He had thought that their rtionship would progress after today¡¯s matter, but he never expected that she would still reject him thousands of miles away.


    After standing by the door for a while, he was about to leave when Tan Mei opened the door from the inside, yawning as she went to the toilet.


    Upon seeing him outside the door, her mouth was wide open. ¡°Your highness ¡­ your highness?¡±


    Yan Yu ignored her and walked straight into the room.


    Xie Zhen was lying in bed, with her back to him, sleeping.


    He closed the door behind him, bolted the door, and stepped over to the bed.


    He took off his shoes, got into bed, and slowlyy down beside her.


    ¡°Xie Zhen?¡±


    He called out, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    He leaned forward and took her hand in his, just in time to hold her in his arms.


    He put his ear close to hers and took a bite. His voice was low. ¡°Xie Zhen, wake up.¡±


    When Xie Zhen was waken up, it was dark, then she realized she was being held, and she turned to him and tried to resist. ¡°Who?¡±


    Yan Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Startled, she blurted out, ¡°Why is it you again?¡±


    Last time, he had barged in just like this. That time, he had been afraid of thunder. What was it this time?


    Xie Zhen tried to get out of his arms, but she was not as strong as he was, so for a long time she couldn¡¯t.


    She lowered her head and bit into his arm. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    Yan Yu frowned. No matter how she tried to bite him, he wouldn¡¯t let go of her.


    She finally got tired of making a ruckus and panted in his arms. ¡°You, you eat your words ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu asked, ¡°what words?¡±


    She said angrily, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t touch me, so why do you hug me?¡±


    Annoyed, she used, ¡°A big liar.¡±


    After a long pause, he finally said, ¡°I¡¯m not a liar.¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°You¨Care¨C¡±


    Her voice was long and drawn-out, as if she was arguing with him until the end of time!


    Yan Yu paused, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Anyway, he had never won an argument with her.


    It would be better to let her go, and make her happier.


    Xie Zhen lowered her head, and looked to the wall. ¡°What you say never counts. You always lie to me.¡±


    She tried to settle old scores, one by one. ¡°You promised that we sleep in separate rooms, but you came to my room on our wedding night, and Shang Yu told meter. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    He was silent and speechless.


    She added, ¡°You hugged me at that raining night and yelled at me another day.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a liar?¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t expect her to remember everything so clearly. His face was pale and green, but she couldn¡¯t see it clearly in the darkness, otherwise she would haveughed at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to anyone.¡±


    She said indignantly, ¡°Then you¡¯re lying to me alone?¡±


    He did not retort. It seemed that he had tacitly epted it.


    Xie Zhen recalled another matter. ¡°You used to say you were going to take me flying a kite, and then you left without a word, so you¡¯ve been a liar since you were a kid.¡±


    She grunted. ¡°Little liar when you were young, while big liar when you grew up.¡±


    Yan Yu was simply angered to death by her. He carried her to his chest with both hands, rolled over and pressed her under him. He bit her ear in anger: ¡°I can¡¯t even protect my own life, how can I fly a kite with you?¡±


    Xie Zhen was hardly breathing under his press, and tilted her head with confusing. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Auntie Song?¡±


    She had always wondered where Auntie Song was, but she had asked him, and he didn¡¯t tell her, and she had tactfully stopped.


    Since he spoke of it today, she couldn¡¯t help but ask again.


    Yan Yu was buried his head in her neck, and his overbearing posture disappeared in an instant, leaving only pain and powerlessness. He said, ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    Xie Zhen was shocked, with her mouth open, so for a moment she didn¡¯t say a word.


    She remembered that Auntie Song was a very gentle and skilled person. Every time she went to the Li family, Auntie Song would treat her warmly and call her ¡°Little Lamb¡± affectionately.


    After so long, she forgot about Auntie Song¡¯s appearance but still remembered her gentle smile.


    Her eyes suddenly became moist as she stammered, ¡°Then ¡­¡±


    ¡°What about your father?¡±


    He closed his eyes and shivered. ¡°He¡¯s dead, too.¡±


    The scene from a few years ago once again appeared in front of his eyes, and he still couldn¡¯t forget his father and mother¡¯s widened eyes, as well as the shards of blood.


    He watched them die in front of him, but he could do nothing about it.


    He thought that after so many years, he would only be left with hatred and no longer be in pain. He didn¡¯t expect that he would still be unable to control his emotions when facing her.


    Everything in his childhood had been destroyed, except for her, and she was still the same.


    So to him, she was precious.


    After a long moment, Xie Zhen said slowly, ¡°Get up.¡±


    He rolled away from her.


    The two of themy face to face, the moonlight streaming over them from the window, and Xie Zhen wiped his eyes with her sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± she said.


    Yan Yu looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡±


    She chuckled sweetly, ¡°I know you¡¯re holding it in. Actually, you can cry, but I won¡¯tugh at you.¡±


    Yan Yu stared at her, but in the end, he did not cry.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say tofort him. After all, she had never been experienced death of her family members.


    She wanted to ask who killed Auntie Song, but she was afraid that it would pierce his sore spot and he wouldn¡¯t tell her, so she didn¡¯t ask.


    The smile on her face gradually disappeared. She took the initiative to hold his hand and sniffled, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it was like this ¡­¡±


    He took her hand back. Perhaps it was her words that had done the job, perhaps it was because he had put up with it too hard. He had the urge to cry.


    He put his arms around her and held her tight to his chest. ¡°Can I hug you?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hugging him?¡±


    He held her closer so she wouldn¡¯t see his expression.


    After a long moment, Xie Zhen felt like her waist was about to be broken, and she twisted it. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±


    He asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°So, you left that time, it was not because you hated me?¡±


    Even though she usually didn¡¯t say anything, she did mind it in her heart.


    It had given her quite a blow, causing her to fall into depression for quite a while. When she grew up and met him again, she subconsciously felt a bit of fear.


    With the sudden exaltation of his identity, she was even more afraid to open her heart to him.


    Yan Yu held onto her waist, not letting her move. ¡°I hate you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    He rubbed his chin against the top of her head and said coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Xie Zhen tried to look up at him, but she could not move. ¡°Really?¡±


    He coldly snorted, ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips, and her hands quietly held to his sleeves. ¡°You¡¯re a big liar.¡±


    So he hadn¡¯t said those words before. So it was Ouyang Yi who had lied to her ¡­


    She felt that she wasughable. After being deceived for so long, why didn¡¯t she ask for confirmation?


    After he said that, the gap between the two of them was narrowed, and the barrier between them was broken at once, as same as that of many years ago.


    No, it was still a little different ¡­


    He rolled over on top of her and locked his eyes around her.


    She had a smile on her face, but she didn¡¯t realize how ambiguous her words were.


    Yan Yu leaned over and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I am truly a liar.¡±


    He found her lips and kissed them without hesitation.

 Chapter 59 - First Love

    <h4>Chapter 59 - First Love</h4>


    C59: First Love


    Yan Yu grabbed the lips in one gulp and finally ate the lips that had seduced him for a long time.


    Very soft, very sweet.


    At first they didn¡¯t know how to kiss, and he was outside gnawing and biting until her lips were swollen, and then he knew how to get inside and taste her mouth.


    His breathing grew heavy, and no matter what sound she made, he wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    He didn¡¯t have enough of it. Teenagers were always impulsive and full of energy. Now that he finally met the long-desired little girl, he couldn¡¯t bear to let her go, wanting to swallow her whole.


    Xie Zhen let out a moan, breathless from his kiss, her cheeks flushed red, ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    She finally pulled away, turning her head to catch her breath.


    Yan Yu was not much better off than she was. He looked at her with red eyes, and when she was done gasping for air, he held her head and continued to kiss her.


    There was no end to the kiss, and a quarter of an hourter, Xie Zhen was on the verge of crying and pushing him feebly. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Her mouth hurt when he bit her. Was he a dog?


    She never realized before that he actually had times to pester someone like this.


    Yan Yu let go of her lips and switched to kissing and gnawing on her face, first her eyes and then her ears, chewing on Xie Zhen¡¯s face until it was full of saliva.


    As he gnawed on her face, she wiped it with her sleeve, feeling that the scene was somewhat familiar. ¡°Don¡¯t bite anymore ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so dirty.¡±


    But then he stuck his tongue into her ear and said, ¡°I¡¯ve kissed you, and you think I¡¯m dirty?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s whole body went numb and half of her body went soft.


    Her left ear was very fragile. Normally, when someone was speaking into her ear, it would itch unbearably. But now that he was licking her ear, she didn¡¯t even have the slightest bit of strength to resist. Her body trembled, ¡°Get up ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu found it, his eyes deepened, and he deliberately whispered in her ear: ¡°Xie Zhen?¡±


    She rolled onto her stomach and covered her ears with both hands, only exposing half of her pink cheeks.


    He took her hand away and asked, ¡°Call me.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but he yed around with her ears and bit her earlobes.


    She wanted to cry, but her body was weak and numb. ¡°Yan Yu ¡­¡±


    He pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±


    ¡°Li Yu?¡±


    ¡°Not either.¡±


    She knew what he wanted her to call him, but she was not convinced. Why should she follow his orders?


    She wouldn¡¯t let him do as he wished, so she deliberately called him, ¡°Sister Xiao Yu.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s handsome face turned ck with anger, ¡°Say it again?¡±


    She buried her head in the pillow, unable to see his face, and boldly added: ¡°Sister Xiao Yu!¡±


    Good, very good.


    He cursed the little bastard in his heart and flipped her over, only then did he see the crafty smile in her eyes.


    He was even more angry. He lowered his head and once again held the corner of her mouth as he repeatedly tossed and turned, lingering endlessly.


    Xie Zhen had been kissed by him so many times that evening that she finally stayed away from him, not allowing him to take a step closer.


    Her lips were swollen, and her face and neck were covered with his saliva. She wiped them clean again and again with her sleeve, feeling disgusted.


    Just as she was thinking of something, Yan Yu, lying beside her, said, ¡°Sing me a song.¡±


    Xie Zhen was angry. ¡°No.¡±


    He automatically ignored her refusal and said slowly, ¡°Sing the one you used to sing for me.¡±


    ¡°You learned it in Qing Zhou.¡±


    Who said she was going to sing for him?


    Xie Zhen stared at him. ¡°I forgot it.¡±


    He was disappointed and turned to ask, ¡°Why are you so stupid?¡±


    ¡°I still remember it all. ¡±


    Xie Zhen got interested. She smiled at him with some malice. ¡°Oh, do you?¡±


    ¡°Then sing it to me. Maybe I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    Yan Yu kept a straight face and refused to sing.


    Xie Zhen half rose up, persuaded him in a soft and sweet tone. ¡°You will sing it?¡±


    ¡°Let me know, what song is it?¡±


    He put the mattress directly over her head, wrapped his arms around her, took her in his arms, and said in a cold voice, ¡°Go to sleep!¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips, and said in a low, muffled voice under the mattress. ¡°I know you don¡¯t sing well.¡±


    Because his voice was hoarse and deep, like his brother¡¯s when he was fifteen or sixteen.


    Her brother didn¡¯t speak much at the time, he really talked a lot.


    Xie Zhen felt stuffy. When she came out from the mattress, she just looked into Yan Yu¡¯s gaze. The two of them paused for a moment. They had too much intimacy just now, before they became shy.


    Fortunately, it waste at night, so it was hard to see the blush on each other¡¯s faces. One of them lowered her heads and pretended to be asleep while the other looked elsewhere.


    In the middle of the night, Xie Zhen slept soundly.


    There was always a familiar nursery rhyme in the ear, sung by a man with a low voice, afraid of waking something, awkward and gentle.


    ¡°Pea white, I¡¯ll do it again.¡±


    Recently, the servant maids in the courtyard noticed that the rtionship between the sixth prince and the princess seemed to have changed.


    As for the change, they couldn¡¯t tell it exactly ¡­


    They felt that the two of them were much closer to each other all of a sudden.


    For example, no matter what the princess did, the sixth prince¡¯s gaze would always chase after her. After being discovered by the princess, he hurriedly moved away.


    For example, the sixth prince always sent his subordinates away to stay alone in the room with the princess. No one knew what they had did, but the two of them turned red every time.


    And ¡­


    The sixth prince didn¡¯t sleep in the inner room any longer, he would sit up in the middle of the night and go to the side room to share a bed with the princess.


    This feeling was not bad, because even them servants felt happy in their hearts.


    It was as if a child had made a ruckus for a long time, and finally managed to eat the candy that he liked.


    Afraid that eating sugar too fast would melt, he would carefully lick it again and again, and each time he licked it, he would feel ayer of sweetness in his heart.


    Yan Yu felt the same way.


    He didn¡¯t dare do anything too outrageous to Xie Zhen, but he could not help but be close to her, so he could only kissed her and licked her from time to time.


    Once his eyes went red and he almost stripped off her clothes, revealing a peach-colored bellyband. He didn¡¯t even have time to look at her white skin before Xie Zhen shoved him aside, red-eyed, and said to him, ¡°I, I¡¯m not at my fifteen yet¡­¡±


    It¡¯s true that they got married in such a hurry that she¡¯s still a child.


    Thus, even if he endured it until it was hard to bear, he was unwilling to touch her again.


    During this period, Yan Yu frequently went to the study room. In order to collect Xie Liqing¡¯s achievements, he went there for the better part of a day.


    He always forgot to eat when he was busy, so he usually had stomachache at night.


    Xie Zhen let Shuang Yu to carry dishes for him. He didn¡¯t eat and said he wanted her to bring him the meal.


    Xie Zhen had never known he was such an unreasonably troublesome man. She said he was troublesome, but in the end she went on her own.


    She carried the food box to the study, and seeing that he was absorbed in reading, she did not disturb him. She brought out the dishes and ced it on the square table beside her, stood up, and left.


    Yan Yu called out to her: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡±


    She asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    He put down his pen. ¡°You say and I¡¯m listenning.¡±


    Actually, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t have anything else to say. After thinking for a long time, she pointed at the dishes on the table, ¡°Remember to have dinnerter.¡±


    With that, she quickly took her skirt and ran out of the study room.


    Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips pursed into a line as he watched her departing figure from the window. With a soft snort, he finally refused to obediently have his meal.


    Xie Zhen knew it, and was unhappy. She sat in her study every day to supervise him, waiting for him to finish his meal.


    After a while, she would find a book she liked to read in her study and sit beside him on the couch.


    At first it was fine, but then he couldn¡¯t bear to have her in the house, and every time he looked at the papers he nced at her, and saw that she was so engrossed in her book that she didn¡¯t care about him, and he was a little annoyed.


    He stood up and walked to her side. He held her head in his hands and kissed her.


    He learned fast, and in a few days he was good at it, making her dizzy, lying on his chest and letting him do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°What kind of book are you reading?¡±


    he whispered in her left ear.


    Xie Zhen put down the book and left. ¡°I¡¯m not going to read it.¡±


    He always kissed her at random, and she was secretlyughed at several times by Shang Yu and Shuang Yan.


    Ëý×ÜËãÖªµÀÄÇÌìÍíÉϵĴó¹·ÊǴӺζøÀ´£¬¿É²»¾ÍÊÇËûô£¬ÄÇʱºòËûÃÇ»¹ÔÚÄÖ±ðŤ£¬Ã»Ïëµ½Ëû°×Ìì×°µÃÕýÈ˾ý×Ó£¬ÍíÉϾ¹×ö³öÕâÖÖ²»ÒªÁ³µÃÊ£¬ÕæÊǵÀò°¶È»!


    She finally knew where the big dog from that night. Wasn¡¯t it him? At that time, they were still in a bad mood, but she never expected him to act so shamelessly!


    How could Yan Yu bear to part with her? He enveloped her for another moment before saying, ¡°You can continue to read here from now on.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t answer. He massaged her ear with his thumb. ¡°Will you read or not?¡±


    Her neck contracted and she couldn¡¯t help wanting to hide, but he was everywhere. Where could she hide?


    She could onlypromise, ¡°OK, I¡¯ll read here.¡±


    Satisfied, he hugged her soft body and loved it.


    The governor of Qing Zhou, Sun Yang, came from Qing Zhou to capital and introduced a teenager to the hussar general himself.


    The young man was only seventeen or eighteen years old. He had an athletic posture and a handsome appearance. More importantly, he had shot with such precision that it could even be described as superb.


    Sun Yang felt that this man was a talent that could be useful, so in order not to bury his talent, he introduced him to General of Agile Cavalry.


    The general himself had tested him a few times, and had been impressed by his uracy.


    Regardless of whether the target was moving or quiet, no matter how fast he ran, he could quickly pull the bow and pull the arrow, hitting the target in one shot.


    Satisfied with him, Zhong Kai kept him in the army, starting temporarily with Chiliarch.


    It was Gao Xun.


    Gao Xun was good-looking, and he knew well of the talking skills. His eyes were bright and kind when he smiled, and soon he prospered in the army.


    In just a few days, he had understood the situation in the capital.


    He was on good terms with Zhong Shang, the eldest son of the General of Agile Cavalry.


    Before he joined the army, he was a yful and hedonistic young master who hung out with his cronies and friends all the time.


    In the end, because Zhong Kai couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, he threw him into the army to train him.


    A yearter, even though he had cured himself of his bad habits, he was still unable to cure himself of his roguish nature. When he spoke, he grinned, and with a pair of upturned phoenix eyes, he was able to make the girls¡¯ face flush with embarrassment.


    After training that day, the two of them sat in the sun and Gao Xun asked, ¡°Do you know of the Xie family in capital?¡±


    Zhong Shang had not noticed it at all. ¡°There are hundreds of families surnamed Xie in Beijing. I wonder which one you are talking about?¡±


    He thought for a moment, ¡°This family has a son called Xie Rong.¡±


    ¡°And two other girls. They¡¯re called Xie Zhen and Xie Xun.¡± He added.


    Zhong Shang looked at him askance. ¡°Are you talking about the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±

 Chapter 60 - Fishing

    <h4>Chapter 60 - Fishing</h4>


    A few days ago, the sixth prince had just married, and the bride was the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡¯s fifth girl, Xie Zhen. So Zhang Shang had some impression of this name.


    When Gao Xun heard this, he was stunned for a long time.


    ¡°What is the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    ¡°You said they¡¯re in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    Due to his astonishment, he jumped up from the ground, attracting the gazes of many people around him.


    Zhong Shang put his hands behind his head and gave him a strange look. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You know them?¡±


    After Gao Xun calmed down, he sat back down beside him. It was unknown whether he was shocked or not, but he did not say a word for a long time.


    To him, it was indeed a big blow.


    Before he joined army, he mentioned it to Xie Zhen, and soon he was in the army.


    After that, he was unable to contact the outside world for a long time. When he returned, he found out that the Xie family had moved out of Qing Zhou.


    He had asked around the Xie family and found out that Xie Liqing had returned to the capital to report on his duty. He didn¡¯t know when they would return.


    At that time, Gao Xun suffered a blow, and his entire life went dark.


    His best friend had left without a word, and never came back.


    This time, it was his favorite little girl. Now that she had left without a word, would she stille back?


    In general, it only needed about three months to go to the capital to report on his duty only needed. Gao Xun waited in Qing Zhou for three months, but they didn¡¯te back.


    He had thought about it. Since she wouldn¡¯t return, he woulde to the capital to find her.


    He hadn¡¯t found her yet, but she turned out to be the Fifth Miss of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?


    The Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was an influential family in the capital. In the past, Duke Dingguo¡¯s grandfather, Xie Xin, had gone through life and death with thete Emperor Yuan Zong, and was loyal to him. Emperor Yuan Zong finally retrieved the territory of Da Jing, and Xie Xin could be called the meritorious statesman.


    Dozens of years had passed since then, and although the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was not as grand as it used to be, it was still an unreachable one.


    Back then in Qing Zhou, he had never heard her mention it.


    Gao Xun sat in a daze.


    Zhong Shang pushed his arm, making hime to his sense. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡±


    Gao Xun wiped his face and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    Originally, Zhong Shang was not interested in this matter, but from his reaction, it seemed that he had some inside information.


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows and grinned meaningfully. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Love story?¡±


    He thought that Gao Xun would deny it, but not to think that he would remain silent for such a long time. Such a reaction¡­


    Zhong Shang asked in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s true?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve liked her since I was seven years old,¡± Gao Xun admitted.


    It¡¯s been almost ten years.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang was surprised, Xie Liqing¡¯s eldest daughter Xie Zhen has married, could he be talking about the youngest daughter Xie Xun?


    How old is Xie Xun this year? Is she ten years old?


    Could it be that this kid was a pedophile?


    Gao Xun, who didn¡¯t know what he had thought, said with his memory. ¡°When I first met her, I thought she was a fairy who had fallen from the sky.¡±


    He tried everything to attract her attention, but only Li Yu was in her eyes. Only after Li Yu left did he have a better chance of getting close to her ¡­


    Even so, she¡¯d treated him like a ymate when he was young, and she¡¯d never given him any other feeling.


    He did not give up, feeling that he would definitely be able to move her. However, he never expected that she would be as heartless as Li Yu. She actually left without saying goodbye.


    ¡°I came to capital for her.¡±


    Zhong Shang touched his chins. ¡°Do you really want to see her?¡±


    Gao Xun quickly asked, ¡°Do you have a way?¡±


    It was true that he had a way. His father had some connections with the Duke Dingguo, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to make a trip to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    It was hard to let him meet Xie Xun ¡­


    After some thought, Zhong Shang asked again, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Second Master Xie¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Gao Xun nodded. ¡°She also has a brother called Xie Rong.¡±


    Then it might be Xie Xun.


    Zhong Shang had a whole new level of respect for Gao Xun. Before the girl had grown up, he had already set his eyes on her. If her parents found out, wouldn¡¯t they have broken his legs?


    In order to help his brother, Zhong Shang decided to visit the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion first.


    Although his father was on good terms with the Duke Dingguo, he had never been to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion before.


    In the past, he had been busy shouting, eating and ying, but now he was busy strengthening his body and practicing martial arts.


    In the army, he was ruled by the General of Agile Cavalry. He was like a monk, who had not been out for several months.


    This time, it was because of Zhong Shang¡¯s grandmother¡¯s birthday celebration that he was able to make a trip out.


    After the olddy of the general¡¯s estate had finished her birthday banquet, he came to visit the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion the next day.


    After Duke Dingguo heard it was this devil, he thought for a long time, but he still couldn¡¯t figure out why he hade.


    Not daring to be negligent, he hurriedly got someone to invite him into the central room.


    When Zhong Shang came, he prepared a stalk of Lucid Ganoderma as a greeting gift. The Duke Dingguo was ttered and had thought that this kid was here to cause trouble, but he didn¡¯t expect to misjudge him.


    Zhong Shang was honest, and said in a very normal manner, ¡°Before I heard that Duke Dingguo¡¯s health was not as good as before, you were my father¡¯s respected teacher. He has been too busy with military affairs to spare any time, so I came to see you on his behalf.¡±


    The Duke Dingguo had a gracious heart toward Zhong Kai, and Zhong Kai was a loyal person. Even after so many years, he still wouldn¡¯t forget his graciousness.


    Xie Wenguang sighed with emotion, ¡°Military affairs are more important. Even if he doesn¡¯te, I won¡¯t me him.¡±


    The two of them sat and chatted for a while. Zhong Shang was a juniors who were good at talking. He chatted with this senior for a long time without realizing it, and they talked for almost an hour.


    During this time, Zhong Shang had inadvertently asked about Xie Liqing, but Xie Wenguang said that Xie Liqing had been called to the pce early in the morning and hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    After sitting for a while, Zhong Shang asked, ¡°I wonder if I can go to the mansion for a stroll?¡±


    The Duke Dingguo thought he felt boring, so answered with agreement, ¡°I was the one who didn¡¯t give you a proper wee.¡±


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you for a walk.¡±


    The Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion upied a wide area. It was quite a distance from the front yard to the backyard. There were many exotic flowers and nts growing in the backyard. Now, it was autumn, and flowers were still blooming everywhere.


    As he walked and watched, Zhong Shang was busy talking to the Duke Dingguo. Even so, he could still see the two people sitting on the shore.


    The two of them propped up a big foot-stool and a small foot-stool on the shore. The little girl sat next to the youth, holding a fishing rod in her hands. From time to time, she would turn her head to look at the youth, but once seeing that he didn¡¯t catch the fish, she would be discouraged.


    Zhong Zhong had a premonition. He asked the Duke Dingguo, ¡°Those two are¡­¡±


    Duke Dingguo looked over and recognized the girl and youth at a nce, ¡°It¡¯s my grandson and daughter, the eldest is called Xie Rong, the youngest is called Xie Xun.¡±


    As he spoke, he led him over.


    Zhong Shang didn¡¯t expect it would be so easy to meet the girl. He studied Xie Xun¡¯s back for a moment. It was a little one.


    As he got closer, he could hear her and Xie Rong¡¯s conversation: ¡°Big brother, can we catch a fish today?¡±


    Xie Rong sat calmly and replied, ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I want to eat fish!¡± she said happily.


    Xie Rong said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you if I catch it.¡±


    She had a craving look on her face as she counted the names of the dishes one by one, ¡°I want to eat sweet and sour fish, braised fish and fish stew!¡±


    Her voice was childlike, and she was still a child.


    Zhong Shang frowned slightly. Why did Gao Xun like this little fellow?


    It was obviously a gluttonous girl, how was it like Little Fairy?


    Duke Dingguo called out to them, and they both turned around.


    Zhong Shang could see her face clearly now, a little older than he had expected, but not much more than twelve or thirteen years old.


    She was small and delicate, with delicate eyebrows, snow-white skin and a round, apple-like face.


    She pointed to theke and said, ¡°Grandfather, my brother and I are fishing!¡±


    Duke Dingguoughed. He was somewhat fond of the children of Second Branch. ¡°How many did you catch?¡±


    She looked at the empty bamboo basket on the floor and shyly said, ¡°Not a single one ¡­¡±


    Duke Dingguo encouraged her to work harder, and introduced Zhong Shang to them. ¡°This is eldest son of the General of Agile Cavalry, Zhong Shang, who currently holds the post of a garrison in the army.¡±


    ¡°Ah Rong, you two are about the same age.¡±


    Xie Rong nodded slightly in greeting.


    Xie Xun was a little afraid of strangers, so she didn¡¯t call him for a long time.


    Duke Dingguo did not force the two of them and let them go on fishing, and he and Zhong Shang went elsewhere for a walk.


    When they left, Zhong Shang turned around to take another look, only to find that the little girl had just caught a lotus leaf. Her expression changed from surprise to disappointment, and all of this only took a split-second.


    Zhong Shang grinned. This was a child.


    Gao Xun felt that Zhong Shang was something wrong with the way when Zhong Shang was looking at him these days.


    As for what was wrong, he couldn¡¯t say.


    It seemed to contain all sorts of meanings ¡­


    He finally could not help but say, ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    Zhong Shang said frankly, ¡°I heard that Miss Xie will go to the Babao building tomorrow to buy snacks. If you want to see her, I can help you.¡±


    Gao Xun was clear about the way Zhong Shang did things. ¡°How can you help me?¡± he asked uneasily.


    ¡°You can¡¯t destroy her reputation.¡±


    Zhong Shang smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    The next day Xie Xun got into the carriage and led the biddies and servant maids to the Babao building.


    Xie Xun wanted to buy a few snacks for Xie Zhen, since the sister has been married, she has be more boring at home alone.


    Since her brother wouldn¡¯t y with her, she had no choice but to find her own entertainment. To her knowledge, eating was the best kind of entertainment.


    The carriage stopped in front of the Babao building. She let the two servant maids go in and bought jujube paste sponge cake and rose cake while she waited in the carriage.


    After a while, the servant maids returned with nothing in her hands.


    Xie Xun sat up and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the snacks?¡±


    At the same time, someone knocked on the wall twice. She opened the door and saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.


    Xie Xun thought for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t figure out who he was.


    Zhong Shang smiled at her. He was a ruffian, so he raised the food box in his hand and went straight to the point: ¡°Want the snacks?¡±


    ¡°Come with me to meet someone.¡±


    Xie Xun had no recollection of him. She drew back. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    After all, the two of them had met a few days ago, so Zhong Shang didn¡¯t expect her to forget about him so quickly. After some thought, he reintroduced himself, ¡°Zhong Shang, we met when you were fishing at home.¡±


    He put the box on the horse and turned to her. ¡°Do you know Gao Xun?¡±


    ¡°Are you a friend of brother Gao Xun?¡± Xie Xun said in surprise.


    Zhong Shang thought, all right, this must be the right person Gao Xun wanted.


    It must be the childhood sweetheart that Gao Xun had mentioned.

 Chapter 61 - Gui Shui

    <h4>Chapter 61 - Gui Shui</h4>


    Xie Xun was lured away by a te of jujube paste sponge cake.


    ording to Zhong Shang, Gao Xun was in a teahouse nearby.


    She thought it would be a long time since she saw himst time, and she wanted to say something to him, so it was fine to meet him again.


    At the time Xie Xun arrived, Gao Xun was sitting in a booth, unsettling, and asionally getting up to look out the window.


    When the door was pushed open from the outside, he stopped abruptly and looked toward the door.


    But it was Xie Xun who came in. She was taller thanst year and wore a pink and white dress and a in, flowered bast that showed the slender figure of a young woman with nutmeg.


    Gao Xun did not give up and kept staring behind her. However, there was Zhong Shang and the servant maids behind her, no one else.


    Zhong Shang took a seat on the ground floor of his own ord, without disturbing their conversation.


    Inside, Xie Xun saw it was him and asked incredulously, ¡°When did Brother Gao Xune to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Gao Xun looked away and invited her to sit on opposite side of the couch. ¡°Ah Zhen¡­¡±


    She immediately realized it, ¡°My sister didn¡¯te.¡±


    A cup of tea was ced in front of each of them, and the fragrance wafted in the air.


    Gao Xun sipped the tea with disappointment. He had thought Xie Zhen woulde. He had a lot of things to talk to her.


    Why didn¡¯t shee?


    Didn¡¯t she want to see him?


    Gao Xun put down his teacup and said slowly, ¡°I just arrived in the capital half a month ago ¡­¡±


    He exined the whole story to her, sinctly, and finished it in a moment.


    After it, Xie Xun seemed not fully understand. ¡°So, do you n to stay in the capital in the future?¡±


    Gao Xun was silent, slowly nodding his head.


    Xie Zhen became the fifth girl of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, so she would definitely not return to Qing Zhou in the future. He had to do something in the capital to have the qualifications to marry her.


    He opened his mouth to say something, but finally asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you left?¡±


    Xie Xun took a sip of tea with guiltily, her eyes flickering. ¡°By then, you were already in the army.¡±


    ¡°Sis wanted to leave you a letter, but she was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get it in the army, so she gave up.¡±


    He bitterly said, ¡°If the army doesn¡¯t receive the letter, then where will the letter go?¡±


    Xie Xun seemed to suddenly understand.


    He continued, ¡°In the past, we were ymates in Qing Zhou, but now, in the capital, it is even difficult for us to meet each other.¡±


    Xie Xun understood the meaning behind his words. He was ming them for not revealing their identities ¡­.


    But he didn¡¯t ask them then, did he?


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t know how tofort others. After a short pause, she said, ¡°If big brother Gao Xun wants to meet us, you can just go to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Gao Xun smiled and said, ¡°OK,¡± and when he saw she had finished her tea, he lifted the teapot and poured more tea for her.


    He did not beat around the bush, as he had when he was a child, and he was not stingy with the expression of love for Xie Zhen.


    The two families had indeed nned to make an engagement for them, and if not for the dy in Xie Zhen¡¯s agreement, the two families would have already be rtives of each other.


    Xie Xun lowered her head as she looked at the tea that was slowly flowing out of the teapot. She didn¡¯t want to hide anything from him as she slowly said, ¡°Elder sister got married ¡­¡±


    The tea immediately spilled out of the cup and Gao Xun looked up in astonishment. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Seeing the tea overflowing the table, Xie Xun jumped to the side and cried out in panic, ¡°Brother Gao Xun, the tea is full!¡±


    Gao Xun snapped back to reality. He didn¡¯t even know that the tea had soaked his clothes. His eyes stared at her. ¡°You just said ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah Zhen got married?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded,pletely cutting off hisst shred of hope.


    It was also good to tell him now, to let him recognize reality as soon as possible so that he wouldn¡¯t sink deeper into the ground.


    Xie Xun thought that although Xie Zhen¡¯s marriage to the sixth prince was not a good idea, it would only get better and better.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for sis. Based on Gao Xun¡¯s infatuation with sis, he wouldn¡¯t let her go so easily. He would only give up if he found out that sis was married off.


    Gao Xun sat in a daze. At first, he was at a loss, but at the end, he became more and more sorrowful, turning into a heavy sense of loss.


    He put down the amulet and ced his palm on the table. He gradually clenched his fist into a fist. Every vein on the back of his hand bulged out powerlessly.


    His voice was pained. ¡°Who did she marry?¡±


    ¡°The sixth prince,¡± Xie Xun said.


    She had originally wanted to tell him that the sixth prince was the Li Yu, but from the looks of his current despondent appearance ¡­


    If he was told this again, he would be in even more despondent, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Xie Xun thoughtfully did not say anything more.


    After a long time, Gao Xun asked, ¡°How¡¯s she going on?¡±


    Xie Xun hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask again, afraid that the more he asked, the more heartache he would feel.


    They were still fine even before they left, just like when they were young ¡­


    Why did hee to the capital and everything changed?


    His little fairy marrying someone else, he didn¡¯t even know a bit of information, and he was so pleased that he thought he would soon be able to marry her, but he didn¡¯t know that she wasn¡¯t just his, so why should she wait for him?


    Gao Xun¡¯s heart was missing a piece, empty, very ufortable.


    It was like raising a flower with his own hands, watering it with water every day, expecting it to grow faster than anyone else.


    He waited eagerly, and one day, after he had been gone only a little while, the flower was plucked away without even a word to him.


    He thought the flower was his, but he was only responsible for growing up with it.


    She would meet many people in her life, but he had only been with her for a little longer.


    Xie Xun did not ask Gao Xun to take her back. She walked down the stairs alone, tripping absent-mindedly and being held by the two servant maids in time to avoid injury.


    Most of the people downstairs were chatting and drinking tea, and only one youth sat by the window and spoke abnormally.


    His skin was dark, his facial features deep. His sword-shaped eyebrows and star-like eyes were casually observing the pedestrians on the street.


    In front of him was a food box. It was Xie Xun¡¯s.


    Xie Xun would never forget to eat at any time.


    She told the servant maids to take back the food box, and Zhong Shang raised his eyes and grinned at her.


    He thought she had said something extraordinary to Gao Xun, but he did not embarrass her. He returned the box to her and went upstairs to meet Gao Xun.


    As soon as the door opened, he was startled by the scene inside.


    Gao Xuny under the low table, his eyes closed in pain.


    Zhong Shang went up and kicked him twice, but he did not move.


    ¡°What did she tell you?¡±


    No matter how much Zhong Shang asked, he refused to speak.


    This was extremely rare. The weak and gentle girl, how could she say such hurtful words?


    To upset a grown man like this?


    Zhong Shang sat down beside him. ¡°It¡¯s just a woman.¡±


    Gao Xun finally opened his eyes, his eyes somewhat despondent. His first sentence was not anything else, but to have Zhong Shang apany him for a drink.


    Zhong Shang readily agreed, leading him out of the teahouse to the restaurant to get drunk.


    That¡¯s right, it was just a woman ¡­


    But that was the girl he liked best, and there would never be another in his life.


    In the Sixth prince¡¯s Mansion.


    For a whole day, Xie Zhen felt sick to her stomach, which was swollen and aching.


    Her appetite was bad, and she didn¡¯t eat much all day.


    Yan Yu had gone to the pce to meet up with Emperor Yuan Hui. She didn¡¯t know why His Majesty had summoned him so often these days.


    But he didn¡¯t look too good every time he came back, and when Xie Zhen asked what was wrong, he wouldn¡¯t tell her.


    If he didn¡¯t say it, why did he still sleep in the side room with her at night.


    When Xie Zhen drove him away, he clung to her like a big dog, kissing and licking her face in silence.


    He returned early that evening, and since he did not see Xie Zhen, he asked the servant maids where she had gone.


    Shuang Yan replied, ¡°Empress¡¯s health is not good. After lunch, she goes to rest. She hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡±


    Hearing this, he walked into the inner room to take a check, and sure enough, he saw her sleeping.


    Her brow was furrowed, and she didn¡¯t feel good even when she was asleep. Her small face was listless, and she looked rather pitiful.


    Yan Yu smoothed out the space between her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Have you got a doctor?¡±


    Shuang Yan shook her head. ¡°The Empress won¡¯t see the doctor, she said she¡¯ll be fine after sleep.¡±


    Yan Yu was worried, worried that she was really sick, so asked Shuang Yan to go get a doctor.


    She seemed to have an upset stomach. When she slept, she would curl up and put her hands on her stomach. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her.


    She was covered by the mattress in a mess, and Yan Yu covered her up again, up to her stomach, and massaged her gently with his hand.


    He lowered his head and noticed the change in her body.


    His pupils contracted and he lifted the mattress and threw it aside, staring at the blood on her white silk dress.


    Not only her clothes, but even her bed was covered in blood.


    His voice trembled as he helped her to her feet, full of panic. ¡°Xie Zhen, Xie Zhen?


    Wake up! ¡±


    When Xie Zhen woke up, she felt pain in her lower abdomen, and then was frightened by his pale face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Yan Yu took her in his arms and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bleeding?¡±


    As he said that, Xie Zhen was shocked and quickly checked to see where she was bleeding.


    When she saw the blood on her legs and the bed, her face was pale with fright. She reached out and touched it. It was sticky. Yes, it was her blood.


    She thought she was going to die. No wonder she had a stomachache all the noon ¡­


    Immediately, she was ovee with grief and was unwilling to let go of Yan Yu, ¡°What happened to me, Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    ¡°Am I injured?¡±


    The two of them wereymen. They didn¡¯t know what was going on, but they were getting more and more worried.


    Yan Yu called servant maids to get a doctor. He urged them again and again, but the doctor still didn¡¯t arrive.


    He sat at the head of the bed, holding Xie Zhen to him andforting her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    He was too dumb to say moreforting words.


    Xie Zhen thought she had been poisoned. Otherwise, why was she bleeding?


    Just as she was about to catch the person who poisoned her, the doctor finally came.


    After the doctor felt the pulse for her, he asked with an embarrassed expression, ¡°Do you have any older biddy in this residence?¡±


    Yan Yu, who had been standing at the side, asked, ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the injury?¡±


    The doctor asked him to go out with him, leaving the rest to the biddy.


    Xie Zhen sat on the bed and watched them go, and a round-faced biddy in her forties came in and told her why she was bleeding and what it meant and what she should do about it.


    Before she was married, Madam Leng did not have the time to tell her these things. Therefore, she had no idea what was going on. After listening to the biddy¡¯s exnation, she came to a realization and her face flushed red.


    The doctor called Yan Yu to the porch and said to him, ¡°The Empress¡¯ meridians have just opened, and her Heaven Gui Shui arrives.¡± (Note: The words ¡°Heaven Gui Shui arrives¡± is a alias for menarche.)


    ¡°This is a joyous asion. Your Highness, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about it.¡±


    The doctor exined to him for a long time before he realized what was going on.


    After understanding the situation, his ears felt warm. He covered his mouth and coughed, ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    After seeing the doctor off, he returned to the inner room.


    At this time, Xie Zhen had changed into clean clothes and covered with cotton strips. The servant maids and biddies worked in a flurry and finally managed to get everything in order.


    The biddy said this would bring bad luck and advised Yan Yu to avoid her, but he did not listen and insisted oning in to see her.


    After finding out the truth, both of them felt a little awkward.


    Especially Xie Zhen, she had thought she was going to die just now, crying and calling him ¡®Brother Xiao Yu¡¯. Now that the truth was out, she really wanted to find a hole to burrow into.


    She didn¡¯t want to see him, so she covered her head with the nket and said, ¡°You go out.¡±


    Yan Yu tilted his head, pursed his lips and asked: ¡°Do you still feel pain?¡±


    Xie Zhen still hurt, but she doesn¡¯t want to tell him.


    He continued to stare out the window, pretending to be calm. ¡°The doctor said not to touch cold water. Pay attention.¡±


    ¡°You go ¡­¡± Xie Zhen was shy, and her voice choked with tears.


    He had no choice but to leave the room and stand in the corridor. It was funny when he thought about the two of them being at a loss just now.


    The biddy said that if it hurt badly, she¡¯d better drink brown sugar water and it would ease the pain.


    Yan Yu told the servant maids to boil the brown sugar water. The servants from the front yard came over and passed on a message to him, ¡°Your Highness, there are two people from the front yard who wish to meet you. They say that they are old friends of yours.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s footsteps paused, he tilted his head and looked over, ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡±


    The servant said, ¡°It¡¯s a mother and a daughter, and their family name is Ouyang.¡±

 Chapter 62 - Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 62 - Cousin</h4>


    In front of the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion, a mother and a daughter were arguing with the servant.


    Their clothes were old and yellow by washing, but they were barely clean.


    It was probably a long journey on the road. Both of them looked tired, especially the older one, who seemed to be on the verge of fainting.


    Since he had not got the master¡¯s order, so the servant outside the door naturally did not dare to let them in.


    No matter what they said or how much of a ruckus they made, they just wouldn¡¯t let them go.


    Yan Yu arrived just in time to hear a female voice argue: ¡°We are not frauds!¡±


    The servant were already impatient. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they were women, they would have treated them with their fists and legs already. He angrily said, ¡°You¡¯re not a fraud?¡±


    ¡°How could Your Highness have cousins like you from far away? Where did you from, the royal family, nobles, end up like this?¡±


    There were many people at the door, pointing at the mother and daughter. Most of the people had the same opinion as this servant and did not believe their words.


    steward Zhao rushed over with Yan Yu. He was worried that the news would spread and cause trouble, so he quickly ordered servants to chase away the crowd.


    The mother and the daughter pair immediately quieted down from their excitement and looked at Yan Yu, who was standing behind the steward, without saying a word.


    The young girl carefully examined his appearance. From his eyebrows to his eyes, from his nose to his mouth, she didn¡¯t dare to miss a thing.


    After a long moment, as if to confirm something from his face, she spoke hesitantly, ¡°Cou¡­cousin?¡±


    This girl was Ouyang Yi.


    Ouyang Yi was tall and slender, with a pair of raised eyebrows that were exactly the same as those she had been when she was young. She carried a sense of heroic spirit.


    Perhaps it was due to the sharpening of the edges of life that she no longer had the arrogance and confidence as she had when she was a child. In front of Yan Yu, she actually seemed a little nervous and helpless.


    It was not difficult to recognize Yan Yu. He hadn¡¯t changed much. Other than his height rapidly rising up, everything else was almost the same as when he was young.


    For example, when his eyes, nose, and mouth werebined together, it was a face that she couldn¡¯t be more familiar with.


    That was why Ouyang Yi recognized him as soon as she saw him on the street. She secretly followed him while he rode the horse and saw him walk into the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion with her own eyes.


    Ouyang Yi was shocked at first, thinking that she had recognized the wrong person. He just had Li Yu¡¯s look¡­


    However, after inquiring, she found out that the sixth prince was named Yu, and her hope was rekindled.


    How could it be so coincidental?


    What had happened after he and the uncle and aunt fled?


    Ouyang Yi had been observing secretly from outside the door for several days. From every single action and demeanor he took, she felt more and more that he was Li Yu from back then.


    After she told it to her mother, Madam Li, Madam Li naturally didn¡¯t believe her and even said that she was too exhausted to think properly.


    After the Li family left, their lives weren¡¯t easy. Madam Li rented a small room to do needlework for living. As time passed, Madam Li¡¯s eyes gradually became disabled, so she changed to washing clothes for living.


    Even in winter, Madam Li couldn¡¯t rest, and she did washing work for several years. In order to support her daughter, Madam Li¡¯s health became worse and worse.


    By the time Madam Li was aware of it, it was already toote. Ouyang Yi went around looking for doctors to treat Madam Li, but none of the doctors were able to cure her. Not willing to give up, she brought Madam Li to the capital to seek treatment.


    There were many experts in capital. There might be a doctor in the capital who could cure her mother¡¯s illness.


    They had been living frugally all the way to the capital, but they met Yan Yu before they could find a famous doctor.


    Only after Ouyang Yi described Yan Yu¡¯s appearance to Madam Li did she follow her to check it. After taking a look, she was stunned.


    Yan Yu¡¯s gaze swept over them. He didn¡¯t recognize them at first, but when Ouyang Yi called him cousin, he recalled.


    His expression was stunned and he did not say anything for a long time.


    The steward was unable to figure out his attitude, so he turned his head to instruct the servants, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Get rid of this mother and this daughter!¡±


    Ouyang Yi staggered a few steps after being pushed. She reached out her hand to grab the corner of Yan Yu¡¯s clothes. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t you know me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ah Yi!¡±


    She did not know why he had be the sixth prince. She only knew that she was his cousin, no matter how many years had passed.


    On the other side, Madam Li was caught off guard and was pushed to the ground, her body knocking against the stone steps. Her body was already in a bad condition, and after this collision, she lied on the ground and didn¡¯t get up for quite a while.


    Ouyang Yi hurriedly went up to support her and nervously called out ¡°Mother!¡± several times.


    Madam Li bent over and coughed a few times. She, who was only in her thirties, looked like a terminally ill old woman. The corners of her eyes were covered with fine lines.


    She looked at Yan Yu, opened her mouth, and eximed with mixed feelings, ¡°Yu¡¯er ¡­¡±


    Then, she tilted her head and fainted in Ouyang Yi¡¯s arms.


    When the servant maids served ginger jujube and sugar water, Xie Zhen was sitting on the side of the bed, touching her stomach thoughtfully.


    As for the biddy¡¯s words, she felt very magical, bleeding can make her give birth to a child?


    She didn¡¯t understand these things, and it wasn¡¯t good for biddy to exin it to her in detail. After all, there was a difference in status, so she had to find an opportunity to ask her mother.


    She drank the brown sugar water andy for a while, feeling better.


    The main courtyard was called Zhanyue Court. Because it was the first courtyard in the backyard, any movement from outside could be heard from this side.


    Shey in bed, drowsy, but the outside was in a mess.


    Yan Yu had Madam Li sent to Pavilion Changqing in the back of Zhanyue Court and asked the doctor to diagnose her.


    The steward hurriedly gave the order. Before long, a servant invited an old doctor.


    After the doctor had diagnosed Madam Li, he said seriously, ¡°Her body is cold and her heart and lungs are failing. It is because she have been working hard all year round, and it is not possible to recuperate in a short time.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡¯s illness has dragged on for too long, so it probably won¡¯t be easy to treat.¡±


    When Ouyang Yi heard this, she immediately threw herself at Madam Li¡¯s bedside and cried out loud. ¡°Mother ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu frowned and asked carefully, ¡°Will she be cured?¡±


    The doctor thought for a long time before shaking his head. ¡°I can only do my best. Whether she can be cured or not will depend on her luck.¡±


    Then he sat down by the side of the table and wrote his prescription. There were several medicines listed on it, and he asked them to send someone to fetch them with him.


    The steward paid the doctor and followed him out of the room.


    Ouyang Yi was still crying. Madam Li had just woken up and heard the doctor¡¯s words. She let out a long sigh.


    Many doctors in Qing Zhou said that she wouldn¡¯t live for long. However, Ouyang Yi didn¡¯t want to believe it and insisted on bringing her to capital.


    Now that she was in the capital, and she got the same result.


    She propped herself up and patted Ouyang Yi on the back. ¡°Stop crying. Let your cousin see you as a joke ¡­¡±


    Ouyang Yi stood up and wiped her tears. She turned to look at Yan Yu behind her and said, ¡°Cousin, I beg you to cure my mother ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu lowered his head, his expression unreadable. When she heard Ouyang Yi¡¯s words, he only slightly nodded and didn¡¯t say anything.


    He could not tell how he felt, it was subtle, he thought he had no family in the world, but he had an aunt and a cousin.


    He was always indifferent to rtionships, and after so many years, he couldn¡¯t feel any feelings for them. But since the rtionship between them was still there, he had no choice but to admit that they were his family members.


    Although Madame Song and Li Xiqing weren¡¯t his birth parents, in his heart, they were better than his birth parents.


    The Li family was the only true home for him. Living in his home was life, while living in the Imperial Pce was just for survival.


    The difference was like heaven and earth.


    Yan Yu arranged for two servant maids, Liu Lan and Xiang Lan, to take care of their living quarters.


    Not long after, the servants brought the medicinal herbs, Liu Lan boiled the medicinal herbs and serve it to Madam Li.


    The servant maids advised Madam Li to get some sleep, but Madam Li looked at Yan Yu with a worried expression. ¡°Ah Yi and I have suffered a lot. If Yu¡¯er feels sorry for us, then let us stay here for a while ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu looked at the white hair at her temples, as well as the wrinkles on her forehead, and nodded.


    ¡°Aunt, go to sleep first. Take care of your body.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the room and stood for a while in the porch, preparing to head towards Zhanyue Court.


    Ouyang Yi hurried out of the room and caught up with him. ¡°Cousin!¡±


    He stopped and turned his head to ask, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Ouyang Yi felt that he was even more difficult to get close to than when he was young. Even though he wasn¡¯t very enthusiastic when he was young, he would at least have a different expression on his face.


    Right now, whether it was his eyes or his tone, there was a sense of alienation and indifference in them.


    Ouyang Yi stopped and looked around before probing him. ¡°Are you really sixth prince?¡±


    His thin lips were slightly pursed. He didn¡¯t like being asked this question.


    When Ouyang Yi saw that he did not reply, she thought he was being difficult to answer. She stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Why are you the sixth prince?¡±


    Where are uncle and aunt?


    Where are they?


    ¡°Where did you guys go all those years ago ¡­?¡±


    Yan Yu took half a step back, pulled up his sleeve and said in a low voice, ¡°Let go.¡±


    She was filled with confusion and didn¡¯t even listen to his words. He stepped back and she kept following him. As she spoke, she felt wronged. ¡°When you two left that year, me and my mother lived by each other¡¯s lives. The money uncle gave us was stolen, so my mother went to do needlework and wash clothes ¡­¡±


    The more she spoke, the more hurt she became. She went from sobbing to wailing, clinging to Yan Yu¡¯s sleeve and refusing to let go.


    ¡°We finally arrived at the capital. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you again ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu frowned. He was annoyed by her crying.


    A hourter, Xie Zhen finally woke up.


    The pain in her stomach eased a lot. When she sat up and looked around, she realized that something was wrong.


    When Yan Yu left earlier, he didn¡¯t say where he was going. Why didn¡¯t hee back after so long?


    Looking at the servant maids in the room, they all seemed like they wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t dare to.


    When Xie Zhen saw it, she called to Tan Mei. ¡°What¡¯s going on in the mansion?¡±


    Tan Mei scrunched up, she didn¡¯t know how to say.


    They had also heard that the sixth prince had brought a pair of mother and daughter back and settled them in the Pavilion Changqing.


    They hadn¡¯t figured out what to say to Xie Zhen, and she asked first.


    Tan Mei mumbled under Xie Zhen¡¯s gaze, ¡°His Highness just brought back a woman and a girl ¡­¡±


    They didn¡¯t know what was going on. They only knew that the sixth prince had called a doctor and seemed to be very nervous.¡±


    After listening to this, Xie Zhen blinked her dark eyes. After a while, she asked, ¡°Live in Pavilion Changqing?¡±


    Tan Mei nodded, and her forehead was covered in sweat.


    She made a ¡°oh¡± sound. Tan Mei put on her shoes. ¡°Then let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    Tan Mei bent down to put on her Huzhu shoes. She was worried that she would catch a cold, so she put on another satin embroidered flowery bird tattoo cloak, then led her out.


    The other servant maids followed behind her without saying anything. It was probably due to Shang Yu¡¯s warning that no one was allowed to bber in front of Xie Zhen.


    All the way to the Pavilion Changqing, the newly built mansion was brand-new and clean. There were no signs of it being dpidated.


    Even though there were only a few servants. There were two servant maids in the yard who had just been transferred over by Yan Yu. They were all waiting on him in the house.


    As a result, the prince¡¯s wife hade, and there wasn¡¯t even a servant that couldmunicate with him.


    Xie Zhen came up the steps into the yard, and before he had taken two steps, he saw the two persons standing face to face under the porch.


    Yan Yu had his back facing her. He was facing a young girl, so she couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.


    Her clothes were a little worn, not like those of a big family girl, and she sounded like she was crying, clutching Yan Yu¡¯s sleeve with one hand, crying and calling him ¡°Cousin.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Restless

    <h4>Chapter 63 - Restless</h4>


    As long as Xie Zhen knew, there was only one person who would call Yan Yu ¡°Cousin¡±.


    On the other side, Ouyang Yi was still crying as she mumbled incoherently, ¡°Cousin, please save my mother ¡­¡±


    ¡°You are the sixth prince, you will have a solution ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu frowned and called for the servant maids toe out and bring her back.


    Liu Lan and Xiang Lan rushed out of the room. They were shocked by the situation outside that Ouyang Yi was out of breath from crying. She actually dared to grab onto the sixth prince¡¯s sleeve. No wonder the sixth prince¡¯s expression was so bad.


    They were busy taking care of Madam Li inside, so they didn¡¯t pay attention to what happened outside. They didn¡¯t expect there would be such a mess in the blink of an eye.


    The two of them hurriedly stepped forward to hold Ouyang Yi. Ouyang Yi looked thin and weak, but she was strong. The two of them spent a long time before finally pulling her away.


    Xiang Lan raised her eyes, but even didn¡¯t have the time to heave a sigh of relief before she saw the person behind the tree. Her heart skipped a beat. She pulled Liu Lan and bowed. ¡°Empress.¡±


    A single word raised a thousand ripples.


    Xie Zhen stepped out from behind the tree, with her hands behind her back, and her dark eyes caught Yan Yu¡¯s sight, and she moved her eyes away before he could speak.


    She looked at Ouyang Yi and pursed her lips into a smile. ¡°I originally wanted to wait for you to finish crying beforeing out.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Yu immediately got panicked. Did that mean she had been standing there for a long time?


    Then why didn¡¯t she juste out?


    Yan Yu opened his mouth to speak, but Ouyang Yi, who was standing at the side, forgot to cry when she heard the servant maids called to her. She stared at Yan Yu in disbelief.


    ¡°You are ¡­¡±


    Ouyang Yi had never thought that Yan Yu would marry so early. To be precise, she had never thought that Yan Yu would marry.


    He treated everyone with a aloof and indifferent attitude. Ouyang Yi simply couldn¡¯t imagine what he would look like when he married, nor what kind of girl he would marry.


    Now that she saw it, she couldn¡¯t help but want to probe deeper.


    Ouyang Yi looked at Xie Zhen and had to admit that she was very beautiful. She had a beautiful face and bright eyes and white teeth. She was like a beauty that walked out of a painting, and every part of her was perfectly delicate.


    However, when she watched closely, she found this face somewhat familiar. It was as if there was a face like this in the depths of her memories, as well as such a smile.


    For a moment she couldn¡¯t remember who she was, or perhaps she was thinking of something, but she didn¡¯t want to think deeper.


    Xie Zhen stood a few feet away. She tiled her head, trying to have a check about what was going on in the room, and then asked Ouyang Yi. ¡°Is your mother in there?¡±


    Ouyang Yi nodded. Her eyes were red from crying. ¡°You, you¡¯re the Prince¡¯s wife?¡±


    Xie Zhen said ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s words were more perfunctory, but since the Prince¡¯s wife didn¡¯t want to make a fuss about it, Liu Lan and Xiang Lan naturally didn¡¯t dare to say anything.


    However, seeing that she was not moving at all, Xiang Lan could not help but tug on her clothes, quietly reminding her, ¡°Miss, you must bow when you see the empress.¡±


    Ouyang Yi did a quick double take. She looked at Xie Zhen and hesitated for a moment before slowly bowing.


    ¡°I¡¯m a distant cousin of the sixth prince,¡± she exined, lowering her head.


    ¡°When I was young, I stayed at his house for a period of time before separating for some reason ¡­ ¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Ouyang Yi stopped and raised her head, puzzled. Just as she was about to ask how she knew, Yan Yu finally could not restrain himself and asked, ¡°When did youe over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    At that time, Ouyang Yi was crying in front of him, so he didn¡¯t notice her at all.


    Actually, she hadn¡¯t been there for long. When the servant maids discovered her, she had just walked over to the tree.


    Yan Yu paused, ¡°Aren¡¯t you unwell?¡±


    Perhaps because he was afraid that she would misunderstand, his expression was a little nervous., and his tone was a little anxious, so he appeared unfriendly.


    Xie Zhen was silent for a long time, then looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t want me toe?¡±


    Yan Yu red and quickly retorted, ¡°When did I say that?¡±


    She said softly, ¡°Well, you must think so.¡±


    He was annoyed and called her name helplessly: ¡°Xie Zhen!¡±


    That¡¯s what he always called her when he¡¯d been pissed off by her.


    After the two words, there was a long silence.


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Xie Zhen. She stared at her again and again.


    She had never thought that, after so many years, Yan Yu would marry Xie Zhen.


    Was it the Xie Zhen?


    Was it really the beautiful and nasty Xie Zhen, who was as sly as a little fox?


    She didn¡¯t believe that her cousin would marry her.


    Her cousin was the sixth prince, so what was her identity?


    Her father was only a prefect of Qing Zhou, how could she have the qualifications to be a Prince¡¯s wife?


    It was fine to not know that the Prince¡¯s wife was Xie Zhen, and she could convince herself to ept it wholeheartedly. Once she found out that this person was Xie Zhen, her attitude changed¡­


    Remembering how she had bowed to her a moment ago, she felt so regretful that her intestines turned green.


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°You¡¯re yelling at me again.¡±


    He immediately gave up, and even weakened his momentum. With a twist of his head, he insisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t think so.¡±


    Ouyang Yi could not help but interrupt their conversation as she asked with a skeptical tone, ¡°You ¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you really Xie Zhen?¡±


    Xie Zhen did not answer her. Instead she asked, ¡°Do you want I am or not?¡±


    She was stumped by the question and could not answer it for a long time.


    But it was clear in her heart that this person was no doubt Xie Zhen, the person she hated the most when she was young and the person she was jealous of the most.


    She had an outstanding appearance and a happy family, and now she was a Prince¡¯s wife.


    Ouyang Yi didn¡¯t know why. They were clearly separated back then, so why were they still together after so many years?


    Was it because of this that she had always kept pestering her cousin before, that she had be a prince¡¯s wife?


    Once she had such a thought, she would never be able to forget it.


    On the way back to the main courtyard.


    Xie Zhen kept a short distance in front, with Yan Yu behind her.


    In order to keep up with her pace, Yan Yu had to take one step at a time in order not to overtake her.


    He called out to her. ¡°Xie Zhen.¡±


    She did not hear him, but kept walking.


    Yan Yu took two quick steps and walked behind her. ¡°What did you see?¡±


    She still didn¡¯t say anything.


    When she got back to the Zhanyue Court, she went into her room and ignored him.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t know what was going on. She was clearly fine just now, and she still talked to him at Pavilion Changqing. Why did she ignore him when she left the courtyard?


    Yan Yu followed closely into the room. As soon as he was about to entered, he was blocked by two servant maids.


    ¡°Your Highness ¡­¡±


    ¡°The Empress is not feeling well, please leave.¡±


    He wanted to check how she was feeling, but after asking around for a long time, he found out that she was changing the menstruation stripe ¡­


    Yan Yu¡¯s face was as hot as burning. He stand outside, seemingly at a loss as to what to do.


    After waiting for her to finish, he barged in regardless of everything and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to me?¡±


    Xie Zhen had pain of lower abdomen, so she was not happy. She red at him.


    Yan Yu was confused. He automatically sat beside her. ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    She moved aside, without looking at him. ¡°No.¡±


    Yan Yu continued to move close to her, ¡°Then why don¡¯t I talk to me?¡±


    She lower her eyes. ¡°Pain of lower abdomen. I don¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    She might been lying, because her face was full of displeasure.


    Yan Yu seemed to be enlightened. He looked down her line of sight andnded on his own sleeve. In a split-second, he stood up, took off his outer robe and threw it to the side, standing in front of her, ¡°Can you talk to me now?¡±


    Xie Zhen was stunned, and shaked her head.


    She didn¡¯t say why, so he had to study it himself and exin slowly from the beginning: ¡°Aunt fainted outside the door, that¡¯s why I brought them into the house.¡±


    ¡°When she recovers, I¡¯ll take them out of the house.¡±


    After a pause, he continued to exin, ¡°Cousin did not hold my hand.¡±


    Xie Zhen finally said, ¡°You want to hold hands with her?¡±


    Yan Yu red at her and threw her on the Arhat Bed. His whole body covered over her, and he spoke into her left ear. ¡°I don¡¯t like to hold hands with others.¡±


    After the end of the talk, his left hand touched to the side and grabbed her hand, holding it firmly.


    Madam Li and Ouyang Yi stayed in the sixth prince¡¯s estate for seven or eight days. Every day, the servant maids brought them food and medicine, serving them carefully.


    They had suffered too much outside, so they were moved and frightened when they suddenly settled in such afortable ce. But as days went on, they got used to it and were reluctant to leave.


    Madam Li¡¯s health had improved slightly after several days of treatment. She asionally got out of bed and walked around the courtyard.


    She was used to busying herself a few years ago, so now that she was free, she was not used to it.


    One day she went to the well to fetch water and washed her and Ouyang Yi¡¯s clothes.


    When Ouyang Yi saw this, she immediately helped her up and scolded her, ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing this for?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor ask you not touch cold water? What month is it?¡±


    ¡°The water is so cold, can your body bear it?¡±


    Madam Li told her to lower her voice, ¡°What¡¯s there to be so surprised about? Didn¡¯t you need to do it before?¡±


    She was both angry and anxious, and her voice could not help but increase in volume. ¡°It¡¯s different now. We¡¯ve found my cousin!¡±


    She thought that as long as they got into a rtionship with Yan Yu, he would not abandon them. No matter what, they would not live the same life as before.


    Madam Li brought her back to her room,ining that her voice was loud, afraid that her words would be heard by others.


    She had been like this ever since she was young. She was always bbering and not likeable.


    Even after so many years, nothing had changed.


    Madam Li asked her, ¡°Have you asked Yu¡¯er? Did he tell you anything?¡±


    Ouyang Yi shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Cousin did not say anything.¡±


    Xie Zhen had been here twice in thest few days, Yan Yu came here more often, but totally, there were no more than four of five times.


    Every time he was here, he just checked Madame Li¡¯s health.


    Ouyang Yi took the opportunity to ask him some questions, such as why he had changed his identity, why he had not been with the uncle and aunt, and why he had married Xie Zhen.


    But he said nothing, and he would not answer her, no matter how she asked.


    Ouyang Yi did not give up and decided to go to Xie Zhen and get more information from her.

 Chapter 64 - Be Honest

    <h4>Chapter 64 - Be Honest</h4>


    Although Zhanyue Court and Pavilion Changqing were separated only by a long corridor and a small path, theyout of the two ces waspletely different.


    As soon as she entered Zhanyue Court, she saw a screen that was carved with the images of a crane and a deer in the spring. Behind the screen was an exquisite courtyard.


    It was wide, with a pavilion to the east. A few plums and osmanthus trees had been nted in the west, and now that the osmanthus flowers had bloomed, and the whole courtyard was filled with a fresh and elegant fragrance.


    There were more than ten maidservants in the courtyard, and they were orderly. As soon as she entered the courtyard, someone came in the room for informing. Another person led her to the main room.


    The main room was even more intricate, with two chairs ced in the middle. With just one look, one could tell that they were not ordinary wood.


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s gaze roamed the room. Upon entering her eyes, there were precious jade artifacts. Even the white zed vases casually ced on the table were something she had never dared to think about before.


    Behind the screen with flower and bird patterns, there should be an inner room.


    Ouyang Yi could vaguely see the red curtains and the murals on the wall. She couldn¡¯t tell what kind of exquisite it was.


    The dissatisfaction in her heart was rising. What could Xie Zhen possibly be so good to live in such a room?


    When she and her mother were out on the street, was Xie Zhen living so well?


    Wasn¡¯t it because she married her cousin?


    The maid invited her to take a seat, and after a moment¡¯s thought, she sat unceremoniously in the rose chair in the middle and waited for Xie Zhen toe out.


    Shuang Yan was serving outside. Upon seeing this, she was stunned for a moment before reminding her, ¡°Youngdy cousin, you should sit here ¡­¡±


    She pointed to the chair in distance.


    Ouyang Yi pretended not to understand and asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I sit here?¡±


    Shuang Yan said straightly, ¡°This is my Empress¡¯s seat.¡±


    She pointed to the other side in confusion, not intending to move, ¡°Can¡¯t she sit there as well?¡±


    After a long silence, Shuang Yan came to understand what kind of person she was. To put it nicely, she was the cousin of the sixth prince. Frankly speaking, wasn¡¯t she just an ordinarymoner?


    What qualifications did she have to act so arrogantly in front of the prince¡¯s wife?


    Shuang Yan¡¯s attitude changed, and her tone became less courteous. ¡°That is His Highness¡¯s seat.¡±


    Only then did Ouyang Yi have nothing to say, but she was still unwilling to move.


    Xie Zhen was about to enter the room, Hong Mei came in with the tea in her hands. Shuang Yan directly received the tea and ced it on the table below. She said to her, ¡°Please sit here, youngdy.¡±


    Only then did Ouyang Yi reluctantly stand up and sat down.


    Behind her, Shuang Yan rolled her eyes.


    This was the cousin of the sixth prince?


    When she heard about her yesterday, she thought it was some kind of girl. It made them curious for a while.


    Who would have thought she was such a person! She was really an eye-opener.


    She was like an uncultured, undisciplined mountain vige girl!


    Putting aside the fact that the other party¡¯s identity was much more prestigious than hers, even if she were to be a guest at someone else¡¯s house, how could she sit on the main seat so easily?


    Wasn¡¯t this a joke!


    Shuang Yan felt helpless. She just hoped that when Xie Zhen came out, she would not do anything unexpected.


    About a quarter of an hourter, Xie Zhen came out after finishing dressing.


    It was cooler, and Xie Zhen wore an extra cloak of gold-and-red knotted peonies patterns, more resplendent and richer than the one she¡¯d worn the day before.


    She was a beauty who could hold all these clothes. Not only did she not look vulgar when she wore them, she looked even more delicate and imposing.


    She walked in, like a brightmp, lighting up the room in an instant.


    Ouyang Yi stared intently at her as she walked past without even looking sideways and into the main seat. During this time, she didn¡¯t even look at her.


    Behind her, Shuang Yan reminded her, ¡°Youngdy cousin, you need bow.¡±


    Ouyang Yi remained motionless.


    Xie Zhen took a seat and waited for Hong Mei to serve her the tea before looking at Ouyang Yi. After a while, she said, ¡°the cousin girl juste in the house. Since she doesn¡¯t know the rules, forget it today.¡±


    The meaning behind her words was that when she met her in the future, she would have to bow.


    Furthermore, Ouyang Yi could tell what she meant by her words. She said that she was an outsider and didn¡¯t understand the rules, so she didn¡¯t care about it as much as she did.


    Ouyang Yi stared at Xie Zhen, too unconvinced to say words of gratitude.


    It was still early in the morning, and Xie Zhen just got up when she was led here by Shang Yu before breakfast.


    Shang Yu said that the cousin girl was here, and it took her a long time to remember who she was.


    After dawdling in bed for a while, she got up to wash up and change her clothes.


    The distance between the inside and outside of the house wasn¡¯t far. Coupled with Ouyang Yi¡¯s loud voice, she was able to clearly hear the conversation from inside.


    She should have been angry, but she thought it was funny.


    After all these years, Ouyang Yi¡¯s nature hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Back then, when she lived in the Li family, she had a condescending attitude. She didn¡¯t feel like she was depending on others at all.


    It was probably due to where she grew up. Her father had died, and her mother was weak. No one taught her how to behave, so she had developed such a character.


    What did she have to do with her?


    Xie Zhen thought, it wasn¡¯t worth getting angry about.


    After the Lee family moved out, they had an argument in the yard. Ouyang Yi said that Yan Yu moved out because he hated her. She was very sad at that time. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if it was true.


    She had asked Yan Yu about it, but he had said that he had never told her about it. Was Ouyang Yi lying to her?


    Why did he lie to her?


    Xie Zhen was lost in her memories. She tilted her head and thought for a while. It wasn¡¯t until Ouyang Yi called out to her that she came back to her senses.


    Ouyang Yi looked around and coughed, ¡°I have something to say to you alone.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know what she was going to ask, so she sent the servant maids outside to wait for her.


    Shuang Yan was worried. Before she left, she had a lingering expression on her face, as if she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t at the same time. ¡°Empress ¡­¡±


    She probably wanted to remind her not to be bullied.


    Xie Zhen smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, in case I need to call you guys.¡±


    Shuang Yan answered ¡°yes¡± and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hong Mei in the porch.


    Only after the servant maids left did Ouyang Yi rx a bit. Her attitude towards Xie Zhen became a lot more casual.


    In Ouyang Yi¡¯s mind, Xie Zhen was still the former Xie Zhen, and it was all because of Yan Yu that she could have today¡¯s identity.


    ¡°How did you find my cousin?¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°He found me.¡±


    ¡°My cousin found you?¡±


    She clearly did not believe Xie Zhen and looked at her with doubt, ¡°You are in Qing Zhou, does he specifically go back to find you?¡±


    Xie Zhen told her:¡°My family is not in Qing Zhou. We moved to capital.¡±


    ¡°You are only the daughter of the governor of Qing Zhou. My cousin is the sixth prince. If he wants to marry you, can His Majesty promise?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Xie Zhe thoughtfully replied, without a hint of emotion in her voice. ¡°His Majesty personally granted us the marriage.¡±


    After the end of the talk, Ouyang Yi suddenly fell silent.


    She acted as if she was dumbfounded, perhaps too shocked to talk properly. ¡°His, His Majesty ¡­¡±


    ¡°Why would His Majesty granted you the marriage? Aren¡¯t you ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen sipped his tea and waited patiently for her to finish.


    She then said, ¡°Your father is only a prefect of Qing Zhou, how is he worthy ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen restrained eyesign and stopped her. ¡°My father is the Governor of Qing Zhou, notparable to the royal family, but he is also a fourth rank official with a reserved career. When he is in Qing Zhou office, his heart is on behalf of the citizens of Qingzhou. In front of me, it is best not to speak of my father like that.¡±


    When Ouyang Yi saw her expression turn pale, she finally realized that she was living in someone else¡¯s house. She restrained herself a little and no longer said anything.


    Neither of them spoke, and the room was quiet for a moment.


    Ouyang Yi was simply too shocked. She hadn¡¯t expected His Majesty to personally granted their marriage, so why did His Majesty grant them the marriage?


    She wanted to ask Xie Zhen, but seeing that Xie Zhen was not looking well, she tactfully didn¡¯t say anything more.


    After sitting for a while, Shuang Yan came in from outside and said to Xie Zhen, ¡°Miss, a person from Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was here to send a message.¡±


    Xie Zhen got up. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±


    Shuang Yan led her outside. ¡°She¡¯s in the central room. I heard she¡¯s Senior Servant Chen from Madam¡¯s side.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say what it was. As Xie Zhen was about to leave, she remembered that there was someone else in the room, so he said to Hong Mei, ¡°You take the cousin girl backter, I¡¯ll take a look at the front first.¡±


    Hong Mei agreed.


    Then she left without turning back, only leaving Ouyang Yi with her back.


    When Ouyang Yi heard the servant maids say the words¡¯ Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion ¡®, she couldn¡¯t figure out why Xie Zhen was involved with the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Which Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?


    Or did she hear wrong?


    As Xie Zhen left, Yan Yu came back from the morning court.


    He wanted to call Xie Zhen to go to the front with him, but he didn¡¯t expect that she had already left. He stood in the porch and encountered Ouyang Yi, who was about to go back.


    As soon as Ouyang Yi saw him, she called him ¡°Cousin¡± from afar.


    Yan Yu slightly twisted his brow, and when she walked up to him, he asked: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She smiled unconcernedly. ¡°What can I do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to Prince¡¯s wife.¡±


    Although she said that Xie Zhen was a prince¡¯s wife, her expression did not have the slightest bit of respect towards Prince¡¯s wife.


    Yan Yu asked Hong Mei, ¡°Where¡¯s Xie Zhen?¡±


    Hong Mei bowed. ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, the Empress has already left for the front courtyard.¡±


    He pursed his lips in disappointment. It seemed they had missed each other on the road. Without wasting any time, he turned around and walked out of the courtyard.


    Ouyang Yi caught up to him and asked without any scruples, ¡°Cousin, I heard her say that His Majesty personally granted your marriage?¡±


    Yan Yu walked forward with big strides. She was struggling to keep up with him, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of slowing down.


    Ouyang Yi did not hear his reply. She did not give up and asked, ¡°Cousin, is it true?¡±


    He made a sound of agreement.


    Ouyang Yi could not figure it out. She grabbed his sleeve to make him walk slower, but he simply raised his arm, pulled out his clothes and continued walking in big strides.


    ¡°Cousin!¡±


    She huffed in displeasure, but seeing that he didn¡¯t react, she asked directly, ¡°Why does His Majesty grant your marriage?¡±


    ¡°Did she pester you, corrupt your reputation, and cause a ruckus that you had no choice but to marry her?¡±


    Yan Yu, who was in front, suddenly stopped.


    Hong Mei could not bear to listen any longer. She frowned and reminded her, ¡± cousin girl, you can¡¯t say that ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu turned around, but his face was terrifyingly dark.


    His eyes were sharp as he asked word by word, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Ouyang Yi felt a little guilty under such a gaze. For some reason, she felt afraid and her momentum weakened. ¡°Otherwise, with her status, how could she be worthy of marrying you ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu looked at her quietly for a while, with only indifference in his dark eyes, ¡°What happened to her identity?¡±


    Ouyang Yi stammered, ¡°She is the daughter of the Prefect ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu doesn¡¯t like to use his identity to pressure others. It is the second time he had done this for Xie Zhen. ¡°Not only is she the daughter of the Prefect, she is also the the fifth girl of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    After saying that, he continued, ¡°Whether she marries me or not, she is still an honorable Jade Leafpool.¡±


    Ouyang Yi was stunned. She opened her mouth but was unable to say anything.


    Xie Zhen was a girl from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?


    Although she had never heard of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, she knew that those who had the word ¡°Duke¡± in their names were not ordinary families. In fact, their status was even higher than that of the government officials ¡­


    Was Xie Zhen¡¯s identity like this?


    Why did she never know?


    Yan Yu lowered his eyes. He had grown a little taller in the past few months. When he looked at people, he seemed to be looking down on them with disdain, ¡°Besides, she¡¯s not pestering me.¡±


    Ouyang Yi raised her head, still in a daze from the impact just now.


    Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips parted slightly and he looked away, ¡°It is me who want to marry her. I like her, and I adore her.¡±


    This time, not only Ouyang Yi froze, even Hong Mei were dumbfounded.


    When had she ever heard the sixth prince be so honest?


    His temper was entric, and he always yed duplicity. He seemed to love Xie Zhen into the bone, but still kept the love in his heart, wouldn¡¯t say it even if he was beaten to death.


    If he hadn¡¯t been pressured by this cousin girl, he probably wouldn¡¯t have said such words.


    After finishing his words, he was stunned for a long time. Then, he pursed his lips. Feeling embarrassed, he turned around and continued forward without caring about Ouyang Yi.


    However, as soon as he turned around, he suddenly stopped.


    Xie Zhen was standing a few feet away in trance. He didn¡¯t know how long she stood there and how much she had learned, her face flushed as she met his gaze.


    She felt the heat, and her heart swelled. Something was about to spill out. She frantically covered her face as she looked at the big tree at the side. ¡°I forgot to change my shoes ¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to go back and change my shoes¡­¡±


    Yan Yu looked down and saw that she was indeed wearing the silk shoes she wore in the house.


    Feeling embarrassed, he only managed to say one word after a long moment, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There was probably nothing more shameful in the world than this. He had clearly said before that there was no one he liked, and that was why he had forced himself to marry her.


    Well, how would he exin it?


    If he knew she was right behind, he would never have said that.


    While Yan Yu was still regretting his decision, Xie Zhen hurried past him and returned to the house to change her shoes.

 Chapter 65 - Is It True?

    <h4>Chapter 65 - Is It True?</h4>


    Back in the room, she was still distracted when Shuang Yu helped her change her shoes.


    Her heart never stopped beating. She covered her face with her hands, only revealing a pair of big, ck eyes. She didn¡¯t really believe in her ears. ¡°Shang Yu, did you hear what he said just now?¡±


    She had asked the same question several times along the way, and Shang Yu replied patiently: ¡°Yes, His Highness said he likes you and he adores you.¡±


    Even her ears turned red. When she thought about the way Yan Yu had said those words just now, she felt her ears go soft.


    She rubbed her eyes with her hands, and was so shy that she put her head into the big pillow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the front yard. Go and check what the message is, and thene back and tell me what it is.¡±


    She wanted to escape, afraid that if Yan Yu still stood outside, how awkward would they be when they met again?


    How could she face him?


    After thinking for a while, she decided not to go outside.


    Shang Yu smiled. She knew what she was afraid of, but he was d to see it. ¡°What if the girl misses something important?¡±


    Although they didn¡¯t have the right to say anything as servant maids, they secretly hoped that she would be able to get along with the sixth prince.


    They had not been on friendly terms with each other a while ago, but they had been quietly sweating. Now that things had finally turned around, the sixth prince had finally spoken up. If she continued to hide, then it would not make sense.


    Xie Zhen thought for a while, but still could not face it. ¡°How could I have missed it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± said Shuang Yu. ¡°I has a bad memory. Perhaps I will forget something when Ie back.¡±


    Xie Zhen knew she said it on purpose, she looked up at her.


    ¡°Then help me take a check ¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone else outside?¡±


    Shang Yu agreed straightforwardly, following her instructions and walking outside. After looking around, she said, ¡°There¡¯s no one here, so Miss can rest assured that you cane out.¡±


    She slowly walked out. Other than a few servant maids who did not understand the situation, there was no one else in the courtyard.


    As Xie Zhen walked slowly out of Zhanyue Court, there was indeed no one outside, neither did Ouyang Yi.


    Relieved, she pulled her skirt back over her shoulders and walked quickly toward the courtyard.


    Afraid of encountering something.


    Mammy Chan hade for her fifteenth birthday which wasing in two months. Madam Leng had asked her to return to the mansion the day before her birthday for the ceremony at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    After Xie Zhen heard what Mammy Chan said, Xie Zhen replied, ¡°I know, I will go back then.¡±


    After a pause, she asked, ¡°How is Father and Mother doing?¡±


    Mammy Chan nodded. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine.¡±


    She recalled something and could not help but ask again, ¡°Is Father still at home ¡­¡±


    Mammy Chan gave her a gentle smile, reassuring her, ¡°Recently, His Majesty summoned Second Master to the pce several times. Listening to his conversation with madam, His Majesty seemed to want to put him in an important position.¡±


    "Lady, don¡¯t worry, madam said everything will be all right. "


    When she heard this, the rock in her heart finally fell to the ground. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mammy Chan watched her grow up with Xie Xun. Now that both of them were tall and graceful, one after the other, they were about to be married off. She felt rather sorrowful in her heart.


    Xie Zhen asked a few more questions about her family, and Mammy Chan replied one by one, she let her go.


    She reluctantly saw her off at the door but didn¡¯t retract the smile on her face when she saw the man standing outside the door. Her face froze in fear, and silently retracted her leg.


    Mammy Chan didn¡¯t know what was going on and bowed towards the two. ¡°Your Highness, princess, I will take my leave now.¡±


    Xie Zhen forced a smile, ¡°Mammy may leave, please. I¡¯ll go home to visit my father and mother another day.¡±


    Mammy Chan left with a smile.


    As soon as Mammy Chan left, Xie Zhen carried her skirt out of the room, intending to escape under the watchful eyes of Yan Yu.


    Unfortunately, she walked too slowly and were stopped by Yan Yu at the bottom of the corridor.


    Yan Yu leaned forward and put his arm against the wall beside her, blocking her way.


    He was staring at her without blinking.


    Xie Zhen was not daring to meet his eyes, so she turned and ran the other way.


    He moved faster, and his other hand was on the other side of her, wrapping her in his arms.


    He looked down for her ear. ¡°You heard what I said.¡±


    His voice was hoarse and slow.


    Xie Zhen wanted to cry. She wanted to run away, but he was everywhere and there was nowhere to run.


    He bit her earlobe and said reproachfully, ¡°Who let you eavesdrop?¡±


    When Xie Zhen flinched away from him, he continued to cling to her like a dog finding a bone, biting and gnawing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop. I didn¡¯t mean to hear it.¡±


    She paused for a moment, then said in a magnanimous tone, ¡°How about you pretend that I didn¡¯t hear anything?¡±


    He pulled a face and pretended to be angry. ¡°You have heard it. How should I pretend?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought it was impossible. So what should she do?


    Was she going to do something?


    After thinking for a while, her mind finally cleared, ¡°Is what you just said true?¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s arms fell off the wall and wrapped themselves around her waist instead. His hands folded tightly behind her back, and he ced them a little lower in her waist so that she was pressed against him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fake.¡±


    Xie Zhen nced sideways at him, saw only the curve of his beautiful chin, and rolled her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you said that¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no one you like?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xie Zhen put her hands on his chest in a way she couldn¡¯t take at once. ¡°You lied to me about that, too?¡±


    He remained silent.


    Xie Zhen looked at him, and she became less shy. She bit her lips and raised them up, ¡°Then what else did you lie to me about?¡±


    He said, ¡°No.¡±


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t believe it. She thought back to what he had said and an idea shed in her mind. ¡°Are you really afraid of thunder?¡±


    He was obviously stiff, and without answering, Xie Zhen knew she was right.


    She gave a light snort. She didn¡¯t expect that he would have ill intentions from then on. So, the fear of thunder was just a cover, and he just wanted to take advantage of her.


    To think that she still pitied him and let him hold her for so long.


    The more Xie Zhen thought about it, the rarer he felt. What on earth was he thinking about how such a prideful man could be so narrow-minded about her?


    There seemed to be a jar of honey in Xie Zhen¡¯s mind, which was suddenly knocked over and flowed into her limbs and bones, even her voice was sweet: ¡°You said so many lies, was that what you just said true?¡±


    Needless to say, the two knew what she refereed to.


    Yan Yu¡¯s mouth was like glued as he tightly pursed it, unwilling to answer.


    Xie Zhen blinked. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll take it as a lie and forget it.¡±


    Anxious, he pinned her against the wall, pressing his forehead against hers. ¡°Don¡¯t forget!¡±


    She could forget everything. She had forgotten everything about him after they hadn¡¯t seen each other in years. Who could be more heartless than her?


    He swallowed, with his voice dry. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    If he was embarrassed, then let he be. If he was disgraced, then let he be. As long as she was happy, he would sacrifice himself.


    The servant maids in the courtyard had found a ce to hide. Currently, there were only the two of them in the porch, so they were free to say anything.


    Xie Zhen blinked, and because they were close to each other, so she could see herself in his eyes. ¡°Oh, Brother Xiao Yu likes me, so should I reluctantly like him?¡±


    Without waiting for Yan Yu¡¯s reply, she asked herself, ¡°I¡¯d better not. Brother Xiao Yu is always lying. I don¡¯t like a liar.¡±


    Yan Yu gritted his teeth, lowered his head and bit the corner of her upturned mouth. He pressed his lips against hers and called out, ¡°Little bastard.¡±


    After that, there was no room for Ouyang Yi to intervene between the two.


    Perhaps it was due to the blow she receivedst time that Ouyang Yi had been absent for a few days after returning to the Pavilion Changqing.


    Perhaps it was rted to Madame Li¡¯s illness. Recently, Madam Li¡¯s health was getting worse and worse. She couldn¡¯t even get out of bed. Every day, she needed someone to wait on her and feed her medicine. The entire room was filled with the smell of medicine.


    One day when she was sitting in courtyard, while Liu Lan was frying Madam Li¡¯s medicine, she feigned carelessness as she asked, ¡°I heard that the Prince¡¯s wife is the Fifth Miss of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    Liu Lan didn¡¯t care and focused on observing the medicinal pot. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Sheposed herself and asked again, ¡°What kind of ce is the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    Speaking of this, Liu Lan began to talk non-stop about how Duke Dingguo¡¯s grandfather had gone to great lengths to apany the Emperor Yuanzong. This was a widespread affair in the capital, and the citizens were all in high spirits about it, so it was not surprising that Liu Lan knew about it.


    When Ouyang Yi finished listening, she finally understood the gap between her and Xie Zhen.


    Her grandfather¡¯s grandfather had followed thete emperor around while she herself had never even seen what the pce looked like.


    Ouyang Yi picked up a branch from the ground and pressed it against the ground. With a bit of force, the branch broke into two halves.


    With a patter, it was as if the unwillingness in her chest had been inted to the limit. In the end, it exploded and swallowed her whole body.


    In the middle of November, the General of Agile Cavalry Zhong Kai celebrated his birthday and had invited many civil and military officials. Many of them were people from the royal family who had good rtions with him. Naturally, Yan Yu had been invited as well.


    The General was over 40 years old, and had but one son Zhong Shang, while the other five children were all daughters. So Zhong Shang had been taken to heaven by his mother and his grandmother.


    When he was young, he didn¡¯t learn to be good and followed a bunch of popinjays around the streets. He didn¡¯t do any good deeds.


    When he was young, Zhong Kai didn¡¯t subject him to discipline. But when he grew up, Zhong Kai learned that he couldn¡¯t do nothing about it, so he threw him into the camp.


    It was lucky that this brat also had some skills. When he didn¡¯t learn well, those young masters all followed him.


    Now that he was in the army camp, he still had a way to make everyone submit to him.


    In just a year¡¯s time, he had used his own skills to rise from a nameless pawn to a spellcaster and then to be on guard.


    Zhong Kai was quite satisfied with his son.


    If he could change his bad habits. It would be even better if he could get himself a wife.


    Zhong Shang would be at his twenty the next year, and Zhong Kai ned to choose a good daughter-inw for him in this year, after the marriage, in less than a year, they will be able to have a grandson.


    Therefore, taking advantage of his birthday ceremony, the general ordered his wife to hold a banquet in the backyard as well. He invited some of the wives to see which family had a youngdy of the right age to match his son so that he could quickly start his family business and perhaps even change his appearance.


    Zhong Shang had no knowledge of the matter.


    On the day of his father¡¯s birthday banquet, he brought Gao Xun over as well.

 Chapter 66 - Scared

    <h4>Chapter 66 - Scared</h4>


    When the invitation was delivered to the sixth prince¡¯s residence, the servant maid was hesitating as to whether she should send it in or not.


    Recently, the sixth prince and the Princess had be extremely intimate, and there was no ce for them servants.


    More urately speaking, the sixth prince was pestering the Princess extremely well.


    When His Highness returned, he couldn¡¯t wait to tie his princess to his belt and take her with him at all times.


    The servant maids didn¡¯t know what was going on either. Ever since cousin girl¡¯s visit, the rtionship between His Highness and the Princess seemed to have improved.


    The improvement was different from before. It was kinda the sun shining again after rain.


    For example, right now, His Highness was reading in the study while the princess was in the study as well. Some sound could be heard from within the study from time to time, making it unsuitable for them servant maids go in and disturb them.


    In the study, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know how it had turned out like this.


    Yan Yu insisted that she apany him in the study. She promised to sit there and read a book. He suddenly called her over and asked her with a stinky face: why she didn¡¯t say a word.


    Xie Zhen was rather baffling. Was he reading a book, wasn¡¯t he?


    She didn¡¯t bother him, and he wasn¡¯t satisfied?


    Not only was Yan Yu not satisfied, he was far from satisfactory.


    She had been so fond of pestering him when he was young that even when he was reading, she would call him Brother Xiao Yuu sweetly from outside the window.


    He was not satisfied, of course, that she was not calling him now.


    He sat with her on the desk, his chin on the top of her head, as sullen as he was, and said, ¡°Who said you couldn¡¯t disturb me?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked in his arms, being muddled. ¡°You said it yourselfst time.¡±


    Thest time she had Shang Yu bring him a meal, he had sent her out with a terrible air, and had Shuang Yu tell her not to disturb him.


    Yan Yu remained silent for a while. He had no choice but to get back what he had said, ¡°They can¡¯t.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not fully understand . ¡°Oh, I can?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xie Zhen grabbed his sleeve and looked up to see his face. Her voice was soft and sweet. ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, can I?¡±


    Yan Yu was a teenager and was full of energy. He had no good self-control against the girl he liked, especially when she talked to him in this way. He immediately reaponded by lowering his head, finding her chattering little lips and holding them in his mouth.


    He was fond of kissing her, tasting her mouth so strongly and savagely that he never knew how to be gentle, and once Xie Zhen¡¯s tongue was broken by his kiss.


    Xie Zhen felt her tongue was in pain, so she covered her mouth with her hands, trying to avoid his kisses. He was the kind of man who wouldn¡¯t admit his fault. He licked her wound tenderly and called her ¡°Little Lamb¡± with blushing and only then did he know how to hold back a little.


    As he kissed her, he gradually lost control.


    As Xie Zhen sat on the desk, he leaned over and put his hand on her shoulder and tasted her mouth, getting more and more unsatisfied.


    He was a normal man, and his desire for her was growing stronger and stronger. Thest few days were her period, so he had to control himself.


    Her period had ended yesterday, and he could not help it any longer. His hand slipped off her shoulder andnded on her slender waist. His hand kept slipping down, and he felt her body stiffen.


    Yan Yu let go of her lips, lowered his head, and kissed her from her chin to her neck, then buried his head in her shoulder to take a few deep breaths. ¡°I want ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen was trembling. She had a premonition about what he wanted to do, but she was unfamiliar with it. She was afraid. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    His palms were hot, and the heat came through the fabric and made her flinch.


    Her movement provoked him, and he could not help unbuttoning the dress from her cor with his other hand, and he buried his head in it, and kissed her skin incoherently.


    Her skin was delicate, and with a gentle suck there would be a red mark. He could not help but think of the apricot tofu he had eaten after dinner, which was white and tender, with a red cherry on it, and he could not bear to eat it, so he licked it slowly.


    Xie Zhen was shaking like a fallen leaf in the wind, terrified and uneasy.


    She shyly pushed his head and said like a mosquito, ¡± Brother Xiao Yu ¡­¡±


    He thought she was just shy and wrapped her whole body in his arms and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Little Lamb, shall we consummate? ¡±


    This was the first time he had been so honest, probably because he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and wanted to take her for himself right now.


    As he spoke, he grabbed one of her hands and led it to his body, sliding down to feel the hottest part of his body. ¡°I feel terrible here ¡­¡±


    As Xie Zhen touched it, she realized what it was and tried to pull her hand back.


    But he held her hand tight and wouldn¡¯t let go of it.


    Xie Zhen was lost, she just let him do whatever he wanted.


    Yan Yu waited a moment, and there was no response. He couldn¡¯t help but look up at her.


    He was stunned.


    With tears in her eyes, she bit her lips. Her body trembled slightly as she raised her gaze to meet his, begging pitifully, ¡°Wait until I am at my fifteenth birthday. Brother Xiao Yu, please wait for me.¡±


    Yan Yu suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of guilt. He lifted her off the desk and let her sit on hisp. ¡°What are you crying for?¡±


    She sobbed. The feel of that thing was still in her hand. It was so unfamiliar, it was not like the Yan Yu she was familiar with at all. ¡°I¡¯m scared ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu had no choice but to suppress his desire, hug her andfort her, ¡°What are you scared for?¡±


    He wanted to add that how could they not consummate after they got married. However, taking into ount her mood, he turned it around in his throat and swallowed it back down.


    He straightened her clothes, buttoned her apron with his own hands, and bit her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll kiss you if you cry any more.¡±


    Xie Zhen was really scared, and she raised her big tearful eyes, forcefully held back her tears, feeling uneasy, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Yan Yu sighed. He really couldn¡¯t do anything to her.


    Xie Zhen wiped away her tears, and when she finally calmed herself down and rubbed her hand on his leg. ¡°I don¡¯t want to touch that ce ¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she pursed her lips, as if she disliked it as much as possible.


    Yan Yu¡¯s breath was caught in his throat. He was quite angry, ¡°You had touched it when you were young.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at him incredulously and blurted out, ¡°How is it possible!¡±


    She had forgotten their first meeting, and she couldn¡¯t remember she had touched his crotch.


    Yan Yu clenched his teeth and asked word by word, ¡°Do you want to go back on your words?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t remember at all.


    Yan Yu had to hold her waist and repeat what had happened that day. When he talked about his peeing, he paused for a moment before finally choosing to hide it: ¡°You insisted on singing, and I didn¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    Xie Zhen was eyeing him askance. ¡°Then why did you insist on my singingst time?¡±


    He turned his head. ¡°I want to check if you¡¯re still singing so badly.¡±


    Xie Zhen made a ¡°Oh¡± sound, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Then I won¡¯t sing to you anymore.¡±


    Seeing that he was stubborn, her mood gradually improved. She cunningly asked, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, do you want to hear it?¡±


    He tensed. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Xie Zhen climbed out of his arms. She was smiling as she stood in front of him, her clear, bright eyes looking at him.


    He felt guilty and had to admit it in the end, ¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    He stared at her and reached his hand for her, but she dodged quickly and slipped behind the screen.


    She leaned out half of her head, revealing a pair of crescent-shaped eyes. Seeing him trying to get up to catch her, she quickly shrank back and ran out of the room like a little fox.


    On the day of 15th, the General of Agile Cavalry celebrated his birthday. The names of Yan Yu and Xie Zhen were written on the invitation.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t want to go at first, but after asking around, she learned that Madam Leng and Xie Xun would be there. So she immediately changed her mind and went with Yan Yu to the general¡¯s estate to congratte him on his birthday.


    Zhong Kai invited many people, and the general¡¯s mansion was bustling with carriages.


    Xie Zhen followed Yan Yu out of the carriage and handed the invitation to the servants at the door. One of them led Yan Yu to the front hall, and the other led Xie Zhen to the backyard.


    There were a lot of women in the backyard, and Xie Zhen only knew few of them. She only met the General¡¯s wife and the olddy, then led the servant maids to sit on a stone bench nearby, waiting for the arrival of mother and Ah Xun.


    The General¡¯s wife Madam Jiang was about the same age of Madam Leng. She looked very amiable, smiling every time she met someone. She did not have the slightest bit of arrogance.


    On the other hand, the olddy appeared to be a bit more serious. She put on a straight face and was a bit difficult to get along with.


    General Zhong and Madam Jiang had five daughters, four of them married, and one of them was a heroine. She fought her way into the enemy¡¯s camp, and no man had ever been able to defeat her.


    Today was General Zhong¡¯s birthday, so all his daughters have gone back home.


    The Madam Jiang had pretty brows, and all of their daughters had good appearances. Each of them had her own beauty.


    Only their fifth daughter, Zhong Rou, had inherited General Zhong¡¯s temperament. Not only did she look simr to him, her eyes were bright with heroic spirit. Her long eyebrows were arched, making her look exactly like a heroic young general.


    The first time Xie Zhen saw her, she thought she saw a man.


    She was dressed in a ck suit and was tall, so it was no wonder that she was misunderstood by Xie Zhen.


    When Zhong Rou came to the olddy and the General¡¯s wife, she sat down and talked to them. Xie Zhen faintly heard Madam Jiang ask with dissatisfaction, ¡°Didn¡¯t I prepare a set of clothes for you? Why are you wearing all of these clothes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to wearing it,¡± she replied casually.


    Xie Zhen did not notice theter part of their talk. She saw Madam Leng and Xie Xuning over, so she quickly stood up and happily stepped forward to wee them.


    In the central room, after Yan Yu had delivered the birthday present, Zhong Kai personally invited him into the room, leaving a seat for him. ¡°Your Highness, please take a seat.¡±


    There were many officials in the room, and they all bowed when they saw him.


    Yan Yu arrived early, and neither the crown prince nor the other princes came.


    As Zhong Kai went out to greet the guests, several ministers turned their attention to him, either talking about trivial matters, or talking about the recent events of the court, and then seeing that he was interested, so they did to bother him any more.


    Not long after, people arrived one after another.


    Yan Yu sat at the table, idly listening to the ministers talking about the state of the border, asionally speaking out his opinions and lowering his head to drink his tea.


    He didn¡¯t notice the two people who came in through the door.


    Zhong Shang led Gao Xun into the room. The two of them took off their waist-length armor and wore ordinary clothes, but they didn¡¯t seem to be very eye-catching.


    One by one, Zhong Shang introduced him to the officials sitting at the table. When he stopped in front of Yan Yu, he heard Zhong Shang say, ¡°This is the sixth prince.¡±


    Yan Yu raised his eyes and looked at the two.

 Chapter 67 - Fell Into the Water

    <h4>Chapter 67 - Fell Into the Water</h4>


    Gao Xun was dressed in a blue brocade robe. He was tall and broad-shouldered. He and Zhong Shang stood side by side in front of Yan Yu, appearing neither haughty nor humble.


    Yan Yu recognized Zhong Shang. He had been to the pce several times to enjoy the feasts held by Emperor Yuan Hui. He and Zhong Shang didn¡¯t have a deep friendship, and had only exchanged a few words with each other.


    He shifted his gaze to the person beside him.


    Yan Yu silently studied his facial features. The color of his eyes became darker and darker. Finally, he frowned and had a bad feeling about this.


    Zhong Shang patted Gao Xun¡¯s shoulder to make hime back to his senses. ¡°Do you lost mind?¡±


    Gao Xun was stunned when he met Yan Yu¡¯s gaze.


    He used to be on good terms with Yan Yu. The two of them had grown up together and were like brothers who could share the same pair of pants. Even though they had been separated since they were seven years old, this didn¡¯t mean that he would forget what he looked like.


    Gao Xun was stunned for a long time. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly recalled what Xie Xun had said to him that day at the teahouse.


    ¡°My sister is already married.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s married to the sixth prince.¡±


    What had Zhong Shang said to him?


    This is the sixth prince?


    Gao Xun¡¯s hands clenched involuntarily as he stared at Yan Yu in front of him, as if he wanted to see through him.


    He could not follow what Zhong Shang was saying. All he saw was Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips slightly parted as he slowly spat out two words, ¡°Gao Xun?¡±


    As his voice fell, Gao Xun¡¯s pupils constricted.


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    Not only did they know each other, they knew each other rather well.


    When he liked Xie Zhen and confided his feelings to him without reservation, he was disdainful and didn¡¯t say a word about it.


    Then he left without a word, and it was he who spent seven or eight years with Xie Zhen, growing up with her, and now hees back without a word and married Xie Zhen.


    It¡¯d be a lie to say that he was not angry.


    As if venting something, Gao Xun asked very slowly, ¡°Are you Li Yu?¡±


    He slightly lower his eyes, ¡°Impudent.¡±


    Speaking to the sixth prince with this attitude was indeed a bit unruly, but Gao Xun could not help it. If there were no people around, he would have rushed forward to beat him down.


    What the f~~k sixth prince?


    Was it just because he had changed his identity, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him!


    Zhong Shang found there was something wrong between the two, so he exchanged a few words with Yan Yu and then walked out with Gao Xun.


    They two men stood in the porch, and Zhong Shang was sitting on the fence, looking up at him, his eyes seemed to be inly saying: Tell, all the truth.


    Gao Xun did not move. He looked calm, but his eyes were filled with disorder. A violent storm was brewing within his eyes.


    He could not help but m his fist against the pir, his eyes bloodshot as he said, ¡°That bastard!¡±


    He was seething with rage at the thought of his boyhoodpanion.


    He had heard that the sixth prince would be here today and wanted to see who he was. That was why he came to the General¡¯s Mansion.


    But who would have thought that he would meet Li Yu, who left just for the sake of entering the pce to be a prince?


    Why did he marry Xie Zhen?


    Why did he have to touch his little fairy?


    There were a lot of peopleing and going in the porch, but Zhong Shang just sat there happily, not caring about the looks of others.


    He crooked his mouth andughed at Gao Xun, ¡°The sixth prince used to be living outside the pce for a period of time. This is not a secret. Back then, outside the pce, did you know him?¡±


    Gao Xun gradually calmed down and sat on the other side. ¡°Do you remember who I was looking for?¡±


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He parted his lips and a bitter smile appeared on his face. ¡°Now she¡¯s the Prince¡¯s wife.¡±


    Zhong Shang was stunned. His first reaction upon hearing these words was not anything else but to ask, wasn¡¯t the girl he was looking for the round little glutton cat?


    In the backyard, Xie Zhen waspletely unaware of Gao Xun¡¯s presence. It had been a long time since she met Madam Lengst time, and was always acting like a spoiled child in front of her.


    Madam Leng touched the centre of her forehead with one of her fingers. ¡°Since you¡¯re already married, why are you still staying with me?¡±


    Xie Zhenughed and began to act like a rascal, ¡°Who said that when I grew up, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with my mother?¡±


    Madam Leng could tell that she was in a good mood. Ever since she married, she had rarely seen such a sincere smile on her face. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly ask if she had made any progress with the sixth prince.


    When she thought of the intimate scenes with Yan Yu, she could not help but blush. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t keep asking me these questions!¡±


    By their side was the general¡¯s wife Madam Jiang and the other wives. If others heard this, could she still keep her good image in the future?


    Xie Zhen sneaked a nce back, and fortunately, Madam Jiang was talking to a few people and didn¡¯t notice her.


    She listened carefully. It seemed that Madam Jiang was quite interested in the daughters of those madams and kept asking them about their birth date. Her intention couldn¡¯t be more obvious.


    General Zhong and Madam Jiang only had one son, and she was doting on him like treating a treasure. It was probably because she spoiled him too much and hence, Zhong Shang¡¯s reputation wasn¡¯t very good. Most people didn¡¯t want to send their daughters into the fire pit.


    As to Madam Leng¡¯s two daughters, one was already married, and the other was still young. Thus, they were not within the Madam Jiang¡¯s considerations.


    Xie Zhen looked around, but there was no hint of Xie Xun. She was still here, but after a while she was nowhere to be seen.


    At first, Xie Zhen and Madam Leng didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. With a servant maid following her, nothing should happen.


    When they heard ¡°someone falls into the water¡±, they didn¡¯t think it would be Xie Xun.


    Xie Zhen looked around, but there was no sign of Xie Xun and only then did she start to panic.


    It waste autumn, and the water was ice-cold. If she was in theke for a bit longer, she would most likely die.


    She rushed to theke with Madam Leng. She had already sunk to the bottom, so she couldn¡¯t confirm who it was.


    Xie Zhen was too worried to cry. Sheid her body on the water¡¯s edge and kept calling her name. ¡°Ah Xun, Ah Xun!¡±


    Zhong Rou had already jumped into the water to save her before they arrived. After a while, she managed to rescue her from the water.


    Who else could the little girl lying on the shore be but Xie Xun?


    Madam Leng¡¯s heart ached so much that she couldn¡¯t even ask what was going on. She hurriedly got the servant maids to take off her clothes and wrap them around Xie Xun to keep her warm.


    As thedy who took charge of inner matters in the mansion, Madam Jiang immediately sent Xie Xun to the guest room to change her clothes and constantly apologize to Madam Leng.


    After all, it would be her fault that something had happened in her backyard.


    Both Madam Leng and Xie Zhen¡¯s hearts were tied to Xie Xun and there was no time to wonder why Xie Xun fallen into the water.


    Xie Xun was already in aa, and no matter how they tried to wake her up, she couldn¡¯t react.


    Zhong Rou wrung the water out of her clothes, took Xie Xun from Madam Leng¡¯s arms, andid her t on the ground. After pressing a few times against her chest, she spat out a few mouthfuls of water before slowly waking up.


    Zhong Rou picked her up and stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯d take her to the guest room. My mother will get a doctor first.¡±


    She was taller than most of the girls, and it took no effort to pick up the little Xie Xun, and in the blink of an eye she was several steps away.


    Returning to her senses, Madam Jiang ordered the servant maids to get a doctor as soon as possible.


    Being anxious for Xie Xun, Xie Zhen and Madam Leng followed Zhong Rou to the guest room.


    The servant maids in the general¡¯s quickly brought over some clean clothes and changed them for Xie Xun and Zhong Rou.


    Before long, the doctor arrived, pinching Xie Xun¡¯s wrist to feel her pulse. ¡°First, give her a bowl of ginger decoction. It might heat her up in a moment. I¡¯ll leave a prescription for her first. If she gets fever, then you¡¯d give her the medicine.¡±


    Apart from this, the doctor also told her not to get any cold. Fortunately, she had been rescued in time, otherwise it would be detrimental to her body. In the future, she would be in trouble when she recuperated.


    After sending off the doctor, Xie Zhen personally fed Xie Xun a bowl of ginger decoction to dispel the cold.


    Xie Xun was already awake, but her body was somewhat hot. He was still in a daze. ¡°Elder sister, I didn¡¯t fall in on purpose ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen touched her forehead, and it was actually hot. Shefort Xie Xun, ¡°it¡¯s not your fault, Ah Xun, take a good rest. No one mes you.¡±


    Xie Xun grabbed her sleeve and said with lingering fear, ¡°Someone pushed me ¡­¡±


    She was scared. When she fell into the water, she thought she was going to die. The water was cold, and she choked several times. For the first time, she experienced what was called despair.


    But then someone put an arm around her waist and saved her, and she wanted to ask who it was, but her head grew heavier and heavier as she lost consciousness and she fainted.


    When Xie Zhen heard herst words, she took her hand in hers tightly, being shocked.


    At that time, there were many people in the backyard, as well as quite a few girls who were wandering around theke. They had just returned to the capital and had never offended anyone.


    When Xie Zhen came out the room, she saw Madam Leng was thanking Zhong Rou.


    Madam Leng¡¯s face was still pale. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if Zhong Rou didn¡¯t save Xie Xun ¡­


    She was not an emotional person, and she rarely cried. But now her eyes reddened as she said, ¡°Thank you, Miss Zhong.¡±


    Her tone was sincere.


    Zhong Rou hurriedly replied with a bow, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Madam, there¡¯s no need to do that.¡±


    She had changed back to her girl¡¯s clothes. She wore a white and sky-blue ice dress and an ink cape. Her hair was adorned with a crystal hairpin and a jade hairpin, which waspletely different from her valiant and valiant appearance just now.


    Xie Zhen had thought she was strange before, but now she thought she was beautiful to the extreme.


    Madam Leng wanted to tell Xie Liqing about it in the front, and tell him to prepare the carriage and bring Xie Xun home in advance.


    There were only Xie Zhen and Zhong Rou, as well as servant maids left at the door.


    Even though Madam Leng had already thanked her, Xie Zhen still said, ¡°Thank you for saving Ah Xun. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Zhong Rou looked at her. ¡°Do you know why she fell into the water?¡±


    Xie Zhen said bluntly: ¡°you saw it?¡±


    Just as Zhong Rou was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of a figure nearby. Turning her head to look, she saw Zhong Shang and another person walking towards her.


    Zhong Shang was afraid that Gao Xun would fight with the sixth prince if he stayed in the front, so he took him to the backyard. He didn¡¯t expect to hear that someone had fallen into the water, so he came to the guest room to take a look.


    At first nce, he saw a girl wearing a green blue shirt and a white dress. She was not like the other girls, who wore only a gold hairpin with emerald threads. Her skin was radiant and her cheeks were sparkling. She was one of the most stunning beauties in the world.


    Before he reached her, Gao Xun stopped.


    Zhong Shang took two steps forward and looked back at him. ¡°Why do you stop?¡±


    He did not answer, but looked straight ahead.


    He looked along.


    Xie Zhen noticed two eyes, tilted her head and turned to meet Gao Xun¡¯s gaze.

 Chapter 68 - Bitterness

    <h4>Chapter 68 - Bitterness</h4>


    Calcting the time, it was nearly a year since the two of them had met each otherst time.


    When he left Qing Zhoust year, Xie Zhen was only 14 years old, Gao Xun was still a straightforward youth. Now that he saw her again, they felt like they were in another world.


    Gao Xun was much darker thanst year. It was probably because he had bathed in the sun when he was in the army. His skin was a healthy dark wheat color, and he was also taller thanst year.


    Xie Zhen almost didn¡¯t recognize him at first, and if he hadn¡¯t looked at her with such familiarity, she would have thought it was some passing son of a official.


    Zhong Shang and Gao Xun walked up to her. Zhong Shang called ¡°fourth sister¡± and then looked at Xie Zhen. He didn¡¯t need any introductions as he had known her identity. ¡°This must be the sixth prince¡¯s wife.¡±


    Before they came here, they heard that the person who fell into the water was the six daughters of the Xie family. At this moment, they were standing close to each other, and the person who looked simr to Xie Xun could only be her older sister, Xie Zhen.


    With this thought, he patted Gao Xun¡¯s shoulder without leaving a trace and introduced him with a natural attitude: ¡°This is Gao Xun, and his father is a recording officer in Qing Zhou. He is in the same army camp as I am and holds the position of a Chiliarch.¡±


    This was the first time that Zhong Rou had met Gao Xun. She nodded at him and said, ¡°My brother is in the army, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of him.¡±


    When Zhong Shang heard this, he didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    Zhong Rou was only a year older than him, but she carried the airs of an old man everywhere. She cared for him and even looked down on his ability.


    She had never once looked at those unskilled young men he had brought home, but now that he had turned over a new leaf and made good friends with gentlemen, she only managed to change her opinion of him. Since then, she would thank the one he brought home once or twice.


    It seemed that the only reason he had today¡¯s repentance was because of the other party¡¯s achievements.


    Zhong Shang was already used to her actions, so he didn¡¯t stop her. He only smiled and had an attitude of ¡°watching on the wall¡±.


    Gao Xun regained his wits and shook his head. ¡°Miss Zhong¡¯s words are heavy. He took care of me most of the time. So I don¡¯t dare to ask for credit in front of Miss Zhong.¡±


    After the end of the talk, his eyes involuntarily turned to Xie Zhen, who was standing at the side.


    Xie Zhen had recognized him. Her eyes were filled with smiles as if they were old friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other for long time. ¡°When did youe to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    She actually med him first.


    Gao Xun pursed his lips helplessly, and said frankly without any ming tone. ¡°What do you want me to tell you when youe to the capital without a word?¡±


    Xie Zhen knew it was her fault, so she smiled ashamedly. ¡°We were in a hurry, and I wanted to tell you, but you were in the army, so I gave up.¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect to meet him again in the capital. She was both surprised and happy. ¡°Did youe by yourself?¡±


    ¡°My uncle and aunt are not with you? ¡±


    He nodded, ¡°I came by myself. I just arrived in capital not long ago.¡±


    The two of them were very familiar with each other, but they still observed each other¡¯s etiquette and did not make any unconventional moves.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s eyes roved between the two of them, and he could not help but feel painful for Gao Xun.


    He was full of love for her, but she didn¡¯t know anything about it or even if she did, she couldn¡¯t give him a response.


    It was just one sided love.


    Zhong Rou¡¯s eyes were filled with doubt. ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded and exin to her. ¡°We knew each other in Qing Zhou. We used to hang out together when we were kids, and Gao Xun took care of us like our older brother.¡±


    Zhong Rou understood.


    Gao Xun, on the other side, heard she take him an older brother. He only felt a bitter and unspeakable bitterness welled up from the bottom of his heart. It was worse than swallowing coptis, but he could not refute it.


    In the past, she was a little girl that had not married. She was a flower that he had taken care of all by himself, so perhaps he would be able to wholeheartedly pursue her and take care of her.


    Now that she was married, and had be the cute little wife in someone else¡¯s house, he could no longere too close to her as he had before, lest it hurt her reputation.


    The more he thought about this, the more miserable he felt in his heart.


    He could not say it. He could only suppress these emotions and change the subject. ¡°On the way here, we heard about Ah Xun falling into the water. What¡¯s the situation like?¡±


    ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    Whening to this matter, Xie Zhen¡¯s mood instantly dropped. Her eyebrows twisted and she slowly shook her head. ¡°Not good. She¡¯s getting a fever. I just fed her a bowl of medicine and now she¡¯s sleeping again.¡±


    Xie Xun got a serious fever this time, because the cold water of thete autumnke was not something she could bear. She had been shivering when she was rescued by Zhong Rou, and now she just got warm until she was covered in a fewyers of bedding.


    When Xie Zhen came out, her cheeks were burning like an apple, and she wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind.


    The doctor said that if the fever does not go back the next morning, it may cause inmmation, so they should pay attention to.


    Gao Xun wanted to touch her head tofort her, but then he realized that his status was no longer the same as it used to be, so he held himself back and lowered his hand.


    ¡°Is theke¡¯s side slippery?¡±


    ¡°How could he have fallen into the water without a hitch? Is there anyone around?¡±


    Before Xie Xun into aa, she said someone was pushing her, and Xie Zhen had nned to ask her who it was when she woke up. Now that she didn¡¯t know who it was, she couldn¡¯t say too much: ¡°Ah Xun is the most timid. She doesn¡¯t go to dangerous ces at all. ¡±


    ¡°Now that something has happened, it¡¯s my mother and I didn¡¯t take good care of her.¡±


    She lowered her eyes, full of remorse.


    Zhong Rou understood the meaning of her words and called a servant maid at the end of the corridor. ¡°Go to the backyard and ask around. Is there someone near theke who was closest to Miss Xie.¡±


    ¡°Or who saw the scene when the sixth girl of the Xie Family fell into the water?¡±


    ¡°If you find out, just let me know.¡±


    The servant maid agreed and turned around to do so.


    When Zhong Rou asked if Xie Zhen knew the reason why Xie Xun fell into the water, she felt there was something fishy about it.


    The spot was not prone to idents, and there were no moss growing on the rocks. There was only a willow tree blocking the way. Xie Xun¡¯s servant maids were only a few steps away, so how could they just watch her fall?


    Xie Zhen thanked her, but she said, ¡°we were the ones who didn¡¯t take care of the six girl who had an ident at my house, so I just did what I should do¡±.


    She had seen what mattered. She was adept at handling small matters like this.


    Furthermore, there was a certain calmness in her bones that made people feel at ease. It was as if she was the one who would do everything, and she would always have a way to resolve anything.


    Xie Zhen was anxious about Xie Xun, so she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of Ah Xun.¡±


    She turned back and looked at Gao Xun. ¡°My big brother is in front. You can go talk to him.¡±


    Gao Xun nodded, but he did not move.


    Inside, Xie Xun¡¯s situation was still not improving.


    She was talking nonsense, sometimes crying for help, sometimes just crying, Xie Zhen felt painful for her as she came up and took her hand and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    Before long, she quieted down.


    Since Madam Leng was still in the front yard, Xie Zhen stayed with her for a while.


    Not long after, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing came from the front, followed by Xie Rong.


    After Xie Liqing heard all of the story told by Madam Leng, he calmed down. After meeting up with the people in the general¡¯s mansion, he let the nanny carry Xie Xun out and immediately returned home.


    As soon as they arrived, Yan Yu also came from the front.


    At the same time, Xie Zhen was standing in the porch, the biddy just carrying Xie Xun on her back, Xie Zhen was holding her up, and across from her were Zhong Shang and Gao Xun.


    Gao Xun had been on good terms with the family ever since he was young. When he saw Madam Leng and Xie Liqing, he did not have time to talk with them. At the time he saw that Xie Liqing didn¡¯t look too good, he came forward to console him.


    When Xie Zhen turned around, Xie Liqing was just asking him why he hade to capital, and he replied truthfully. He raised his head and met Xie Zhen¡¯s gaze. He smiled back.


    Xie Zhen pursed her lips and forced the corners of her mouth to bend.


    Yan Yu stepped forward and grabbed her hands, his eyebrows knitted into a knot. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    As he spoke, he separated the two of them, protecting Xie Zhen on his side, preventing him from touching her.


    Xie Zhen told the whole story, including the part that Zhong Rou saved Xie Xun. ¡°Thanks to the fourth girl of Zhong family¡­¡±


    Her hands were cold, and even now, she still felt a little scared when she thought about it.


    It was no need to exin it clearly. Yan Yu had heard that something was wrong. His intuition was not simple at all. It should be someone who had nned to harm Xie Xun.


    He asked Xie Zhen. ¡°Has sent anyone to take a check?¡±


    Xie Zhen said.¡± ¡°Miss Zhong sent people to work it out. We still don¡¯t know the results.¡±


    The women in the backyard hadn¡¯t left yet. It shouldn¡¯t be hard to find them ¡­


    If Xie Xun hadn¡¯t been unconscious, she would have been able to find out who the culprit was.


    Xie Xun had always beenying on the nannie¡¯s shoulder. Perhaps it was because of the cold, she was still shivering and muttering, ¡°I want some Red Jujube Rice Soup ¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a loud sound, and neither Xie Zhen nor Madam Leng hear what she said.


    Only Zhong Shang who was a few steps away could hear it clearly.


    Zhong Shang and Zhong Rou were sending the guests off. He felt it was funny to hear that.


    ¡­.


    She was really a gluttonous cat, but who would have thought that she would be so gluttonous that she didn¡¯t forget to eat even in such a situation.


    Just as he thought this, he paused as the nannie carrying Xie Xun on her back passed by him. The little girl suddenly opened her eyes, looking dazed and confused.


    She saw him. He had thought she was an ordinary, coquettish little girl, but he saw that she only dropped a tear without a sound. She didn¡¯t want Madam Leng and Xie Zhen see this, so she turned to him and rubbed the nannie¡¯s back.


    Her small face was flushed red and she must have been unpleasant, but from beginning to end, she said nothing other than that she wanted to drink the rice soup.


    Suddenly, Zhong Shang admired her.


    Her longshes were wet from crying, lifted and lowered, and she looked at him for a moment, but she did not think of him at all, and then she forgot about him.


    When they reached the gate, the nannie put Xie Xun into the carriage.


    Xie Zhen was worried and wanted to go home with her.


    On the other side, Gao Xun sent Xie Liqing to the carriage, Xie Liqing had a good impression of him. And because he came to the capital alone, so as a senior he naturally had to take care of him a little more. He invited Gao Xun toe to his house. ¡°There was an ident today, so I didn¡¯t have time to talk to you. Youe back with me and I¡¯ll treat you properly.¡±


    Because of General Zhong¡¯s birthday, the army gave them permission to leave for three days.


    Gao Xun thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be troubling uncle.¡±


    Xie Zhen told Yan Yu that she would be with her families for only one day. Until Xie Zhen pulled through, she will get back to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion.


    Yan Yu agreed, but then suddenly changed his mind for some reason. He got on his horse and carried Xie Zhen up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

 Chapter 69 - The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 69 - The Truth</h4>


    Yan Yu was still worried. Ever since Gao Xun appeared, Yan Yu had been on alert.


    He remembered how much Gao Xun had loved Xie Zhen when he was a boy, and Gao Xun hadpanied her since he left her many years ago. He didn¡¯t know how far their rtionship had gone and not want to know it.


    He carried Xie Zhen to his horse, put on her curtain hat with a wave of his hand, and followed slowly behind the carriage of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, neither fast nor slow.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know what he was doing, but she felt ufortable sitting on the horse. She rarely rode a horse, and although her brother had taught her a few times before, it ground her legs until they hurt and after that, she never rode a horse again.


    She gripped Yan Yu¡¯s arm tightly and subconsciously looked towards the carriage of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. ¡°I want to take a carriage ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu held her in his arms, holding the reins with both hands, and asked unhappily, ¡°Won¡¯t it be good to ride with me?¡±


    She pursed her lips and shifted ufortably. ¡°I want to take care of Ah Xun.¡±


    ¡°She has my mother-inw and servant maids.¡± he said.


    At the front, Xie Liqing and Xie Rong were riding on horsebacks on either side of the carriage. Gao Xun was walking beside Xie Liqing, and the two of them asionally exchanged a few words with each other.


    For some reason, Gao Xun suddenly turned around and looked at them. His gaze didn¡¯t linger for long. He only smiled lightly and then turned his head around.


    Yan Yu could not help hugging Xie Zhen more tightly, his thin lips curled into a line, his eyes staring straight ahead, but his mind was already far away. ¡°What did Gao Xun tell you?¡±


    There was a wind on the road, blowing away the veil in front of Xie Zhen¡¯s face, and she tried to steady herself, but she didn¡¯t notice the jealousy in his voice. ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°I just asked when he came to the capital ¡­¡±


    ¡°When he told me he was going to join the army, I thought it was on a whim. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d do it so well today.¡±


    Yan Yu snorted lightly, his eyes fell on the person in front of him, ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±


    Before Xie Zhen could cover the veil, a gust of wind blew at her, exposing her sharp and smooth chin. She quickly covered it with her hand and said in a delicate voice, ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore questions ¡­¡±


    ¡°My hat is about to fall off. ¡±


    Yan Yu lowered her head and saw that she was sitting in front of him with her hands holding the curtain hat, unable to steady herself. She was afraid that she would fall down at any moment.


    He helped her straighten her curtain hat and leaned over to shield her from most of the wind, continuing the conversation. ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±


    This was a thorn in his heart. If he did not ask clearly, then it would only get deeper and deeper, until he could not even pull it out.


    Xie Zhen thought for a while. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    They were all trivial topics, either about Xie Xun or about how she was doingtely.


    Generally speaking, Gao Xun didn¡¯t seem to mention her marriage. Did he not know that she was married?


    If he knew that she was married to Yan Yu, he would be surprised, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Why was it that when the two of them met just now, it was as if they didn¡¯t know each other.


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she pulled Yan Yu¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°Does Gao Xun recognize you?¡±


    Yan Yu was annoyed with her words ¡°I forgot¡±. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he hadn¡¯t changed since he was young. It was just that she would be so heartless that she would forget him.


    She was about to ask them why they had ignored each other when she suddenly remembered something. She pursed her lips into a smile, and theughter came from under the veil, soft and pleasant. ¡°I know why Gao Xun ignored you.¡±


    He lower his eyes, looking a little arrogant. ¡°Why?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s soft sound was blew away by the wind, and came into his ears. ¡°Gao Xun was angry when you left at that time. He told me that when he meet you again, he would have to beat you up to vent his anger.¡±


    Yan Yu was silent. This was the only thing he could never refute.


    Xie Zhen asked deliberately. ¡°Did he beat you?¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s face darkened, ¡°He dares!¡±


    During their talking, they already arrived at the door of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. He helped her out of the horse. Before he could say another word, she ran to Xie Xun¡¯s side and asked Madam Leng how Xie Xun was going.


    The Mansion had got a doctor here. A few nannies carried Xie Xun carefully back to the Jade Yard. The doctor waited by her side, keeping her cold down with a piece of wet cloth, giving her medicine to drink.


    Xie Zhen spent most of the night with her sister before she was dragged into her room in the middle of the night. If it was not that Yan Yu had been so worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on, he would have expected her to sit all night.


    It wasn¡¯t until it was chilly that Xie Xun¡¯s fever was brought down.


    Xie Xun¡¯s illness had startled many people. In the morning, both the Duke Dingguo and his wife hade to visit. Seeing that she was fine, the Duke Dingguoo felt slightly relieved.


    The olddy did not have any expression on her face. Ever since Yan Yu had scolded the Madam Xu and Madam Wu in front of the servants, her attitude towards the Second branch had been neither cold nor warm.


    It was not only because of the sixth prince¡¯s status that she didn¡¯t dare to oppress them, but she also found them extremely displeasing to the eye.


    It was precisely because of this that Madam Xu and Madam Wu did note over. Only the Fourth Madam came and said a few words of sympathy before leaving without saying more word.


    Xie Zhen was satisfied with the quietness. When she saw Xie Xun woke up, she gave her a bowl of medicine and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.


    Xie Xun was still weak. She leaned against the pillow and smacked her lips. Her mouth was full of bitterness as she pitifully replied, ¡°Sis gave me some candied dates to eat.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you ok?¡± As Xie Zhen said, she put the candied fruit in her mouth and touched her forehead.


    Xie Xun nodded. Perhaps it was because she was sick that her big, watery eyes lost their luster, and she looked a little weak. ¡°Did I had a terrible fever yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I seemed to hear mother¡¯s crying.¡±


    Last night, she had a fever and her fever wasn¡¯t brought down. Madam Leng was really frightened. She was so anxious that tears began to fall from her eyes.


    They thought that she was unconscious, but they didn¡¯t expect that she would still remember all of it.


    Madam Leng apanied her for the night and only returned to the main room to rest this morning.


    Xie Zhen let the rice soup brought in. ¡°How could mother not cry when you were in such a bad fever and full of bullshit?¡±


    A little guilty, she whispered, ¡°What the hell am I talking about?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted some spiced rice soup,¡± Xie Zhen teased her, ¡°and so I have the soup brought up so early in the morning.¡±


    As she said that, she scooped a spoonful and fed it to her mouth. She took a whimper of it, revealing a satisfied smile. ¡°Eevry time I get sick, sister is especially good to me.¡±


    Xie Zhen could not help but be annoyed with her. ¡°I usually treat you badly?¡±


    She took another bite, puffing her cheeks, and then, knowing how to curry favor with her, answered sincerely: ¡°You are good to me all the time.¡±


    When Xie Zhen fed her a full bowl of porridge, she managed to recover a little.


    Xie Zhen handed the bowl to the servant maids, and servant maids cleaned it and left, leaving the two sisters alone in the room.


    Xie Zhen asked about the ident. ¡°You said someone pushed you. Did you see what that person looked like?¡±


    After a night, Xie Xun¡¯s mind is much clearer, not as muddled as yesterday.


    She thought back for a moment. ¡°I saw her.¡±


    She was not on shore at the time, and she saw one of the girls slip and almost fall into the water before she went to help.


    However, the girl was able to stand firmly on her own, while she was knocked into by a servant maid that passed by behind her. Her feet slipped and she fell into the water.


    The moment she fell into the water, she nced towards the shore. It was an extremely ordinary servant maid who didn¡¯t even look like someone from the General¡¯s mansion. It was unknown whose servant maid she was, but after bumping her into the water, she didn¡¯t even dare to look at her as she hurriedly left.


    Xie Xun remembered her as pretty, barely tall, and when she looked down she could just see a red mole on the back of her ear.


    After Xie Xun told Xie Zhen all this, Xie Zhen thought for a moment and then asked apletely irrelevant question. ¡°Does the girl who was about to fall have a servant maid by her side?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There seems to be?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t remember clearly.


    Xie Zhen found it was weird. If there was a servant maid, the first thing she would do when she saw her master fell into the water was to reach out and rescue her. It should not Xie Xun¡¯s turn to help.


    If there weren¡¯t any servant maid, it would be weird. All the people who came to congratte the family would have a maid by their side.


    ¡°Do you remember whose girl it was?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I heard others called her Miss Lin.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many girls with the surname Lin yesterday. Xie Zhen only knew the two daughters of Qing Zhou Patrol Officer Lin Rui, Lin Huapin and Lin Jinpin. Could it have something to do with them?


    When Xie Zhen settled down Xie Xun, she came out of the room. Madam Leng was still sleeping, and only Xie Rong and Yan Yu were outside.


    Xie Zhen repeated what Xie Xun had said. She worriedly looked to Xie Rong. ¡°Brother, I think Ah Xun falling into the water has something to do with Miss Lin.¡±


    ¡°But why did she want to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Did Ah Xun have any history with her? ¡±


    When Xie Rong heard this, he slightly raised his brow.


    Indeed, Xie Xun and Miss Lin had no history with each other, but since it involved the Lin family, he had no choice but to think too much about it ¡­


    Yan Yu was listening on side as he brought her to him and said to the point, ¡°It¡¯s not that Xie Xun and Miss Lin have a bit of history, it¡¯s that your father has a history with the Patrol Officer Lin Rui.¡±


    Lin Ruii had framed Xie Liqing for colluding with the Turk in front of Emperor Yuan Hui, and was bent on destroying Xie Liqing¡¯s official road.


    Not long ago, Yan Yu proved Xie Liqing¡¯s innocence, and Lin Rui was reported on corruption. Emperor Yuan Hui gave this matter to the crown prince, and the result has yet to be found out.


    Yan Yu and the crown prince were on the same side, and Xie Liqing was also Yan Yu¡¯s father-inw. Lin Rui probably thought that Xie Liqing was the one who caused him trouble and hated him, so he said bad things about Xie Liqing at home. After his daughters heard it, the scene of Xie Xun falling into the waterst night began to unfold.


    Lin Rui was on the First Prince¡¯s side, and the First Prince and the Crown Prince were at loggerheads.


    It was just that he felt sorry for Xie Xun. She had been hated by the miss of the Lin family for no apparent reason, and she had even suffered a serious illness as a result.

 Chapter 70 - Rival in Love

    <h4>Chapter 70 - Rival in Love</h4>


    After lying in bed all day, Xie Xun recovered her spirit and got out of bed.


    It had only been a day, but she seemed to have lost weight. Her chin was pointed, and she was no longer as plump as she used to be.


    Madam Leng let servants cook chicken soup with sea cucumber for nourishment in the kitchen. She drank it cleanly by herself. Even when she was sick, her appetite was surprisingly good.


    Xie Zhen decided to stay the night and ned to return to the Sixth Prince¡¯s estate until Xie Xun get well.


    At night, the family dined in the central room. The Duke and the olddy sat at the head of the household, and only the second and fourth branches came. The wives of the first and the third branches, on the pretext of being sick, did note over to eat together.


    This was not surprising. Last time, they had been pped by Yan Yu¡¯s imperial bodyguards and lost all face. How could they still be willing to appear in front of them?


    Thus, the meal was rather peaceful.


    Gao Xun was present, because Xie Liqing let him stay. Xie Rong would take Xie Xun to the general¡¯s mansion to thank them, so he could take him with him back to the army camp.


    It was difficult for Gao Xun to refuse, so he had no choice but to agree.


    Perhaps because Xie Xun just recovered from her illness, Xie Liqing was in a good mood, so he began to tell interesting stories about them when they were young.


    They had quite a few memories in Qing Zhou. If he were to speak of it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish even after three days and three nights.


    Xie Liqing smiled and said, ¡°Gao Xun had been in our family all day. One day, others asked about you, they thought you were my son ¡­¡±


    He thenughed and blurted out, ¡°I thought you and ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, he was red at by Madam Leng and fell silent immediately.


    Xie Liqing covered his lips and coughed, pretending to be calm. ¡°I thought you would be like Rong¡¯er and take the official road. I didn¡¯t expect you to only be interested in military camps.¡±


    Gao Xun sat next to Xie Rong, and on his other side was Yan Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°I thought this was a shortcut, but I didn¡¯t expect to take the wrong one. Now, it¡¯s toote to go back on your words.¡±


    There was something in his words that others didn¡¯t understand, but Yan Yu, who was beside him, looked at him with a puzzled look. He frowned, then turned around and picked up something for Xie Zhen. ¡°Eat more.¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at the green vegetables in the bowl. She wanted to pick it out, but she couldn¡¯t do it in front of everyone. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Gao Xun looked over and subconsciously said, ¡± Ah Zhen doesn¡¯t like to eat asparagus.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Yan Yu¡¯s expression darken.


    After a moment of silence, Xie Liqing reacted quickly. Smiling to smooth things over, he said, ¡± Gao Xun¡¯s better to have good memory. After eating a few meals with us, we¡¯ve remembered everyone¡¯s preferences.¡±


    Do you remember what I can¡¯t eat? ¡±


    Gao Xun recovered his wits and forced a smile. ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t eat spicy food. Once you eat it, you¡¯ll get rashes all over your body.¡±


    Xie Liqing was rather gratified. ¡°You remember pretty well.¡±


    Speaking of this, he had no choice but to mention the embarrassing incident of that year.


    Madam Leng preferred sweet and spicy dishes. Xie Liqing had just married her and had barely managed to eat for a short period of time to match her taste. As a result, he was unable to get the rash to go down, so when Duke Dingguo found out, not only did he not pity him, he instead mocked him ruthlessly.


    At that time, Madam Leng felt angry and funny, but at the same time, she wasughing at him, calling him a fool.


    When he was young, he did a lot of stupid things for her, but he was happy.


    The atmosphere at the dinner table became more harmonious after he told such a story. Everyone forgot about the little interlude just now.


    Only Yan Yu¡¯s face was taut from beginning to end.


    As Xie Zhen sat beside him, she felt the atmosphere change. She looked at the asparagus in her bowl and wondered if she should eat it or not.


    Yan Yu nced at her, probably guessing what she was wondering about. He wordlessly took the asparagus out of her bowl and ate it himself with an expressionless face.


    Fortunately, no one was paying attention to them at the dinner table, otherwise Xie Zhen would have been embarrassed.


    She blushed. ¡°Why do you eat my food?¡±


    Yan Yu snorted lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    The conversation between the two was soft, because they didn¡¯t want others to hear them. So Xie Zhen moved closer to him. If others without knowing what was going on looked over them, they would only think that it was the couple whispering to each other, and it was somewhat romantic.


    She did not realize it herself, but Yan Yu liked it very much. His expression eased up a little.


    Gao Xun¡¯s gaze fell on the two of them. Their attitudes were intimate and natural, just like how it was many years ago. There was no room for others.


    This meal was probably the most painful one he had ever eaten. The meal became tasteless in his mouth. Time passed slowly, and he didn¡¯t know when it woulde to an end.


    After finishing his meal, he got up to bid farewell to the Duke and Xie Liqing, preparing to return to the guest room.


    Coincidentally, the direction of the guest room was in the same direction as the Jade Yard. To go back to his room, he had to go along with Xie Zhen and Yan Yu.


    Xie Liqing and Xie Rong stayed in the central room hall to discuss matters with the Duke. Therefore, there were the only the three of them on the way back to the Jade Yard.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen walked in front, and when they reached the handpicked veranda, he suddenly held her hand.


    Gao Xun, who was walking behind the two of them, saw this and his expression darkened. He pursed his lips and called out, ¡°Ah Yu.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s footsteps did not stop. After a long while, he finally responded, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He thought he was going to ask some unfathomable question, but instead he said, ¡°Are you still the same Ah Yu that I know?¡±


    Yan Yu suddenly stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gao Xun learned from others that his name was not Li Yu, but Yan Yu, Emperor Yuan Hui had changed his surname from Li to Yan.


    He was so strange, so different from when he was a kid, that he only showed a little childishness in front of Xie Zhen.


    Following behind them were two servant maids. Seeing that there was something wrong, they lowered their heads and didn¡¯t even dare to breathe heavily.


    Gao Xunughed softly. ¡°You left without saying anything, but now you are back with your identity changed. Don¡¯t you want to exin yourself?¡±


    Yan Yu looked away with a casual attitude, ¡°There is nothing to exin.¡±


    In old days, Xie Zhen would have thought he was arrogant, but since she knew why he¡¯d left, now she understood him.


    No matter who it was, it was a scar that could not be touched. His parents, who had raised him for many years, were killed and he was brought back to the pce by a stranger. He suddenly became the current sixth prince. In the past years, he lived in the pce as if treading on thin ice, and no one knew how much he suffered.


    This was not something that could be exined with just a few words. Furthermore, his temper was extremely strange. If he hadn¡¯t told her, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to think of how many unforeseen events would have urred.


    Gao Xun felt angry and helpless. He stepped forward and grabbed onto his cor. With a single sentence filled with many meanings, he asked, ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m your brother?¡±


    Gao Xun was two years older than Yan Yu, and he was half a head taller. If the two were to fight, Yan Yu would definitely be at a disadvantage.


    Xie Zhen blurted out, ¡°Brother Gao Xun, don¡¯t beat him!¡±


    As she spoke, she separated Yan Yu from Gao Xun and had to push Gao Xun a few times.


    She held Yan Yu behind her, as she had done when she was a child, and her small body seemed to shield him from the wind and rain.


    ¡°He¡¯s a prince. If you beat him up, you¡¯ll be sent to prison.¡±


    It was already such a critical moment, yet she was still considering others.


    Yan Yu was touched at first, but he couldn¡¯t help gritting his teeth in hatred when he heard these words. He stretched out his arm and scooped her into his arms, ¡°Who on earth do you care about?¡±


    When Xie Zhen saw the wounding look in Gao Xun¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t have time to say anything. And she heard, ¡°Ah Zhen, when he left without saying goodbye, I said I was going to punch him a few times. Do you remember what you said?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Gao Xun had to tell her. ¡°You said you¡¯d be watching.¡±


    Yan Yu twisted his brow.


    He asked, ¡°Can you still watch from the sidelines with a calm heart?¡±


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t answer it. She couldn¡¯t do it, not just because she was married to Yan Yu.


    But she could not say it, for fear of hurting Gao Xun¡¯s heart, so she stood silently in front of Yan Yu, avoiding his gaze.


    Gao Xun might have understood something, so he had no choice but to smile. ¡°Do you really think I would hit him?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked up uprehendingly.


    His face was unreadable, a mixture ofughter and tears, but he said nothing as he walked past the two of them and headed in the direction of the guest room.


    When Xie Zhen got back to the house, she was not in high spirits.


    It was even a little depressing.


    The servant maids served the tea and refreshments, and she didn¡¯t eat them at all. She didn¡¯t even bother to look at Xie Xun. She was alone with her hands behind her head as she stared out the window. It was unknown what she was thinking.


    Yan Yu, who was standing behind her, asked with a bad expression, ¡°What did you call Gao Xun just now?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked and asked uprehendingly, ¡°Brother Gao Xun?¡±


    He did mind it. He put his arms around her and bit her earlobes. ¡°I thought you used to call him Gao Xun.¡±


    She didn¡¯t realize his jealousy. Instead, she said stupidly, ¡°He¡¯s two years older than me.¡±


    ¡°Mother said I should call him brother.¡±


    Although Madam Leng had told to her, she rarely called him brother Gao Xun. She just now was too anxious. Before her brain could react, her mouth had already cried out.


    Yan Yu pursed his lips. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he could not say it.


    He couldn¡¯t ask her to just call him brother from now on.


    Then what about Xie Rong?


    He was quite conflicted and felt depressed, but he couldn¡¯t tell her. He could only slowly digest it by himself.


    At that night, they had dinner in their room. Yan Yu had several dozen dishes prepared. The tables was not big enough to contain all the dishes and two small square tables were ced beside it.


    When Xie Zhen walked over to take a look, she was almost scared out of his wits. She turned around and asked, ¡°Are you having a feast?¡±


    ¡°How can the two of us finish so many dishes? ¡±


    Yan Yu told her not to mind and just sit down and eat.


    She sat down in a panic, feeling that something was wrong.


    Who would have thought that in the whole meal time, he wouldn¡¯t even need her to move her chopsticks? He would always give her a bit of each dishes and then ask her if it was good.


    If she replied that it was good, he would have people write it down. If she replied that it wasn¡¯t good, he would have people take that dish away.


    She ate a little bit for each dish, and after a full thirty courses, Xie Zhen was full, and finally understood his intention.


    She suddenly came to a realization and let out a long ¡°oh¡±. She looked at him with a faint smile, ¡± Brother Xiao Yu, you want to know what I like to eat? Why didn¡¯t you ask me directly?¡±


    He pretended to be calm as he took the sheet of paper from the servant, folded it, and slipped it into his sleeve.


    ¡°No need to ask, I still get to know as well.¡±


    Gao Xun didn¡¯t even need to ask, why should he?


    One day he would know more about her than Gao Xun did.

 Chapter 71 - Glutton

    <h4>Chapter 71 - Glutton</h4>


    Even though Xie Xun had ran into trouble at the general¡¯s mansion, Zhong Rou had saved his life. Thus, she should at least go there and thank her.


    The next day, since Xie Xun was able to get out of bed, Madam Leng took her and the servant maids to the general¡¯s estate.


    Gao Xun wanted return to the barracks with Zhong Shang tomorrow, so he went there with them.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu originally wanted to return to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion, but Xie Zhen changed her mind, as she wanted to find out who wanted to harm Xie Xun, so she followed them.


    When they arrived at the general¡¯s estate, General Zhong and General¡¯s wife were personally greeting them in the central room. Madam Jiang felt guilty andforted Xie Xun several times, but she still felt very apologetic.


    Madam Jiang had Zhong Rou lead her and Xie Zhen to the backyard, and she and Madam Leng would arrive shortly, leaving the central room for the men to talk in.


    It waste autumn, and the backyard was a bit cold. The pavilion was covered by curtains, and there were two more stoves in ce. Only then did it barely warm up.


    The servant maids brought in a few pastries. In few days when Xie Xun was ill, Madam Leng had forbidden her from eating too much, so she was extremely hungry after seeing the desserts. She picked up a yam cake filled with bean paste and took a bite, her mouth full of sweetness. She couldn¡¯t help but take another bite.


    Xie Zhen wanted tough as she saw she lowered her head and tried her best to eat. ¡°If mother finds out, she won¡¯t forgive you.¡±


    She was so focused on finishing the bean paste that she realized the seriousness of the situation. She put a piece of dessert in front of Xie Zhen and pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t tell mother.¡±


    She even knew how to bribe.


    Xie Zhen did not take it, but bite a bit with dessert in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one here,¡± she said, curling his lips to look across at Zhong Rou.


    Zhong Rou, who had been watching, was suddenly called out and turned her head away with a cough.


    Xie Xun understood the meaning in her words. She pushed a te of desserts in front of her, her long eyshes shing. ¡°sister Zhong Rou eats too.¡±


    To a girl who put food first, this was probably her most gracious invitation.


    Xie Xun had some recollection of that day. Although she was unconscious, she still remembered that someone had rescued her from the water. Later, Xie Zhen told her that it was Zhong Rou who had saved her, and she had always been grateful to Zhong Rou.


    However, Zhong Rou was different from other girls. She had a heroic air about her that made people not dare to approach her. Xie Xun had mustered up a lot of courage to say those words.


    Fortunately, Zhong Rou was not as difficult to get along with as she appeared to be on the surface. She took a piece of dessert and thoughtfully said, ¡°You can eat.¡±


    Xie Xun smiled and nodded. ¡°Mhmm, hmm, hmm.¡±


    Therefore, she didn¡¯t have any more misgivings. She and began to chew her snacks as she was sitting there quietly, asionally cing a piece on Xie Zhen and Zhong Rou¡¯s te for them to eat as well.


    Xie Zhen was worried that it would be bad for her stomach if she ate too much at once, she couldn¡¯t help reminding her, ¡°Eat less, your stomach will swell in a moment, and mother will find out.¡±


    Hearing this, she hurriedly stopped, lowering her head to look at her t stomach, seeing that it did not bulge up, she felt assured.


    While she was eating the snacks, Xie Zhen asked Zhong Rou, ¡°I don¡¯t know how sister Zhong¡¯s investigation went. Did anyone see it then?¡±


    Zhong Rou shook her head and said slowly, ¡°After you left the day before yesterday, the servant maids came to tell me that the ce where Sixth Miss fell into the water happened to be behind a willow tree. Not many people cared, so no one saw her.¡±


    It was autumn, and the lotus flowers in theke had long since been defeated, leaving only theke behind.


    Normally, a girl would not want to go to theke. They would either recite poems in the pavilion or admire the chrysanthemums in the courtyard. At that time, there were only a few people standing by theke.


    When Xie Zhen asked her who they were, she told him about them, including the Third Miss from Provincial governor Lin.


    Xie Zhen fell into silence. ¡°Do you have a clue?¡± she asked.


    It was just a guess. After all, there was no conclusive evidence.


    Xie Zhen told her what Xie Xun had told her after she woke up. After understanding the situation, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Lin Huaping might be the suspect. ¡°But no one saw ¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just say it¡¯s her. Unless we find that servant maid, we¡¯ll only be at a disadvantage.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhong Rou looked at Xie Xun. ¡°Do you remember what that servant maid looked like?¡±


    Xie Xun put down the rose cake and nodded gently. ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°If you see her again, will you recognize her?¡±


    She lifted her face to reflect on the person¡¯s appearance and nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhong Rou thought for a moment and said, ¡°On the day after tomorrow, Fifth Brother and I will be going to the Lin Family. If your body recovers,e with me to take a look.¡±


    The Lin Family did not have a close rtionship with the General¡¯s mansion, but because Lin Rui had asked General Zhong to do something, they had sent some people to deliver a lot of things.


    When General Zhong was not at the residence, Madam Jiang did not understand the situation and epted them for him.


    Zhong Kai knew itter, and he flew into a rage. He had to get someone to send them back. Naturally, this assignment would fall on Zhong Rou and Zhong Shang.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible for them to take Xie Xun with them, but ¡­


    Xie Zhen frowned, not reassured, ¡± Ah Xun is a girl, anyone would recognize her with just one nce. I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t work ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Zhong Rou also thought of this and showed some hesitation. ¡°Sixth Miss, you can dress up as a servant maids ande with me. However, I don¡¯t have many servant maids by my side ¡­¡±


    She usually brought a valet with her when she went out.


    Before they coulde to a conclusion, someone came from afar with a food box.


    Judging from the long legs and broad strides, one could tell that it was no doubt Zhong Shang.


    Before the Xie family had arrived, Zhong Shang had been sent by Zhong Rou to buy desserts on the street. She had even ordered the jujube paste sponge cake and rose lotus seed cake from Babao building.


    Babao building was several streets away from the General¡¯s mansion, and it would take hours to travel there. However, Zhong Rou did not like to order people around, so she insisted on calling him over.


    When Zhong Shang had bought the snacks, he could have sent them to the servant maids, but he didn¡¯t. He took them himself.


    He immediately saw Zhong Rou and the two girls sitting in the pavilion.


    He strode forward, his gaze involuntarily nting to the side.


    Xie Xun was sitting at Zhong Rou¡¯s side, her head slightly drooped. It was unknown whether she was thinking about something or sleeping.


    He deliberately ced the food box in front of her and grinned, ¡°sis, do you like jujube paste sponge cake?¡±


    She looked up when she heard the sound.


    Like a frightened little mouse.


    Her round eyes were open, her cheeks thinner, her skin whiter than snow, so white and tender that it reminded one of the sweet dumplings.


    He wondered if he take a bite on her, would she be sweet and sticky.


    Xie Xun remembered him. He was the one who took her to see Gao Xunst time, and almost stole the snacks she bought from Babao building.


    She just didn¡¯t expect him to be from the general¡¯s family.


    Zhong Rou didn¡¯t answer. She asked him to put down the snacks before leaving. ¡°Father is in the central room. You can go take a look.¡±


    He nodded, but did not move his feet. Instead, he removed the lid of the sandalwood food box and took out tes of desserts, including candied lotus root, lotus root, jujube paste sponge cake and rose lotus seed cake.


    Everything was done with exquisite workmanship, and a sweet smell assaulted his nose, tempting his appetite.


    Every time he took out a te of dessert, he deliberately stopped it in front of Xie Xun for a moment.


    He lower his eyes and saw her staring at his hand. She looked extremely adorable, as if she wanted to eat but didn¡¯t dare to.


    He had only wanted to tease her, but who would have thought that he would be so addicted that he could not retract his hand.


    Zhong Rou looked at him deeply and did not say anything.


    Zhong Shang had never seen such a glutton girl like her. Most women were reserved, especially at the dinner table.


    Even when she was eating, she still ate slowly to restrain herself. He had never seen anyone so obsessed with eating.


    He looked at Xie Xun but said to Zhong Rou, ¡°When I buy some snacks, the shopkeeper told me that if they get cold it won¡¯t taste good, so sis eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    After saying that, he put down thest te of the threeyers of Jade Sesame Cake, turned around and walked back.


    After walking a short distance, he heard a small voice ask, ¡°Elder sister, can I eat?¡±


    Xie Zhen held her head with her hands, seeming helplessly.¡°If I say no, will you listen to me?¡±


    She smiled, a little girlish sweetness, and her voice floated into his ears, reminding him of the day she cried on nanny¡¯s back.


    So cute.


    Not long after they arrived at the general¡¯s mansion, General Zhong and Madam Jiang prepared to keep them for dinner. Madam Leng and Xie Liqing were about to agree, a servant from the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion asked for a meeting.


    Xie Zhen did not know what was going on in the house, she went with Yan Yu to the door to check it out.


    The person outside the door was steward Zhao. When he saw theme out, he quickly came over to wee them.


    Steward Zhao¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. Yan Yu and Xie Zhen were not in the mansion. Originally, he had gone to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to look for them, but after being informed that they hade to the General¡¯s Estate, he had hurried over here.


    Now that he finally saw them, it was as if he had found his backbone. ¡°Your Highness, princess, quickly follow this old servant back home to take a look!¡±


    The carriages outside were already prepared, so they had no choice but to head back.


    Butler Zhao was a very steady person. Normally, he would not make such a fuss. It must be something urgent that made him so flustered.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The steward then recounted what had happened, ¡°This morning¡­¡±


    So it turned out that this morning, the maid of the Pavilion Changqing came to find him and said that Madam Li¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t too good and she asked steward Zhao to get a doctor to diagnose for her.


    Because Xie Zhen and Yan Yu returned home today, steward Zhao was too busy managing the Zhanyue Court to care about this matter. When he recalled, it was already noon.


    He had the servant maids ask about Madam Li¡¯s condition, but didn¡¯t expect Madam Li to be so close to death.


    He immediately let someone get a doctor, who only shook his head and said that there was nothing he could do.


    The steward didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurriedly came to find the sixth prince.


    After listening, Yan Yu unexpectedly walked out without the slightest emotion. ¡°How is she now?¡±


    The steward shook his head and said, ¡°probably nearly die.¡±


    Yan Yu got into the carriage first and handed his hand to Xie Zhen. When he pulled her up, he noticed that her small hands were cold.


    He thought she was afraid of the dead, and he paused. He didn¡¯t know how tofort her, but only to say, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    In fact, it was never what Xie Zhen was afraid of.


    After the sixth prince¡¯s carriage left, Gao Xun came out from behind the gate. He stood by the door for a moment before finally bringing out a horse from the stables and running after it.

 Chapter 72 - Entrusting

    <h4>Chapter 72 - Entrusting</h4>


    When they returned to the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion, it only took for an incense stick to burn. Because the driver was in a hurry, driving hour was shortened by half.


    After getting off the carriage, the steward led Yan Yu and Xie Zhen to the Pavilion Changqing, ¡°Your Highness and the Empress pleasee with me.¡±


    Not long after they entered the courtyard, a person arrived on horseback, barely stopping at the entrance of the mansion.


    Gao Xun dismounted from his horse and stopped a servant to ask, ¡°I was the old friend of sixth prince, and we met by chance just now. But he just left in a hurry before we could even say a few words. May I ask if anything happened?¡±


    The servant, a porter at the gate, put his hands in his sleeves and looked him up and down, and seeing that he did not seem to be lying, said: ¡°There is indeed something wrong.¡±


    There was a mother and a daughtering into the mansion for no apparent reason. Since the sixth prince did not hide their identities, all the servants knew that they were the sixth prince¡¯s aunt and cousin when he was in exile.


    However, no one really liked them. They ate and drank in the mansion, and even ordered them about as well as shout at them.


    It was their duty to serve, but that cousindy was truly a bit too impolite. She treated herself as if she were the master of sixth prince¡¯s mansion.


    After all, the masters in the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion were only the sixth prince and the Prince¡¯s wife.


    The servants were secretly discussing about them, guessing what kind of scheme she and Madam Li had, and how long they would stay here.


    If they really nned to stay here permanently, could the Prince¡¯s wife bear with it?


    Gao Xun was right. He brought the horse over and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The servant nced at the courtyard, covering his mouth with his hand as he said in a low voice, ¡°A few days ago, a mother and a daughter came to the mansion. It is said that they are His Highness¡¯s previous aunt and cousin.¡±


    ¡°The auntdy seemed to be dying, so the steward asked His Highness back to discuss the matter.¡±


    Aunt?


    Cousin?


    Could it be what he thought it was?


    Gao Xun frowned and deliberately asked, ¡°His Highness¡¯s mother is imperial concubine Hui, and imperial concubine Hui is the daughter of Minister Bai. Howe I¡¯ve never heard of him having other daughters ¡­¡±


    The servant revealed a ¡°you don¡¯t know¡± expression, and probably because he had been holding it in in his heart for a long time, he could casually catch a person and talk for a long time, ¡°His Highness has been living in seclusion for a period of time, and these two were his rtives at that time ¡­


    ¡°Now they know that our prince has honorable identity, so they came.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say how shameless they are.¡± He revealed a defiant expression.


    ¡°Since His Highness has no rtionship with them, saving their lives is already merciful ¡­¡±


    The servant on the other side were still chattering away, but Gao Xun had already fallen into a trance.


    The mother and the daughter pair mentioned by the servant were most likely Madam Li and Ouyang Yi.


    He had some impression of these two. Because of Ouyang Yi¡¯s domineering personality, he had a deep impression of her. At that time, she was living in the Li¡¯s Mansion.


    Although she was obviously living under the protection of others, she did nottrol herself, still being arrogant, so Li Yu rather disliked her.


    Who would have thought that after so many years, they would still have no change.


    Gao Xun nodded and looked deeply into the door. ¡°You said just now that the auntdy was dying?¡±


    The servant was quick to talk, and after a while, he disclosed the whole story. ¡°Yes. She fell on the edge of the well early in the morning, and she¡¯s almost dying.¡±


    Gao Xun understood what had happened, and sped his hands to the servant. ¡°Thank you, little brother, for your exnation.¡±


    With that, he led the horse to the side. The servant held him back and reminded him worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t say to others¡­¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    However, when he turned around, the smile on his face immediately disappeared.


    He led his horse away, taking each step very slowly.


    Just as he approached the Pavilion Changqing, he heard the sound of cryinging from within.


    The mournful crying was nearly hoarse, causing people¡¯s hearts to tremble.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen walked into the yard. There were two servant maids standing in the yard. They were quite bewildered, but when they saw the two return, they came up to them as if they were their backbones.


    Liu Lan hurriedly said, ¡°Your Highness, esteemed princess, the auntdy is dying!¡±


    As he walked into the room, Yan Yu asked, ¡°Have you got the doctor to take a look?¡±


    Liu Lan nodded. ¡°Yes. The doctor said that she is terminally ill and he has no way.¡±


    As soon as they entered the room, a strong smell of medicine assaulted their nose. It was apanied by a bad smell, causing them to frown.


    Liu Lan exined. ¡°The auntdy can¡¯t get out of bed these two days, so she ate and drank in bed all the time.¡±


    Since Yan Yu and Xie Zhen went to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Madame Li¡¯s condition became worse and worse. Her stomach hurt all night long, and sometimes she even vomited a mouthful of blood.


    Since the doctors had seen this, all of them could do nothing but shake their heads.


    She had been tormented by the pain for two days, and when she woke up this morning, her eyes were clear and her spirit was strong, so she personally went to the well to get water to wash her face. Unexpectedly, she couldn¡¯t keep her feet steady, and she stepped on empty air, heavily knocking her head against the stones by the well, and then she never got up again.


    Ouyang Yi stayed by her side. She cried for an entire day, and her voice got hoarse from crying.


    All that was left was a low whimper. When the servant maids said that the sixth prince and the Prince¡¯s wife had arrived, the crying gradually became louder.


    It was dark inside the room. Ouyang Yi was guarding Madame Madam Li¡¯s bedside, hugging her as she called out to her mother. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother ¡­¡±


    Madam Li was skinny on the bed. In just a few days, it seemed that there were only her bones remain. Her appearance was terrifying.


    Her eyes were half open, but still had a breath of air left. She slowly rolled her eyes to look at Yan Yu, as if she had noticed someoneing in.


    Xie Zhen was startled by Madam Li¡¯s appearance as soon as he entered. She had never seen a person on the verge of death before, so she stopped a few steps away, not daring to approach.


    Yan Yu stepped forward and called out, ¡°Aunt.¡±


    He paused and wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.


    When Ouyang Yi heard the voice, she turned around. Her face was covered in tears and her eyes were swollen like walnuts. ¡°Cousin ¡­¡±


    This sound was filled with sorrow, and itsted for a long time.


    She added, ¡°Mother ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother is dying ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu looked at Madam Li expressionlessly.


    Madam Li was on the verge of death, but still knew it was him. She opened her mouth and called out, ¡°Yu¡¯er.¡±


    He lowered his eyes and said, ¡°I will get a doctor.¡±


    Then, he really called for Xiang Lan toe over. Just as he was about to speak, Madam Li shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s useless ¡­¡±


    ¡°I know my body well. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m at the end of my life, so I don¡¯t need to cause you any trouble ¡­¡±


    He tilted his head to the side. Facing her death, even she was had never been close to him before, he still seemed to be touched a little.


    Madam Li always been weak and cowardly, and she had always lived under the shadow of her husband¡¯s family. She was used to being humble, and no matter who she spoke to, she was always humble.


    It was precisely someone like her who had given birth to such a domineering and arrogant daughter. With her personality, she would never be able to control Ouyang Yi and could only adopt a casual attitude.


    However, the more she let it go, the more undisciplined Ouyang Yi became. Only when she was about to die did she realize that she seemed to have done something wrong.


    She was worried about leaving her daughter alone.


    Madam Li stretched out her hand and with great difficulty grabbed Yan Yu¡¯s sleeve. With a weak breath, she said, ¡°The only thing I am worried about is Ah Yi ¡­¡±


    She gasped a few times with each sentence, speaking very slowly: ¡°If I die, can you take care of her for a while and let her stay in the mansion ¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, let her be your concubine ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s body stiffened and he frowned as he looked at her.


    Her eyes widened. She must have reached the end of her tether. ¡°Yu¡¯er, can you ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Madam Li cried. ¡°Aunt begs you ¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, he never said anything.


    In the next instant, Madame Li opened her eyes wide and no longer breathed, her hand still tightly grasping his sleeve.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Ouyang Yi rushed forward and cried out loud.


    The servant maids handed over the scissors, Yan Yu cut off half of the sleeve. He turned around and saw that Xie Zhen was no longer in the room.


    He was worried. Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Ouyang Yi. ¡°Cousin, my mother has gone ¡­¡±


    ¡°What should I do¡­¡±


    Yan Yu thought of Madam Li¡¯sst words of entrustment, and he became frustrated. He coldly said, ¡°I will find a good husband for you.¡±


    When she saw that he was about to leave, she quickly stood in front of him, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Mother gave me to you. She hasn¡¯t even been buried, yet you want to marry me off to someone else?¡±


    Yan Yu stopped and looked at her with cold eyes, ¡°Then who do you want to marry?¡±


    She wiped away her tears and blushed a little. ¡°Mother wants me to be your concubine ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as she said.¡±


    He clenched his teeth. There was no room for negotiation. ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡±


    With that, he waved her away and strode out. He said to steward Zhao at the entrance, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the responsibility of handling Aunt¡¯s funeral affairs to you. She¡¯ll be buried at the mountainside, buried with the people from the Li family.¡±


    The steward answered, and was about to ask what wood was chosen for the coffin, when he looked up and saw that he had gone far away.


    Yan Yu went back. There was the only way back to Zhanyue Court, but he chased all the way until he saw no sign of Xie Zhen.


    Even when he got to Zhanyue Court, he still didn¡¯t see her.


    He asked the servant maids where she was, and servant maids were all at a loss. ¡°Princess has never been back.¡±


    His heart was burning with anxiety, as he turned around and walked out.


    He searched the inside and outside of the residence but he couldn¡¯t find his wife.


    The servants did not know where Xie Zhen had gone, and all they knew was that the sixth prince was crazy. His face was full of anger, and it seemed that he was trying to dig up a hole in the ground to find the princess.


    The servants did not dare to act rashly. As it gradually darkened, they began to search the backyard withnterns in hand.


    The servant guarding the door said that he hadn¡¯t seen the Prince¡¯s wife leave the mansion, so she should still be in the mansion.


    However, there were only a few ces that the Prince¡¯s wife frequently visited. Where could she go?


    Steward Zhao anxiously said, ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t do anything foolish ¡­¡±


    As sound of his voice faded, Yan Yu nced at him and he immediately fell silent.


    Yan Yu suddenly thought of a ce, and his heart suddenly ignited with hope. He grabbed thentern in the servants¡¯ hands, threw the words ¡°don¡¯t follow me¡±, and quickly walked towards a small path.


    Steward Zhao was worried, so he followed him with two servants.


    He walked faster and faster until he stopped in front of a small courtyard on a cobblestone path.


    The night closed in all four directions, and it was not possible to see what was written on the courtyard¡¯s signboard. The sixth prince strode into the courtyard, and soon, he was submerged in the darkness of the night.


    Steward Zhao stopped outside the courtyard, unsure if he should enter.


    Finally, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside.¡±


    The other two hurriedly agreed.


    Yan Yu walked into the yard and took a look at the surroundings with thentern. It was very quiet and did not seem like there was anyone around.


    He did not give up and walked from the flower rack to the swing. Under the dim light of thentern, he could barely see a person sitting on the swing.


    She held the rope gently in both hands, perhaps seeing himing, but she did not speak or call to him, only tilted her head and looked at him quietly.


    Her ck almond eyes were bright and even brighter than the stars in the sky.


    Yan Yu seemed toe back to life, his heart was softened by her gaze. He put thentern on the ground and slowly walked over to her. ¡°Xie Zhen?¡±


    He stepped closer, and she looked up.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Her sound was long, making her more intoxicating in the moonlight.


    Before he lost her, Yan Yu had already experienced the joy of having recovered from his loss. He bent down and took her into his arms, ¡°Why did you run around?¡±


    His tone was reproachful, but his arms tightened around her.


    When he faced her, he was always worried about his gains and losses. Sooner orter, he would be tortured into madness by her.


    Xie Zhen tried to pull away from him, but the more she struggled, the tighter he tightened his grip on her. She felt her bones about to shatter under his grip, and she grunted ufortably. ¡°I just want to sit here.¡±


    His voice trembled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    The panic he felt when he couldn¡¯t find her earlier was still there. His heart beat violently, and he was unable to calm down for a long time.


    Xie Zhen blinked and said calmly. ¡°You¡¯re going to be busy listening to your aunt¡¯s words. She¡¯s dying. I¡¯m not going to bother you.¡±


    Yan Yu froze, ¡°Her words¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°I heard it all, that she wants you to take Ouyang Yi as your concubine ¡­¡±


    Without waiting for her to finish speaking, he hurriedly exined, ¡°I won¡¯t take a concubine.¡±


    Did shee out because she heard this?


    He had already made up his mind when he looked for her just now. He wouldn¡¯t take Ouyang Yi as his concubine. He would find her a good husband and marry her off as an answer to Madame Li.


    But it was impossible for him to ept her.


    Except for XieZhen, who else would he want?


    Xie Zhen tilted her head. ¡°Madam Li entrusted Ouyang Yi to you on her deathbed. Won¡¯t you ept her?¡±


    He crouched down slowly and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Xie Zhen fell silent. ¡°Why not?¡±


    He buried himself in her stomach and said nothing.


    ¡°Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    ¡°I just want you,¡± he finally said in a muffled voice.

 Chapter 73 - Bullying

    <h4>Chapter 73 - Bullying</h4>


    Madam Li¡¯s coffin had been resting in the mourning hall for three days before being carried away by servants of the prince¡¯s household to be buried.


    On the day of the funeral, Ouyang Yiid on the coffin and cried loudly. If it wasn¡¯t for the servant maids forcefully pulling her away, it was unknown how long she would be crying.


    Mountain Qingyao had the graves of Yan Yu¡¯s adoptive parents, Madam Song and Li Xiqing. Not long after Yan Yu was taken back to the pce, he sent people to search for their corpses.


    At that time, they were all killed on the mountain. By the time their corpses were found, only their bones were left. If it wasn¡¯t for the clothes, it would have been impossible to identify them.


    After Madam Li¡¯s burial, Yan Yu led Xie Zhen out of the carriage and walked towards the two graves in front.


    The two graves was simple and crude. They were just two small mounds of earth. In front of the graves was tombstones with the words ¡°The Spirit of Li Xiqing¡± and ¡°The Spirit of the Li n¡¯s Song Jin¡± on it.


    He took a jug of wine from Supervisor Zhao¡¯s hands and poured three cups each for the two of them on their graves. ¡°Father, mother, forgive me for being unfilial. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯vee to visit you two.¡±


    He took Xie Zhen¡¯s hand and led her to the grave. ¡°I brought Xie Zhen with me today.¡±


    Xie Zhen stared nkly at the two tombs in front of him. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t find the words ¡°Aunt Song¡±.


    Although Yan Yu had told her the whole story before, she still couldn¡¯t ept that the living person in her memories had suddenly appeared in front of her in a different way. As she watched, she suddenly felt that her eyes were sore.


    In her memory, Auntie Song was such a gentle and kind person, why did she pass away in such an unexpected way?


    Yan Yu stood beside her and poured himself a ss of wine. He drank it all in one gulp and said, ¡°We are married.¡±


    He spilled the rest of the wine in front of Li Xiqing¡¯s grave and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nice to her. ¡±


    Xie Zhen turned her head. Before she could see the expression on his face, he pulled her backward. ¡°That¡¯s all, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Xie Zhen had to followed him. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to Auntie Song yet.¡±


    He strode ahead, and from her angle all she could see was a cold profile.


    His thin lips parted slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡±


    After saying that, he led her towards the carriage parked by the roadside.


    Xie Zhen staggered, unable to keep up with the pace, and simply let go of his hand to walk on her own.


    She looked back at the two graves in the distance. There was a newly built mound of earth not far away, standing alone on the mountainside, surrounded by weeds.


    No matter how glorious a person was in his lifetime, he would never escape a pile of dirt after his death.


    When she finished, she turned around and saw Yan Yu staring at her. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Without a word, he took her hand and stepped into the carriage.


    The mansion was holding the funeral, so they did not bring many maids with them. Outside the carriage, besides the coachman, was only steward Zhao.


    Steward Zhao had a subtle look on his face. When seeing theye, he wanted to say something, but hesitated. In the end, he did not say anything.


    Yan Yu helped Xie Zhen into the carriage. When he opened the curtain and saw the person inside, he frowned unhappily. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Inside the carriage was none other than Ouyang Yi, who was in garb of unhemmed sackcloth.


    Ouyang Yi had been sitting inside waiting for a long time. When she heard his question, not only did she feel guilty, but she even replied confidently, ¡°This is the only carriage. If I wasn¡¯t here, then where should I be?¡±


    On the way back, she had followed Madame Li¡¯s coffin all the way to Qingyao Mountain. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t return home by walking.


    Therefore, she didn¡¯t need anyone to say anything, and automatically got into Xie Zhen and Yan Yu¡¯s carriage. Steward Zhao had persuaded her not to do this, but she didn¡¯t ept his advice, so he gave up.


    Yan Yu got into the carriage with Xie Zhen and said to her, ¡°Isn¡¯t there another one behind us?¡±


    She made a fuss. ¡°That¡¯s the maid¡¯s carriage!¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the tears on her face, just judging from her loud sound, one could not tell that she had just had a family member passed away.


    Yan Yu frowned and subconsciously looked at Xie Zhen, but seeing her normal expression, he was a little relieved, so he didn¡¯t bother with Ouyang Yi anymore.


    The carriage rumbled as it drove along the mountain path, heading slowly towards the foot of the mountain.


    In the carriage, Xie Zhen sat by the curtains, which asionally obscured Yan Yu¡¯s view from the wind. He wanted to sit closer to her, but Ouyang Yi¡¯s eyes were fixed on them, and he was distracted for no reason.


    The sunlight prated through the carriage and sprinkled onto the floor, forming rings of mottled light that swayed as the carriage walked.


    The carriage took on another path. The light tilted, and most of if showered on Xie Zhen, who sat quietly with her eyelids drooping, as if she were asleep.


    The sunlight shined on her face, causing her to appear transparent. If she did not speak, it seemed that she would leave at any moment.


    Yan Yu grabbed her hand and ced his other hand on her head, resting it on his shoulder.


    She moved slightly and he asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    She closed her eyes and made a small sound of agreement.


    He said, ¡°Then take a rest and lean on my shoulder.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not answer him, maybe because she was asleep. Her long eyshes droopedzily, blocking out her glowing pupils.


    Yan Yu carefully supported her. In order to make herfortable, he had no choice but to bend his body slightly, not moving at all. This posture was kept for half an hour.


    As Ouyang Yi watched from the other side, her heart was filled with mixed feelings and she couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling.


    She had never seen her cousin so tolerant of anyone. Whether it was when he was young or now, she had always thought that he had a straight face and was naturally cold and proud, looking down on everyone.


    So it was not that he didn¡¯t like anyone, but he just didn¡¯t like her.


    Where was the coolness he felt when he faced him?


    He had taken Xie Zhen for a fragile treasure.


    But why?


    Ouyang Yi couldn¡¯t understand why he would fall in love with him.


    When he was young, it was clearly Xie Zhen who pestered him. He treated Xie Zhen the same way he treated her. Didn¡¯t he like being pestered by others?


    What¡¯s so different about Xie Zhen?


    Ouyang Yi watched the two people on the other side for a while, still unable to get the answer.


    The carriage stopped in front of the sixth prince¡¯s mansion. Yan Yu woke up Xie Zhen. The two of them got off the carriage together, leaving her alone in the carriage.


    Ouyang Yi sat in a daze for a moment beforeing down. She stood at the entrance of the mansion. Her mother was gone. Now, she only had Yan Yu left.


    After years of Xie Zhen hounding him, he finally got a crush on her.


    If she was staying with him, would he have been tempted by her?


    A few days before Madame Li was gone, because she wasn¡¯t the sixth prince¡¯s real aunt, Yan Yu only had Changqing¡¯s servants follow her for a few days in mourning.


    Sanson circled the beam for three days.


    Three dayster, the servants took off their mourning clothes and went back to their routine days.


    Madame Li was Ouyang Yi¡¯s birth mother. She still had to pay tribute to Madame Li¡¯s filial piety. She wore in clothes and didn¡¯t wear any emerald beads on her head. Even her meals were light and light.


    Until Yan Yu found a good home for her, she had always lived in the Pavilion Changqing.


    They thought she would not go beyond her bounds, but they were wrong. From time to time, she woulde to Zhanyue Court. If Yan Yu was at home, she would pester him, and if Yan Yu was not, she would stir up Xie Zhen¡¯s restlessness.


    It was okay for Yan Yu to be home, she was more or less afraid of him and didn¡¯t dare to be too presumptuous. At most, wherever he went, she would follow him and brazenly ask him when he would take her as a concubine.


    However, if Yan Yu was not here, she would not be so disciplined with Xie Zhen. Sometimes even the servant maids could not bear her.


    Today, she took advantage of Yan Yu¡¯s absence, and came to Xie Zhen¡¯s room again.


    She sat waiting outside, and just as she took two sips of tea, Xie Zhen came out of the inner room, and she looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of the mandarin pearl in her hair.


    The white pearl was round and moist, she knew it was priceless at first nce. Her eyes reddened as she spoke with a sour tone. ¡°Princess, the hairpin in your hair is really pretty. I think it¡¯s worth quite a bit of money?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t answer it, but ask, ¡°what¡¯s the matter with the cousin girl?¡±


    Ouyang Yi asked back, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, can¡¯t Ie and talk to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out today and I don¡¯t have time to talk to you,¡± she said bluntly.


    After saying this, she ordered Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan to prepare some things and then walked outside. She said to Hong Mei and Tan Mei standing by the door, ¡°Send the cousin girl back.¡±


    As soon as the two of them agreed, Ouyang Yi stood up and said with dissatisfaction, ¡°What kind of arrogance are you putting on in front of me?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can look down on everyone just by marrying my cousin? ¡±


    Xie Zhen stopped and looked back at her. ¡°Would you say that again?¡±


    It was true that Xie Zhen needed to go out. She was going back to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, and she had no time to deal with Ouyang Yi.


    Xie Xun was nning to dress up as a boy and follow Zhong Rou to the governor¡¯s mansion. Xie Zhen was worried that something would happen, so she wanted to take advantage of Xie Xun¡¯s absence to take a check.


    This was a bad idea. If it weren¡¯t for Zhong Rou¡¯s repeated promises that nothing would happen, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let Xie Xun follow her.


    She was already in a bad mood, and now that Ouyang Yi had provoked her, she was even more unhappy.


    Ouyang Yi thought that she was striking the very weakness she has, so she raised her eyebrows and proudly said, ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t your cousin the one who gave you the glory right now?


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, would you be able to wear such good clothes and hairpin?¡±


    Xie Zhen pointed at her hairpin in her hair, ¡°You mean this?¡±


    Ouyang Yi was nomittal.


    Xie Zhen looked to Shuang Yu. ¡°I can¡¯t remember clearly. Tell me, where did this hairpine from?¡±


    Shuang Yu bowed and said, ¡°Lady, this hairpin was specially made by the Duke Dingguo for your thirteenth birthday and was sent to Qingzhou for you.¡±


    She replied, ¡°Not from the sixth prince?¡±


    Shuang Yu said again, ¡°No.¡±


    She nodded and looked at Ouyang Yi. ¡°Cousin girl must have made a mistake. I have quite a few pieces of such jewelry in my dowry box. They were all brought from home and have nothing to do with the sixth prince.¡±


    ¡°I also have a lot of clothes in my closet. Before I got married, Mother asked someone to make them for me.¡±


    Then she smiled and said with great understanding, ¡°By the way, cousin girl , do you really not need my help?¡±


    After saying that, she measured her up and down with her eyes. There was clearly a delicate smile on her face, but it still made her feel that she was despicable.


    Ouyang Yi was not dressed very well. This was already her best outfit. She wore a rosebush and a short skirt with a short skirt. After Madame Li died, she only wore this in colored dress.


    She washed it every day, and the color had long since faded.


    Now that it was mercilessly pointed out by Xie Zhe, she was immediately angered, ¡°You, you are bullying me too much!¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted her head and smiled, with craftiness and pride in her smiles. She deliberately said to her, ¡°I was just bullying you. What can you do to me?¡±


    Without waiting for a response, she turned around and left.

 Chapter 74 Part1 - Collect the Snow (Part1)

    <h4>Chapter 74 Part1 - Collect the Snow (Part1)</h4>


    In front of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, there was a gorgeous carriage with a red tassel.


    Xie Xun was justing out of the door when Xie Zhen arrived.


    She had hidden it from Madam Leng. If Madam Leng were to find out that she was going to the Lin Family by dressing up as a boy, she would probably not agree to let her do so.


    How could a girl be so bold? If she were to be found out, her reputation would go down the drain.


    Xie Xun was also afraid, but when she thought that the Lin might harm her own family, she mustered up her courage and lied to Madam Leng, saying that she would be a guest of the General¡¯s Mansion.


    She might be able to help father if she tried to find some evidence.


    She sat with Xie Zhen in the carriage of the General¡¯s Mansion, and in the carriage, with Zhong Rou in it, who asked for the clothes she had prepared.


    Xie Xun opened it and saw that it was a manservant¡¯s green robe.


    She took it andpared it with her body. It seemed that its size was suitable for her. It seemed that Zhong Rou had specifically asked someone to make it for her.


    She was young and tender. At first nce, she looked a little bit different when she dressed up as an servant boy that was even whiter and more delicate than an ordinary ones.


    She changed clothes in carriage and held onto her hat as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Elder sister ¡­¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m a little afraid ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen could not bear it at this moment. Ah Xun was only thirteen. What if there was an ident?


    She took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, then turned to Zhong Rou, ¡°sister Zhong, is there any other way?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s never been to the Lin Family. What if something happens to her and her identity is discovered? ¡±


    Zhong Rou was the opposite of Xie Xun. She was bold and decisive, thinking that if there was a problem to be solved, she would have to do it even if there was a thorny path in front of her.


    When she saw Xie Xun crying, she did a quick double take that there were some parts that she hadn¡¯t considered thoroughly, making this pampered little girl feel fearful.


    ¡°It was my careless. You will follow me when the timees and there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°If you are really afraid, then hide in the carriage. I will try to call out Miss Lin¡¯s servant maids, but you will only have to sneak a peek inside the carriage. Just don¡¯te out.¡±


    Only then did she rx, nodding with reddened eyes.


    Seeing that the carriage was about to leave, Xie Zhen asked worriedly, ¡°sister Zhong, when are youing back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the mansion, so that my mother won¡¯t suspect us.¡±


    Zhong Rou calcted the time and assured her, ¡°It won¡¯t be more than four hours. Fifth Brother and I will be back as soon as possible.¡±


    Then Xie Zhen got out of the carriage and looked back over her shoulder.


    There were several horses parked outside the carriage, and they were all from the General¡¯s Estate.


    Zhong Shang had been waiting for a long time.


    It was cold, and he was standing straight beside the carriage in a ck embroidered gold cloak, like a juniper in the mountains.


    He was about to set off when he got on the horse and took a nce into the carriage. ¡°Elder sister, are we leaving or not?¡±


    Zhong Rou lifted the curtain and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With this flip, he saw the adonis sitting beside Zhong Rou.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile, lightening the seriousness on his face. ¡°Elder sister, when did you buy this servant?¡±


    ¡°Howe I¡¯ve never seen him before? ¡±


    Xie Xun looked at him, pursed her pink lips, and inched inside, trying to reduce her sense of existence.


    Zhong Rou moved the person behind her. Perhaps she knew what her little brother¡¯s morals were, so she didn¡¯t want the young Xie Xun to be harmed by him. ¡°Follow your path.¡±


    He smiled unconcernedly, looked away, and concentrated on riding his horse.


    As soon as Xie Xun left, Xie Zhen came back.


    When Madam Leng heard the servant maids¡¯ report, she was truly shocked.


    Without any words in advance, howe Xie Zhen came back all of a sudden?


    Could it be that she had a conflict with the sixth prince?


    As she thought this, Xie Zhen had already walked into the Jade Yard and arrived in the hall.


    Madam Leng was embroidering on Arhat Bed. She took away the needles and threads, then weed her into the room.


    Without saying anything, she first checked her from front to back, before asking, ¡°Why did you suddenlye back?¡±


    ¡°Are you alone? Where¡¯s the sixth prince?¡±


    Xie Zhen made the circuit of her body to cooperated with her. ¡°Mother, what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that I got beaten up?¡±


    She really was an ungrateful little enemy. Madam Leng gave her a cold re and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so mischievous.¡±


    She quickly stoppedughing and stood in front of Madam Leng, rolling her eyes. Her strange appearance made people love and hate her.


    If Madam Leng wasn¡¯t worried about her, why was she so nervous?


    However, from her looks, she didn¡¯t seem to had a conflict with the sixth prince.


    Madam Leng brought her to sit on the Arhat Bed and rx a little. ¡± Little Lamb, tell mother, why did youe back?¡±


    Xie Zhen curled her lips. ¡°I miss mother, so I came back,¡± he said with a smile.


    No wonder Madam Leng made such a big fuss over nothing. She was truly worried for her.


    A few days ago, Gao Xun came to visit, and the rtionship between Yan Yu and him was extremely tense. Others might not know, but Madam Leng did clearly.


    Yan Yu was a man and a prince, but he couldn¡¯t bear to have other man around him coveting his wife if he cares a little about Xie Zhen.


    However, Gao Xun couldn¡¯t forget about Xie Zhen, although he tried his best to restrain his love, he still couldn¡¯t conceal the feelings in his heart.


    At the time, she was afraid there would be a gap between Yan Yu and Xie Zhen.


    She had been restless ever since Xie Zhen and Li Yu left, and now Xie Zhen was back in a few days. How could she not worry?


    Reluctantly, she asked again, ¡°Are you not at odds with the sixth prince?¡±


    Xie Zhen kicked off her embroidered shoes, sat across from her and looked at the peonies she¡¯d embroidered, and said absently, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I told him I wasing back yesterday, and he agreed. ¡±


    Only then did the Madam Leng heave a sigh of relief. She called a servant maid serve the tea before pinching her hand and saying, ¡°In the future, you are not allowed to scare me like this.¡±


    She giggled and said obediently, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that mother was not intimidated.¡±


    The servant maid served her favorite apricot tea. She held it to her mouth and took a sip. The taste of the tea was even better at her own home.


    Madam Leng got cold easily, so there was already a fire in the room, and she sat for a while befor feeling the heat, and then she took off the outside bast and walked about in her emerald blue crepe dress and white spring dress.


    Madam Leng said. ¡°Ah Xun was taken to the general¡¯s mansion by Miss Zhong. She won¡¯t be here for a while.¡±


    She knew, of course, that it was she who had seen Xie Xun¡¯s leaving with her own eyes.


    Xie Zhen pretended to be knowing nothing about it. She revealed an expression of reger. ¡°Then where are my brother and father?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been in the pce since early in the morning,¡± Madam Leng said.


    Xie Zhen nodded, and asked about everyone in the yard, but refused to say anything about herself.


    Madam Leng¡¯s patience was not bad, but she did not expect to lose to her. She was forced to be anxious and brought the girl to her. ¡°Tell me honestly, is there something wrong?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Madam Leng pressed her forehead with her fingers, ¡°I gave birth to you, so how can I not know you?¡±


    She was scolded for a while before smiling and curling her eyes. ¡°Mother is really magical. I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±


    Indeed, something had happened. Madam Leng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was worried for her, but she also hated this damned girl for being so secretive.


    If it was an ordinary matter, she would have already told her the truth without even being asked. To be able to make it so difficult for her to speak, it was either a matter of nothing, or a matter of great importance.


    As expected, Madam Leng sat in silence for a moment, unable to speak as she had listened to what Xie Zhen told to her.


    Xie Zhen ,put her head on her legs, and lifted her face to ask her, ¡°mother, I don¡¯t want her to stay in the mansion, and I don¡¯t want to see her. Am I a bad girl?¡±


    Madam Leng looked down at her and couldn¡¯t help pinching her nose. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She opened her big, watery eyes wide, somewhat confused. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just be a bad person.¡±


    Madam Leng couldn¡¯t help butugh. After she finishedughing, she had no choice but to face the question directly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t step forward in this matter. You should just leave it to the sixth prince ¡­¡±


    ¡°If you deviate even a little bit, you will be branded as being jealous. ¡±


    Once a girl was branded with the word ¡°jealous¡±, it wasn¡¯t a small case. Not only was she infamous, even her sisters would be implicated.


    Xie Zhen knew how serious it would be. She bore Leng¡¯s words in mind. ¡°But she was rude to me.¡±


    Madam Leng asked, ¡°how rude was she to you?¡±


    Xie Zhen told her the whole story slowly. In the end, she even sniffled.


    ¡°If Yan Yu didn¡¯t take her in, how could she get the qualifications to stay in the Prince¡¯s Mansion? She wouldn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors.¡±


    Her cheeks were puffed up with anger, like a child¡¯s.


    Madam Leng sighed, ¡°My words may not sound good. Just get the meaning behind them.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°If a big dog barked at you on the street, would you bark it back?¡±


    She thought about it and shook her head. ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not a dog.¡±


    Madam Leng looked at her with a smile. ¡°They are the same. You said Ouyang Yi has no manners and she is disrespectful to you. If you continue arguing with her, won¡¯t you ce yourself in the same position as her?¡±


    Xie Zhen got to understand a little. She got up from Madam Leng¡¯sp. ¡°Then what if she provokes me in the future?¡±


    ¡°You are the Prince¡¯s wife, and you are also the youngdy of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. You must always put on your proper airs so that she will not dare to act impudently in front of you again.¡±


    She tilted her head, brooding over one thing. ¡°What if she stays in the Prince¡¯s Mansion all the time?¡±


    This was the most important issue, and it could not be ignored by Leng.


    Madam Leng had her answer honestly, ¡± Madam Li asked the sixth prince to take Ouyang Yi as his concubine. Did the sixth prince agree to her request?¡±


    She shook her head.


    That day at Spring Blossom Castle, Yan Yu had confidently said that he would not take Ouyang Yi as his concubine.


    She believed in him, so she didn¡¯t make things difficult for him these days.


    Madam Leng continue to ask. ¡°Then what is his attitude?¡±


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t take a concubine.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    The fact that the sixth prince gave her such a promise proved that he was sincere to her. Madam Leng gave a smile of relief as she held her hand. ¡°Mother knows you¡¯re in a difficult situation, but you can¡¯t step in and deal with this matter. You can only leave it to the sixth prince.¡±


    ¡°If you are not happy, you can use a few tricks.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not fully understand. ¡°What kind of tricks?¡±


    However, Madam Leng was unwilling to say any more. This was an opportunity for them to learn from each other. If she were to say too much, it would instead be bad. It would be better for them toprehend it themselves.


    Before noon, Zhong Rou took Xie Xun back to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Madam Leng was sleeping in the house, and Xie Zhen came out to greet them.


    Xie Xun was still wearing the boy¡¯s clothes when she got off the carriage. The only difference was that her face was covered with ayer of dust.


    Xie Zhen subconsciously looked to Zhong Rou, who apologized to her, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault and fifth brother¡¯s fault¡­¡±


    ¡°But rest assured, princess, the Lin family did not recognize Seventh Miss.¡±

 Chapter 74 Part 2 - Collect the Snow (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 74 Part 2 - Collect the Snow (Part 2)</h4>


    C74: Collect the Snow (Part 2)


    Except for a little dust on her face, Xie Xun did seem to be all right.


    A pair of sparkling eyes, embedded in the grey protrusion of her face, appeared increasingly bright.


    She came up to Xie Zhen and seemed to be avoiding something. ¡± sis, let¡¯s go back, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded and invited Zhong Rou into the mansion, ¡°sister Zhong,e in too.¡±


    Today, they had gone to the governoner¡¯s mansion, and she had no idea what the result would be. After inviting them to the mansion to ask around, they found a way to stay and eat with them.


    Zhong Rou didn¡¯t refuse. She entered together with them and said to Zhong Shang, ¡°Go home first. Tell our parents that I¡¯ll be backter.¡±


    Zhong Shang sat on his horse, looking down at the three of them, before turning his gaze to Xie Xun. He quickly retracted his gaze and smiled, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then he reined in his horse and turned to leave.


    When they returned to Jade Yard, Madam Leng was still sleeping. Xie Xun washed her face, and changed to clean clothes with her heart still fluttering with fear. ¡°Did mother actually not figure it out¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head and wiped the water off her face with a towel. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡±


    They were in the inner room, and Zhong Rou was sitting in the hall. It was only because of the conversation between the two sisters that she had no scruples.


    ¡°As soon as we reached the gate of the mansion, Brother Zhong Shang said that my face was too white for anyone to see through, so he painted my face with dirt from the roadside. He said that was the only way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen repeated asking, ¡°nothing really happened?¡±


    She shook her head like a rattle.


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t believe it. She led her outside and sat in separate chairs.


    Xie Zhen asked Zhong Rou again, and was relieved to learn that nothing had happened.


    ¡°Did Ah Xun see the servant maid of Miss Lin¡¯s? Was she the one who pushed you into the water that day?¡±


    Xie Xun said ¡°yes¡±. ¡°She belongs to the second miss of Lin family.¡±


    When she arrived at the governor¡¯s mansion with Zhong Rou, they unexpectedly encountered the Lin¡¯s miss at the door who was about to go out.


    When she was in the carriage, her hands and feet were cold. Seeing her expression, Zhong Rou didn¡¯t let her enter the mansion and instead made her wait at the entrance.


    She sat obediently in the carriage and waited for half an hour. Zhong Rou could not get away, so Zhong Shang came out of the mansion first.


    Xie Zhen clenched her teeth and was too angry to hold her teacup: ¡°This Lin Family ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shameless! How could they use a girl to vent their anger on matters concerning officials ¡­¡±


    Zhong Rou nodded, agreeing with her. ¡°It is.¡±


    However, even though they knew it was the Lin Family who did it, they did not have any conclusive evidence. Thus, they were unable to make a move against them for now.


    The Lin Family had been on the cusp of a storm recently, and everyone in the imperial court was watching them. The Lin Family was worried that the emperor had sent people to investigate about Lin Ruii¡¯s embezzlement, and it would not be long before a disaster befell the entire Lin Family.


    It was because Lin Rui did not to restrain himself when he was an official. He had always been enemies with others, so no one helped him until now.


    Even the First Prince, who had tried to rope him in in the past, now paid no attention to him.


    The Lin n¡¯s arrogance would notst for long.


    After seeing off Zhong Rou, Xie Zhen thought for a moment about the matter that Lin Huaping had pushed Xie Xun into the water, she could¡¯t let go.


    Sooner orter, she would get it back for Ah Xun.


    After Madam Leng woke up, Xie Zhen stayed at Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a while, until it was dark, she got into the carriage that was going to return.


    When she returned to the Prince¡¯s Mansion, it was already dusk. The rays of the sun had dyed half the sky red, causing the two stone lions in front of the door to emit a bright orange glow.


    Walking back to Zhanyue Court, she heard someone crying in the courtyard. After pausing at the entrance to listen for a while, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell that it was Ouyang Yi¡¯s voice.


    She looked up at the que in the courtyard: Zhanyue Court.


    she did not go into the wrong court?


    Did this Ouyang Yi really take this ce to be her own home?


    Xie Zhen walked into the yard and saw the two persons sitting under the porch.


    In the porch was a small redcquer table. Yan Yu was facing her, and beside him was Ouyang Yi, who was crying.


    Yan Yu¡¯s face did not look too good. After saying something to her, she cried even more. Wiping her tears, she stood up and ran out.


    Passing by Xie Zhen, she turned to look at her and kept running away.


    It was getting colder and colder, and the ground was covered in ayer of frost. Yan Yu had been drinking warm wine in the porch and was waiting for Xie Zhen toe back, but he didn¡¯t expect Ouyang Yi to arrive.


    Annoyed, he dismissed Ouyang Yi with a cold voice, only to look up and see Xie Zhen standing next to the wall.


    He stood up and knocked over the jug of wine on the table. ¡°When did you get back?¡±


    Xie Zhen walked towards the room. ¡°Just now.¡±


    He followed her and asked, ¡°Why are you back sote?¡±


    It was warm in the room, so she took off her bandages and warmed her hands with the hot tea the servant maid had brought. ¡°I talked to mother a little more.¡±


    He nodded. As seeing her normal expression, he didn¡¯t know whether he should exin the scene just now. ¡°I ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen lifted her eyes. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment before he tilted his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why she came over.¡±


    ¡°So what did you tell her?¡±


    Yan Yu felt a little guilty, and said seriously: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not ask more. She didn¡¯t want to waste her time on Ouyang Yi.


    She went to the inner room to change into a fresh set of lightweight clothes. When she turned, she saw Yan Yu still sitting in his chair. She thought for a moment and then told him what Xie Xun had seen in the governor¡¯s mansion today. ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lin Family hated our family. Second Miss Lin wanted to help her father, so she began to have evil intentions towards Ah Xun.¡±


    Yan Yu wore a solemn face and sneered, ¡°The Lin Family is unable to protect themselves now, and they are actually trying to harm others?¡±


    Xie Zhen wiped her hands with a towel. She wanted to say, that was it the same that Ouyang Yi was living under the protection of others, but she also had the intention of fighting against her?


    However, she only thought about it, but didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    She deliberately smiled and asked, ¡°What if they want to harm me?¡±


    Yan Yu stared coldly, ¡°Dare they!¡±


    Xie Zhen looked at him and stuck out her tongue.


    He looked away from her and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Xie Zhen did not respond at all, only gave a calm ¡°Oh¡± and then walked past him without showing any sign of emotion.


    He took her hand and said stiffly, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Xie Zhen narrowed her eyes. ¡°I do.¡±


    He pursed his thin lips and asked dryly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you respond?¡±


    She talked barefaced nonsense. ¡°I¡¯m to moved to say something.¡±


    Yan Yu stared at her.


    She curled her eyes and smiled. Without warning, she lowered her head and gave him kiss on his cheek. Her voice was as sweet as honey. ¡°Thank you, Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    His handsome face reddened, but he was still unsatisfied. He squeezed her hand and scooped her into his arms. He lowered his head, found her lips, and tasted them properly.


    After winter, the first snow fell in the capital.


    When Xie Zhen woke up, she felt colder than usual. She walked over to the window and looked out.


    She let out a cry, and without even bothering to put on her outer clothes, she excitedly walked into the courtyard to step on the snow. ¡°What a heavy snow!¡±


    When Shang Yu saw this, she hurriedly brought her a gold-and-red cloak from the house and wrapped it around her. ¡°Be careful, youngdy, for fear of catching a cold!¡±


    She was in a good mood. Her face was covered in footprints as she stood under the tree. She nced back with a smile, her eyebrows were curved like crescent moons, and her skin was as smooth and delicate as a jade.


    It was a pity that Yan Yu was not here. He left before dawn. He had heard that he was going to the crown prince¡¯s mansion to work with Yan Tao.


    Xie Zhen got interested. She let Shuang Yu prepare a small jar. She¡¯s going to collect the snow in the plum garden in the backyard.


    Using the cleanest snow on the branches to boil tea, the tea that was boiled out would be extremely fragrant and earn countless praise.


    Just as she walked out of the courtyard, her small face revealed a smile that hadn¡¯t been seen for a long time. However, her smile didn¡¯tst for long. When she saw the person walking towards her, she slowly withdrew her smile.


    Ouyang Yi seemed to have changed. She wore a white silk coat and chiffon dress, and her white embroidered flowery cloak was wrapped around her.


    Not only that, she also wore pearls on her head, and what was more dazzling was her hairpin that was embedded with gold thread, green leaves and pearls. It was worth quite a lot.


    Xie Zhen stopped.


    She stopped in front of Xie Zhen with a smile on her face and bowed. ¡°Where is the princess going?¡±


    Xie Zhen walked around her and kept walking. ¡°Where I¡¯m going? Is this what you should ask about?¡±


    She continuously follow her. ¡°I thought I was just caring about you!¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled. ¡°I have father and mother, and His Highness who care about me. How can it be your turn?¡±


    Ouyang Yi choked with anger. After much difficulty, she deliberately walked in front of her. Under the sunlight, the golden silk leaf dazzled as she said, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you notice that I was different?¡±


    Xie Zhen ignored her and kept walking.


    She said from behind, ¡°Couson asked someone to make this new set of clothes for me. Even this hairpin was given to me by him. Do they look good?¡±


    ¡°I feel that the color is a bit in, but it doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m in mourning for my mother ¡­¡±


    She was so noisy on Xie Zhen¡¯s side so that Xie Zhen finally stopped and smiled and looked her up and down. ¡°They are good.¡±


    She looked pleased with herself.


    The next instant, Xie Zhen smiled at her and said, ¡°Do you believe that if you keep nagging, I¡¯ll have your clothes taken off?¡±


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s face paled. Looking at Xie Zhen¡¯splexion, it seemed that she would really do such a thing.


    Moreover, this was the sixth prince¡¯s Mansion, and she was Prince¡¯s wife. What could she not do?


    ¡°You ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen stopped smiling and turned away from her and headed for the Plum Garden.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s good mood was spoiled, and she was angry. After collecting half a jar of snow, she came out of the Plum Garden.


    Her face was red with cold, and she breathed out white mist.


    Shang Yu followed her the whole way, not daring to say a word in the plum garden. She wanted to persuade her to return earlier, but judging from her obstinacy, she guessed that she wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone.


    Therefore, she had no choice but to apany her in silence. She waited for her anger to subside beforeing back with her.


    Back in Zhanyue Court, Xie Zhen put down the small jar, let Shang Yu and Shuang Yan go into the room for packing.


    Shang Yu eximed, ¡°Young Lady, why ¡­ why do you want to pack?¡±


    Her voice was calm as she stubbornly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    She was not angry any more, but she had made a decision in her mind.


    Rather than seeing Ouyang Yi that was making her unhappy all day, she might as well stay at Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a while. Whatever Yan Yu wanted to do with her, let he do. Whatever clothes he wanted to give her, let he do.


    She didn¡¯t mind it, just let him do.

 Chapter 75: Sudden Understanding

    <h4>Chapter 75: Sudden Understanding</h4>


    When she said she was going home, the hearts of Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan nearly jumped out of their chests.


    This was not a joke. If the Sixth Prince returned and didn¡¯t see her, how could these maidservants have any good results? When the Prince¡¯s wife wanted to go home and specifically picked the time when the Sixth Prince wasn¡¯t around, they had to stop her¡£


    One of them tried to dissuade her, while the other poured her some tea to quell her anger. However, she was so stubborn that she would not easily change her mind if she had made a decision. Actually, she was no longer angry. She had thought things through when she was collecting the snow. Her mother said that she should not interfere in this matter and leave everything to Yan Yu to handle. She would go home first, and when he had dealt with Ouyang Yi, she woulde back.


    After thinking it through, she became even more resolute in her heart. Seeing that Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of taking action, she asked, ¡°Just whose maidservants are you?¡±


    The two of them lowered their heads in unison. ¡°We¡¯re yours.¡±


    She asked again, ¡°Whose orders would you follow?¡±


    The two of them fought to reply, ¡°Your words.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Then why are you standing here when I asked you to pack up our things?¡±


    Therefore, the two of them didn¡¯t dare to have any objections and went back to their rooms to pack up their things.


    In front of her was half a jar of snow that she had collected earlier in the morning. Originally, she had nned to cook tea under the verandah today, but now she was no longer in the mood to do so. After sitting for a while, she recalled Ouyang Yi¡¯s dressing this morning and called for Hong Mei who was standing outside the door. ¡°Go to Pavilion Changqing and ask around. Is it really the Sixth Prince who gifted clothes and jewelry for cousin girl?¡±


    Hearing this, Hong Mei turned around and went to do it.


    After a short while, she returned and said with her eyes lowered, ¡°Miss, this servant asked the Pavilion Changqing ¡­.It is indeed His Highness¡¯s wish.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded and thought for a moment, ¡°Was the hairpin with Golden Thread Jade that the Sixth Prince gave mest time still there?¡±


    Hong Mei said, ¡°You never wore it. It¡¯s in the dowry.¡±


    She asked Hong Mei to take it out and said, ¡°Go and give it to the Cousin Guniang. Tell her that it¡¯s a show of my heart.¡± ¡°Since the Sixth Prince has already given her something, I can¡¯t help but express my heartfelt feelings.¡±


    Hong Mei revealed a troubled expression, ¡°But ¡­¡± ¡°That is Highness¡¯s gift to you ¡­¡±


    She raised her eyebrows, there was always a lot of nonsense, ¡°Since he gave it to me, it¡¯s mine. Who would he care who I send? ¡°Just give it to Ouyang Yi and let her wear it. It¡¯s best if she wears it every day.¡±


    Hong Mei couldn¡¯t beat her, so she went into the house with a bitter face to fetch her things.


    She had never worn that hairpin before. It was given to her by Yan Yu when he apologized to her once. At that time, his heart wasn¡¯t sincere, so he only ced the hairpin in front of her without saying anything else. She was angey, so she didn¡¯t put it on. If she hadn¡¯t seen the hairpin on Ouyang Yi¡¯s head, she probably wouldn¡¯t have remembered it.


    Hong Mei came out of the room with a sandalwood box in her hands. He gave her a hesitant look. Seeing that she had no intention of going back on her words, she slowly walked over to the Pavilion Changqing.


    After a short while, the Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan packed up their luggage, not daring to pack too much. They only brought clothes for two days and three days, as well as a few essories that weremonly used.


    The two of them wanted to persuade her, but when they saw that she had made up her mind, they tactfully stopped.


    When she led them out to the door, Yan Yu did not return. There was a thickyer of snow on the stone steps. She stepped on it and felt very rxed. She walked all the way to the carriage and stepped on the yellow wooden bench to get on. She put down the curtain and without another nce to told the coachman to start.


    This time, she only brought the two maidservants, Shang Yu and Shuang Yan.


    Hong Mei and Tan Mei were left in the Prince¡¯s Mansion, anxiously waiting for the Sixth Prince¡¯s return.


    Just now, Hong Mei had been ordered to send the gold hairpin to the Cousin Guniang. At first, Ouyang Yi was worried that there was a trick to it. She was worried and examined it for a long time. When she saw that nothing strange was going on, she put it away with a sense of relief.


    Ouyang Yi asked her, ¡°Why did the Prince¡¯s wife give me this?¡±


    Hong Mei¡¯s brain worked very fast, so he was able to make out a few pleasant words. ¡°My Empress saw Cousin Guniang in today¡¯s clothes and felt that this hairpin was very suitable for you. That¡¯s why she sent a servant to deliver it.¡±


    Everyone loved ttery words. Moreover, Ouyang Yi truly liked this hairpin. She immediately got Liu Lan to hairpin it on her head. ¡°Change the one on my head and try this on.¡±


    Liu Lan took off the golden hairpin on her head and reced it with the Golden Thread Jade hairpin that Hong Mei had brought over. She smiled and said, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s more ttering.¡±


    She walked to the mirror and looked at it with satisfaction. Golden Thread was framed by the Emerald Hibiscus in the middle. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank your empress for me.¡±


    Hong Mei really did not understand why thedy would give such a good gift to others. After saying a few words of praise in her heart, she left the Pavilion Changqing. Even when she returned to the Moon Viewing Courtyard, she still felt somewhat indignant. The hairpin didn¡¯t look good on the Cousin Guninag¡¯s head at all. It was clearly the Sixth Prince who bought it for her, so why did she give it to her?


    Wait, did the Sixth Prince buy it?


    Hong Mei seemed to understand Xie Zhen¡¯s intentions¡­


    Hong Mei and Tan Mei uneasily guarded the courtyard. They only heard that the Sixth Prince had returned after a short while. The two of them suddenly sat up on the stone steps, looking at each other, not knowing what to do.


    Tan Mei was on the verge of tears, ¡°How about kneel down and admit mistake first ¡­¡±


    Hong Mei thought this method was feasible. It was indeed a big mistake for them not to stop the Prince¡¯s wife and let her escape. If the Sixth Prince were to me this, she might even be beaten to death.


    Before she could think of an excuse, Yan Yu came in from the door. In the afternoon, the snow began to fall gently. He wore a ck overcoat and a few snowkes fell from his shoulders. He walked past the two of them and walked straight into the hall.


    Yan Yu untied his cloak and looked around the room. He felt that it was somewhat quiet and asked the two of them, ¡°Where is the princess?¡±


    Hong Mei pulled his sandalwood eyebrows and knelt on the ground, trembling while begging for mercy, ¡°Your Highness, forgive me ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s brows twitched. He had a bad premonition. Even his voice turned cold, ¡°For what? Exin it.¡±


    The two of them didn¡¯t even dare to raise their heads. ¡°Empress, the Empress has returned to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion ¡­¡±


    The room fell silent after he said that.


    There was a moment of silence. Hong Mei and Tan Mei didn¡¯t even dare to cry. They only felt a chilling from under their feet, causing them to shiver all over.


    Yan Yu asked coldly, ¡°When does sheing back?¡±


    Hong Mei shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either ¡­ When the princess left, she took away quite a few sets of clothes ¡­


    Her words were like a heavy blow to Yan Yu. His brow was downcast. He didn¡¯t understand why she was still fine when he left in the morning. When he returned in the evening, she had already disappeared. ¡°Why would she want to return to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡± ¡°When did she leave?¡±


    Hong Mei said, ¡°She left this afternoon. It¡¯s been four hours.¡± The servant also didn¡¯t know why the princess was leaving. All she knew was that the Empress went to pluck snow from the Plum Garden in the morning and met Cousin Guniang on the way back. After returning, she was in a bad mood ¡­


    He narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What did they say?¡±


    Hong Mei shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    He looked around the hall, feeling that he didn¡¯t like looking everywhere without her. For some reason, he became furious. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything?¡± He walked out of the living room and ordered, ¡°Everyone kneel in the courtyard. When the princesse back, you would be allowed to rise.¡±


    Hong Mei and Tan Mei were startled. The ground was freezing and snow was everywhere. If they kept kneeling down for a few hours, wouldn¡¯t they have been crippled?


    However, Yan Yu refused to listen. With a cold face, he left the Moon Viewing Courtyard and went to the Pavilion Changqing.


    Inside Pavilion Changqing , Ouyang Yi wore a hairpin given by Xie Zhen, she was reluctant to take it off. She wore a cloak as she walked around the courtyard, circle after circle.


    When she heard that she had gone to plum orchard in the morning to pick up snow, she also learned to pick up a terrine and tiptoe the snow-covered tree branches of the yard. She tilted her head back, not noticing the snow falling from the tree onto her face. She ate a mouthful of it, and when the snow fell into her cor, she couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    She had just wiped the snow off her face when she turned her head and saw a figure enter the room. Seeing that it was Yan Yu, she happily called out to him, ¡°Why are you here?¡± I¡¯ve just had some snow. Shall I make you some tea? ¡®


    She held the jar in front of him and smiled.


    However, Yan Yu was not in the mood to do so. With a nce, he saw the hairpin on her head. His originally gloomy face instantly turned even colder as he stared fixedly at her head, ¡°Where did your hairpine from?¡±


    Ouyang Yi thought that he was praising her. She raised her hand to feel it and asked with a smile, ¡°Does it look good?¡± ¡°Can it match my clothes?¡±


    He gritted his teeth and said word by word, ¡°I asked you where your hairpin came from.¡±


    She realized that something was wrong with his face, and for some reason she didn¡¯t dare to say that it was from her. She swallowed her saliva, not daring to lie in front of him. ¡°Yes, it was given to me by Prince¡¯s wife ¡­¡± ¡°She said that this hairpin matched my clothes, so she asked the maidservant to give it to me.¡±


    After she had finished speaking, Yan Yu¡¯s expression could not be described with any words.


    He looked at her dress and seemed to understand something. ¡°You¡¯re wearing this to see her?¡±


    Ouyang Yi nodded. ¡°Why not? These are clothes that you give to me, can¡¯t I wear them?¡±


    ¡°You told her I gave it to you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, but her expression showed ¡°yes¡±.


    Yan Yu¡¯s anger was boiling, his eyes were as cold as knives, and his every word was a warning, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that you are not allowed to talk in front of her?¡±


    Ouyang Yi was not convinced and insisted on arguing with him. ¡°You were the one who gifted this to me, so why can¡¯t I tell her?¡±


    Yan Yu raised his hand, his face ugly to the extreme. She thought that he was going to hit her, so she closed her eyes subconsciously. He just pulled out the hairpin from her head and held it tightly in his hand, as if he wanted to crush it, ¡°These things are all part of your dowry. In the future, if you marry someone else, it will have nothing to do with me.¡± His lower jaw tightened, and he said each sentence coldly, ¡°And this hairpin ¡­¡± Not for you. ¡°In the future, before you get married, you will always be living in Pavilion Changqing . You are not allowed to take even half a step out of the courtyard.¡±


    He then turned around and walked out of the yard, leaving behind two attendants who were looking at the door. ¡°Watch the door. If there is any mistake, I will leave it to you to ask.¡±


    The two quickly agreed.


    Ouyang Yi did not expect the unexpected turn of events toe so quickly. She wanted to chase after Yan Yu to have a word with him, but was stopped by a servant at the entrance.


    The attendant expressionlessly replied, ¡°Cousin Guniang, please go back.¡±


    She did not give up and did everything she could to get out. However, the two servants had been instructed not to act rashly or show any mercy to her. One of them got bored with her and waved her away, mming the door of the Pavilion Changqing while she was still on the floor. The other went to find a lock , and no matter how much noise she made inside, he refused to open the door.


    Yan Yu understood what was going on and ordered the steward to bring over a horse from the stables. He climbed on the horse and rode through the thin snow towards the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    It was already dark, and the steward had wanted to persuade him to go back tomorrow, but he couldn¡¯t. He was afraid that theter he got there, the deeper the misunderstanding would be, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see her. He wanted to ask her why she gave the hairpin to Ouyang Yi, and even more so, to exin to her ¡­ Exin what? The exnation of Ouyang Yi¡¯s jewelry and clothes had nothing to do with him. It was done by the steward alone. If she didn¡¯t like Ouyang Yi, he would let her marry out and not let her suffer any more grievances.


    Would she forgive him if he got to understand toote?

 Chapter 76 - Honesty(Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 76 - Honesty(Part 1)</h4>


    Shortly after she got into the carriage and drove off, someone came out of the alley behind her on a horse and followed her slowly.


    The person on the horse was dressed in a brocade robe and stood tall and straight. It was none other than Gao Xun.


    Ever since Madam Li¡¯s deathst time, he had felt that something was going to happen to the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion. asionally, he woulde and take a look nearby. It was probably due to his righteous nature that the servants at the door didn¡¯t suspect him at all. Today, when there was nothing going on in the army, he and Zhong Shang went out together. Zhong Shang went home to take care of what his father had told him, and he came to the nearest street of the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    I didn¡¯t expect to meet Xie Zhen.


    The servant maids also brought two bundles of luggage. Xie Zhen got into the carriage, which was heading in the direction of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. It was an unusual sight to see. Gao Xun was worried, so he didn¡¯t wait for her to leave before following her. He was afraid of being discovered, so he kept a certain distance from her and followed her slowly.


    The carriage walked for a while and came to a street.


    There weren¡¯t many people on this street. There were many houses on both sides, and there were only two or three pedestrians on the street.


    There were more people on the street just as they crossed an arched bridge, but the horse in which she was riding suddenly lost control, whinnied, and galloped into the crowd.


    The pedestrians on the street were frightened and fled to the sides.


    The wagon overturned a vegetable stall by the side of the road, but the runaway horse did not stop.


    The carriage was tilting from side to side. Even from far away, people could still hear the cries of rming from inside.


    Gao Xun was startled and hurriedly grabbed the reins and rushed forward.


    The horse looked as if it had been provoked by something. Gao Xun galloped to the front of the carriage. He reached for the reins of the horse, ignoring the danger.


    However, the horse¡¯s front hooves were moving and it almost stepped on him.


    In desperation, he snatched the sugar man¡¯s pole from the side of the road and struck the horse¡¯s front hooves from the side. The horse fell forward under the weight of the blow and then calmed down.


    He jumped on the wagon, lifted the curtain, and looked inside. ¡°Ah Zhen?¡±


    The two maidservants in the carriage looked at him with fear and trepidation. They had ced Xie Zhen in the middle of the carriage.


    She looked up, her face pale, and was shocked to see him. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    He could not exin and could only lie: ¡°On the way, I saw that the carriage was out of control, so I went up to help. I recognized that this was the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion¡¯s carriage.¡±


    She smiled weakly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and she kept her hand on the ankle of her left foot. He blurted out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your foot?¡±


    Shuang Yu exined for her: ¡°My girl didn¡¯t sprained her foot much when the carriage crashed into the wall.¡± Words were full of worry.


    Gao Xun immediately tensed up. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see a doctor!¡±


    As he spoke, he walked into the carriage.


    After all, men and women were different, so Xie Zhen shook her head and refused, ¡°No need¡­¡± ¡°Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan can apany me.¡±


    His thoughts were exposed and a look of distress shed across his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a clinic by the street. I¡¯ll apany you there ¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be negligent in this matter. If you don¡¯t deal with it properly, it might cause problems for the rest of your lives.¡±


    It hurt so badly that she didn¡¯t refuse.


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan helped her over, and Gao Xun followed silently behind, not far or near. When they got to the clinic, the doctor said it wasn¡¯t too serious. ¡°put cold water on for the night, then hot it for three days, and then he prescribed a kind of ointment for her to apply daily. These days, she had to get out of bed as little as possible.


    On their way back, Gao Xun used his own horse to pull the carriage and sent them back to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    The runaway horse could no longer be used. It was impossible for the horse to go crazy for no reason, lest someone was ying tricks on it. Thus, he stopped a strong man on the street and gave him some money to send the horse back to the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    When they were almost at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Gao Xun sat outside and asked hesitantly, ¡°Why are you the only one returning to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.? Where¡¯s Ah Yu?¡±


    There was silence in the carriage for a moment, then came the voice of Xie Zhen: ¡°I don¡¯t want toe back with him.¡±


    Gao Xunughed softly. ¡°Have you had an argument?¡±


    Perhaps it was because of the deep friendship she had with him as a child, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t hide anything from him. What happened between she and Yan Yu could only be described as an argument.


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t arguing, she was just sulking.


    Arriving at the entrance of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion., Xie Zhen asked Gao Xun toe in for a seat. He said that he couldn¡¯t, that he had to return to the military residenceter.


    ¡°Take careful of your feet,¡± he said patiently. ¡°The doctor said not to get out of bed.¡±


    She had to nod again.


    Returning to the Yutang Court, Madam Leng was startled when she saw her being carried in. She didn¡¯t even bother to ask why she had returned and hurriedly carried her to the Arhat bed inside. Even though Xie Zhen was married, she didn¡¯t say anything. Xie Zhen threw herself into her arms and shed two tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back,¡± she said with reddened eyes.


    When Madam Leng asked her the reason, she said that she hated Ouyang Yi.


    Madam Leng asked her, ¡°Are you happy toe back like this?¡±


    She shook her head and said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand, but as a mother, she guided her step by step, ¡°You don¡¯t say anything to him. He¡¯s a dull man, and you are together. You don¡¯t even know why the other party is angry. What kind of quarrel is this?¡± ¡°If youe back like this, you can only make others happy.¡±


    She asked gloomily, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Madam Leng ordered her maidservants to prepare half a basin of cold water. Shuang Yu stepped forward and took off her shoes and socks, dipping her left foot into the cold water. She shivered with cold, gritted her teeth and fought to hold it in.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back, then stay here for a few days. I will tell others that I am not feeling well, you came back to see me¡± Madam Leng had thought of everything carefully.


    She said ¡°Mother¡± with emotion.


    Madam Leng gently pinched her nose, ¡°Small trouble!¡±


    She giggled, and her mood improved a little.


    After the coldpress of the left foot, the ankle was not so badly swollen, but the bruise did not go away. Shuang Yu took the ointment and gently applied it to her wounds. She was in pain and wanted to dodge it, but she was finally intimidated by Leng , ¡°be careful of bing a cripple in the future¡±, then she obediently did not dare to move.


    When she was done, she sat down on Arhat Bed and thought about the runaway horse. She thought, as Gao Xun had thought, that someone was doing something behind the scenes, but she couldn¡¯t figure out who it was.


    Frightened today and cold outside, she sat for a short time before drowsiness overtook her, yawned, and, toozy to move any further, fell asleep on the Arhat Bed. The Shuang Yu covered her with a nket, and the stove was scarce, soon she fell into a deep slumber.


    When Xie Xun learned that she was asleep, she sat by herself and yed with her own, waiting for Xie Zhen to wake up.


    As soon as Yan Yu stepped out of the door, he saw a strong man pulling a horse towards him.


    The brawny man said it was a horse from his house, and he asked the steward to check it out.


    And it¡¯s the one that Xie Zhen went out with today.


    Why is it here?


    After asking around, he found out that this horse had lost control and was rampaging through the streets. It even knocked over many vendors, but fortunately, no one was injured.


    Hearing this, Yan Yu¡¯s eyes reddened. He grabbed his arm, ¡°Where are the people in the carriage?¡±


    The muscr man replied, ¡°I was saved by a young man. There shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.¡±


    ¡°Who saved her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. All I know is that he asked me to send the horse over ¡­¡± Halfway through his words, he suddenly remembered, ¡°He said his surname is Gao!¡±


    Yan Yu was silent for a long time.


    Then he got on his horse and told the steward, ¡°Go find out who touched this horse. Do not let anyone who has had any contact with it off!¡±


    The steward replied repeatedly. Before he could say anything else, he had already ridden away on his horse.


    Yan Yu rode very fast. The cold wind blew past his ears, and the snowkes blew on his face. The cold feeling spread to all his limbs and bones. He didn¡¯t know why Gao Xun had appeared, and he didn¡¯t know how he had saved Xie Zhen. He didn¡¯t dare to think too deep into it and was about to go crazy. All he knew was that he had to hurry to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to see if Xie Zhen was hurt.

 Chapter 76 Honesty (part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 76 Honesty (part 2)</h4>


    A man and a horse stopped in front of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. The road was too fast for the horse to move as soon as it reached the entrance.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t have the time to care about it. He handed the reins to the servants and walked towards the Yu Tang Court like a gust of wind.


    It was alreadyte at night, and the sky was dark. When the servants heard of the Sixth Prince¡¯s arrival, they hurriedly went to report to the Duke of Dingguo.


    Yan Yu came to the Yu Tang Court and asked the maidservants who were sweeping the yard, ¡°Is Xie Zhen back?¡±


    The maidservant was shocked and replied hesitantly, ¡°She, she¡¯s back ¡­ Fifth Miss ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish listening, he headed straight for the living room.


    It just happened that Madam Leng came out of the house and wasn¡¯t surprised to see him. He opened his mouth and called out to his mother-inw, feeling inexplicably nervous. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Xie Zhen.¡±


    Madam Leng did not move aside. Instead, she smiled and said, ¡°The little Lamb has fallen asleep inside.¡±


    He subconsciously looked into the room, but unfortunately, everything was blocked by the screen, so he couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Madam Leng knew that he was anxious, but still wanted to say to him: ¡°Let her sleep a little more. Come with me to the side room, I will have a word with you.¡±


    Perhaps it was because he had known her since he was a child, and because she was Xie Zhen¡¯s mother, he had always respected her. Though he was anxious to see her, he still followed her to the side room. As he left, he kept looking back, as if he was afraid that she would wake up.


    The side room had a low table, the floor was covered with a picture, Madam Leng and Yan Yu sat on either side of the room.


    The room was warm. When the maidservant brought the tea, Yan Yu came with a stomach full of cold air. Only then did he feel thirsty. He picked up a cup of the tea and drink it in one gulp.


    Madam Leng waited for him to finish before waving away the maidservants in the room. She said, ¡°These words are a little disrespectful. If Your Highness is unhappy to hear them, then tell me. I won¡¯t say any more.¡±


    Yan Yu retracted his gaze, ¡°Please speak.¡±


    Madam Leng thought for a moment, then said with a smile, ¡°Although you are the Sixth Prince now, in my heart, you are still that awkward Yu¡¯er of the past.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d changed his identity, but she¡¯d taken him for a junior, and that was why she¡¯d invited him to sit here and talk openly.


    Not wanting to quench his thirst, Yan Yu poured himself another cup of tea.


    ¡°Do you know why the Lamb came back today?¡±


    He stopped and looked away, saying, ¡°It was my thoughtlessness that caused her to suffer.¡±


    Knowing what you was wrong in, you wasn¡¯t that stupid. Madam Leng smiled. She was not a person who liked to beat around the bush, so she went straight to the point. ¡°Then tell me, do you have feelings for my little Lamb?¡±


    He had just taken a sip of water and was choking it all down his throat.


    When he finally stopped, he pretended to wipe his face with his sleeve. He blocked his red cheeks and nodded.


    If not, why rush back to her?


    Although he had already said it in front of Xie Zhen, it was still a bit difficult for him to confess in front of his elders.


    Hearing him say that, Madam Leng felt relieved instead. She handed him a handkerchief to wipe his face. ¡°I know you¡¯re not good at expressing yourself ¡­When you were a child, you were pestered by a little Lamb. You must have been annoyed by her.¡±


    He said no, wiped his face, and said sheepishly, ¡°No trouble.¡±


    It really wasn¡¯t easy for him to confess ¡­


    Madam Leng giggled, her face full of love. ¡°When the little kid was young, she really liked you. I¡¯ve never seen her so persistent towards anyone. At that time, she often said that she wanted to find big brother Xiao Yu and even forgot about Rong¡¯er. For this reason, Rong¡¯er has never treated you well.¡±


    Yan Yu pursed his lips, ¡°¡­I know.¡±


    She thought of something and thought about it. ¡°When you left that year, she was sad for a long time. When we visited the Li family, the courtyard was already empty. When the Lamb met your cousin in the yard, they had a fight in the yard, and when she came back she cried even harder. Do you know why she cried? ¡®


    Yan Yu was a little taken aback. He did not know that there was such a thing. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Ouyang Yi said that you moved away because you hated Lambs.¡± She smiled and added, ¡°You still hate her the most.¡±


    Yan Yu finally understood why she had asked him to ¡°wheater hate her or not¡±. It turned out that Ouyang Yi had lied to her in this manner when he didn¡¯t know.


    He hurriedly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    ¡°You left without a word,¡± interrupted Madam Leng, ¡°and she suffered such a blow. Master and I are afraid that she will not be able to recover. Fortunately, Gao Xun came to stay with her every day, so she slowly recovered.¡±


    Yan Yu remained silent.


    ¡°Later, when I returned to the capital, you became the esteemed Sixth Prince. She was probably afraid of you, so she was muddledly married back to you. Perhaps it¡¯s because of this that she¡¯s wary of you. She can¡¯t get warm at all.¡±


    Yan Yu let out a slow grunt of agreement after being stabbed in the chest.


    Leng smiled. ¡°You two are both dishonest. If you could be more honest ¡­ I¡¯m afraid it will be much better than now.¡±


    Seeing that Yan Yu didn¡¯t say anything, she tilted her head and looked at the sky outside. It was alreadyte, and Xie Zhen was probably about to wake up. She stood up and said, ¡°The Lamb is the best person to coax. You can talk to her a bit more. Be more considerate with her and her anger will dissipate.¡±


    Finally, she walked out of the side room.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t leave. He sat in the room for a while longer, thinking about what Madam Leng had said to him. It was like he was enlightened, and everything became clear.


    When Yan Yu came into the room, Xie Zhen had just woken up and was sitting on the bed talking to Xie Xun.


    Her smile was beautiful, her cheeks dimpled, and she smiled sweetly.


    He suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t smiled at him like that in the past few days. If only he had discovered it long ago. If he had discovered that she was unhappy and didn¡¯t like Ouyang Yi, he wouldn¡¯t have made her suffer all these grievances alone.


    The sisters sat on Arhat Bed, one on either side of the other, because Xie Zhen¡¯s left foot hurts, Xie Xun put a small pillow under her foot and let her step on it. Xie Xun held her hands together, and for a moment, she pondered, carefully stringing up the ropes on either side of her to form the shape of an arch bridge.


    She smiled. ¡°Ah Xun, you¡¯re so stupid,¡± she said. ¡°I taught youst time.¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she looked up and saw Yan Yu standing outside the door.


    The smile stopped on her face, and she slowly withdrew it.


    Xie Xun turned around and called out in a crisp voice, ¡°Brother-inw.¡±


    Yan Yu stepped forward and stopped in front of the two of them. Because Xie Xun was there, he acted rather restrained. His gaze fell on her stockinged feet before returning to her face. ¡°You ¡­¡± After a long time, clumsily asked, ¡°Does your foot hurt?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    It was fine if she didn¡¯t ask, but when she did, he was so angry that his expression turned ugly. ¡°You¡¯re back, how can I note? You actually ¡­¡±


    When he turned his head and saw that Xie Xun had not left, he swallowed thetter part of his sentence.


    ¡°What did I do?¡±


    Many things were inconvenient to say, in the presence of Xie Xun.


    Fortunately, Madam Leng arrived in time to make an excuse for the snow to call Xie Xun away. Before she left, Xie Xun was still a bit reluctant to apart with her. ¡°I want to y ropes with sister ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng tapped her forehead and said, ¡°Little fool.¡±


    What¡¯s more, she couldn¡¯t hear any more of it, because Madam Leng and Xie Xun were already far away. Yan Yu sat on a rosewood embroidery stool at the side, cing her feet on his leg. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    She ignored him and put the rope away.


    Who would have thought that Yan Yu would take off her socks without warning to check her wounds.


    He held her feet in his hands, and if she hadn¡¯t been sprained, she would have kicked him. However, she was afraid of the pain and didn¡¯t even dare to move. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    Her small, fair, delicate feet moved uneasily like jade lotuses, and he pressed his thumb against the center of her foot, carefully inspecting her swollen ankles. ¡°I heard something happened on the carriage?¡±


    He pressed his slightly rough thumb against the soles of her feet, her eyes were red enough and she almostugh. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to care!¡±


    However, he did not let her go. Lowering his eyes, he asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to care, then who do you want to care? Gao Xun?¡±


    She gritted her teeth. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    If this carried on, the little Lamb would really get angry and would no longer pay attention to him. He stopped and put her socks back on, but he couldn¡¯t resist the jealousy in his heart. She sat on Arhat Bed and he looked up at her. ¡°He saved you?¡±


    Her eyes were red. She rubbed her head and turned away from him.


    He said pitifully, ¡°Lamb¡­¡±


    She still doesn¡¯t look at him.


    He sat forward and took her hand on the bed. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe, Gao Xun got along with her, and it was during the time when he and she were arguing ¡­ He wanted to ask, but he didn¡¯t dare to.


    Madam Leng had asked him to be honest. For her sake, he didn¡¯t mind keeping a straight face.


    He slowly parted her hands and sped her fingers. ¡°Are you unhappy these days?¡±


    She said no, but her face said ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    She tried to free her hand from his, but he held tight. He said, ¡± I don¡¯t know. If I knew you didn¡¯t like Ouyang Yi, I wouldn¡¯t have let her live here.¡±


    She looked at him.


    His throat tightened, and he met her eyes with an involuntary tension: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    For the first time in his life, he apologized to someone. He was not skilled at it, but for her, everything was worth it.


    ¡°But you already let her live in here.¡±


    He said, ¡± I¡¯ll put her out so you won¡¯t see her. ¡±


    She said no more.


    He asked anxiously, ¡°Do you forgive me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He stood up, his emotions unawares. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Get out of here,¡± she said, pointing to the door. ¡°Get out of here.¡±


    After a moment of realization, regret appeared on his face. He stood on the spot, unwilling to leave. He quickly exined, ¡°I did not give her clothes, nor did I give her a hairpin. She was prepared by the steward and has nothing to do with me. If she marries another day, that will be her dowry. ¡±


    The two of them talked for a long time in the room, until the sky waspletely dark. This was the Madam Leng¡¯s room, and the Madam Leng had been sitting in the side room with Xie Xun to make room for them.


    It was gettingte, so Madam Leng asked the maid to clean up the room where Xie Zhen used to live and let the two of them stay there temporarily.


    It should be biddy to carry Xie Zhen on back, but Yan Yu said he didn¡¯t want to, so he carried her on back by himself.


    He carried her back to the room as the porch lights were dim and Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan litnterns in front of them.


    Yan Yu exined to her for a long time, but he did not know if she heard him.


    After a long pause, he asked her, ¡°Will youe back with me tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Not good.¡±


    He lifted her up, helpless against her, afraid to speak aloud. ¡°Why, are you still angry?¡±


    She said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Carrying her on his back, he felt more at ease than he had ever felt before. He only felt that this stretch of road was not long enough. The bright moon hung high in the sky, shining on the two of them. It created a long shadow as they slowly walked forward.


    As she approached the room, he called out to her, ¡°Xie Zhen¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply.


    He called again: ¡°Lamb?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I like you.¡±


    The moon was misty and his face could not be seen clearly. If they could see him, they would notice that his face was even redder than the sunset.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, okay?¡±


    She rubbed his shoulder. ¡°Not good.¡±


    He said it sote that she would not forgive him easily.

 Chapter 77: Fireworks

    <h4>Chapter 77: Fireworks</h4>


    She spent three days at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion on the pretext of a foot injury.


    For the past three days, Yan Yu hadn¡¯t left either, huddling in a small room with her. Sometimes he went out in the daytime and came back with her before dark.


    At first, Duke Dingguo thought it was because of the conflict between the two of them, but when he came to visit, it didn¡¯t seem like it. Yan Yu was walking in the yard with Xie Zhen on his back. A heavy snow had just fallen in the capital, and it was thick enough to drown the soles of one¡¯s feet.


    When she said she wanted to see snow, he carried her out to see it.


    No matter how he looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem like there was an argument?


    Duke Dingguo originally wanted to go up and talk to the Sixth Prince, but seeing how warm the two were, it seemed that there was no room for him to intervene, so he tactfully left.


    Actually, it was too stuffy in the house, so she want to take a walk. It was inconvenient for her legs and legs. She had wanted to ask Shuang Yu to push a chair, but she didn¡¯t expect that Yan Yu would take the initiative to carry her. He wanted to carry her, and of course she wouldn¡¯t refuse. She would just lie on his shoulder and let him walk out into the yard.


    These days, most of the things she knew were his back.


    He would carry her wherever she was inconvenient. That¡¯s why she can now wrap her arms around his shoulders quite naturally and direct him left or right.


    She pointed to a Yin Xing tree. ¡°I¡¯m going there!¡±


    Without another word, Yan Yu carried her under the tree.


    The branches of the tree had umted a lot of snow, a few snowkes would rustle down. She straightened up long enough to get to the lowest branch, so she couldn¡¯t help but make a bad idea and let him go back a little bit, then a little bit further.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Yan Yu asked.


    She smiled cunningly, and when he got to his feet, she shook the branch, causing the snow to rustle and fall on Yan Yu¡¯s neck.


    He felt a chill, then said angrily, ¡°Xie Zhen!¡±


    ¡°You look as white as the glutinous rice balls I ate this morning.¡±


    She still had the nerve tough?


    Yan Yu turned around and stared at her, but the smile in her eyes suddenly made him hard to breathe. He pursed his thin lips and gave a soft snort.


    Well, whatever she wants.


    She had been cold towards him for the past two days, and she wouldn¡¯t let go no matter what he did. Today, she finally managed to feel a little better, and a bright smile appeared on her face.


    She brushed the snow off his neck and continued to wrap her arms around his neck as if nothing had happened.


    Yan Yu walked around the yard and asked her, ¡°Where else do you want to go?¡±


    She tilted her head thoughtfully.


    It was gettingte, and all the servants in the Jade Yard had woken up. When they passed by the corridor, they would inevitably see the two of them.


    Xie Xun came to see her, but she didn¡¯t see her in the house. She went out into the yard to look for her. Just as she was about to run over, she was stopped by Madam Leng from behind. ¡°What are you going over there for?¡±


    She turned around and saw that it was her mother. ¡°I¡¯ll ask sister to go to the backyard to see the snow.¡±


    Madam Leng nodded her head. ¡°Your elder sister is talking to her hasband. Don¡¯t disturb them.¡±


    She seemed to understand but didn¡¯t understand. She sadly asked, ¡°Since elder sister is already married, can¡¯t she y with me?¡±


    This little fool, Madam Lengughed and said, ¡°Who said that she can¡¯t? It¡¯s just that she can¡¯t do it now, you want to go to the backyard to check on the snow. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Xie Liqing entered the pce. Emperor Yuan Huai prepared to entrust him with the task of building a few towns at the border. He was apanied by a prince, who was mainly to assist the prince in his work. As for the appointment of the First Prince or the Sixth Prince ¡­ The Emperor was in the middle of weighing the results. He was afraid that it wouldn¡¯t be long before the results would be out.


    He was about to depart in the spring of the following year.


    Xie Liqing wanted to bring Xie Rong along. After telling the Madam Leng about this matter, the Madam Leng did not object. They wanted to see more of the world and temper themselves. This was not a bad thing for Xie Rong. This trip would take a year or two. The Madam Leng had prepared the clothes of the two of them early on, She had arranged everything meticulously.


    Xie Liqing teased her, ¡°You¡¯ve already prepared everything, yet you¡¯re still waiting for me to leave?¡±


    Madam Leng red at him and deliberately asked, ¡°I asked you to leave now, are you willing to leave now?¡±


    He said he couldn¡¯t bear to part with her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you. With you here, of course I can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡±


    Although the Madam Leng was in their thirties, she still had a slim waist and a slim figure. She looked like a young woman in her forties. The two of them were old and married, but their rtionship was deep. If it wasn¡¯t for this rare opportunity, Xie Liqing really wouldn¡¯t want to part with them.


    Although she didn¡¯t say it, her feelings for him were reflected in every detail. When he was low, she never med him, kept everything around him in order, and supported his encouragement in silence. She had taught all three children well, and there were reasons he could not understand, but she saw them more clearly than he could. Xie Liqing often sighed with emotion. If he had a wife like this, what other regrets did he have in his life?


    Thinking of this, he was even more reluctant to leave.


    Fortunately, he still had two months left, so he had the opportunity to slowly say his goodbyes to her.


    It was too cold to stay out too long.


    Under the gaze of one of the servants, Yan Yu walked twops around with Xie Zhen on his back, and then went back into the house.


    Inside, the stove was warm, and in her arms was a handstove, her cheeks red with cold, her eyes smiling.


    Yan Yu took advantage of her good mood to ask again: ¡°When do you n to return home with me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this my house?¡± she asked.


    He pursed his lips. ¡°This is the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, not our family.¡±


    After a pause, he said, ¡°The Prince¡¯s Mansion is our home.¡±


    ¡°Ouyang Yi lives in there. I don¡¯t want to go back,¡± she said.


    Yan Yu sat on an embroidered pier, put her left foot on hisp, and took off her shoes and socks. Her feet were drugged every day, sooner orter, first with the maid¡¯s help, and once they hurt her, so he did it himself. He looked at her and saw that she was almost well. He estimated that she would be able to walk tomorrow. He poured some ointment on his palm and dabbed it on her delicate ankle. ¡°Come back with me. I will let her move out.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but want to move. But the more she moved, the tighter he tightened his grip, and finally she kept protesting: ¡°Don¡¯t scratch me. Don¡¯t scratch me,¡± she said.


    Her eyes were like crescent moons, but her mouth was pursed. ¡°What if she wants toe back in the future? She lives outside. Do you visit her often? ¡±


    Yan Yu paused for a moment and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    When she saw he¡¯d finished, she pulled her feet back and rubbed them slowly a couple of times before putting on her socks.


    Whenever he had her feet in his hands, she always felt very unsafe.


    He thought for a while, ¡°I will get steward Zhao to find a good family and marry her.¡±


    However, Ouyang Yi was still in her filial piety, so she could not marry anyone for the time being. Yan Yu called Wu Ze over first, then Wu Ze picked a house for her and asked her to move there first.


    Wu Ze had been with him for the past two days and had left to take care of the matter after hearing his words.


    In less than an hour, he returned.


    Yan Yu asked him, ¡°Has the house been selected?¡±


    He said no, but he brought another message. ¡°Someone from the pce has found out why the horse went out of control.¡±


    Yan Yu stood up and walked to the corridor, ¡°Tell me more.¡±


    The day before yesterday, after the incident with the Prince¡¯s wife. There were only a handful of men in the regiment, and those who kept horses in the stables, each of whom had been cross-examined, were unsuspecting. However, there was one person whose whereabouts were rather strange.


    The woman was not a stable man, and the area of her work was not in the vicinity, but she had been in and out of the stables once, when Xie Zhen was about to return to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    This person was none other than the Qing Xia who had been ordered by steward Zhao to wash the kowtows.


    Since Qing Xia was reduced to a lower maid, she has been hating Xie Zhe, she has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, will feed horse with the things that will make mental disorders.


    When the steward found her, she refused to admit it. In the end, the steward let her be beaten twenty times and threatened to beat her to death if she didn¡¯t tell him the truth. She admitted it with a wail.


    When Yan Yu heard this, he asked coldly, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Wu Ze replied, ¡°She¡¯s currently being held in the woodshed, and How should Highness deal with her?¡±


    Yan Yu waved his sleeves and went back into the room, leaving two words: ¡°Die with a staff.¡±


    Wu Ze was stunned for a moment before he went back to pass on a message to steward Zhao.


    steward Zhao sent almost every day to ask when Yan Yu would be back, but Yan Yu himself did not know when he had convinced Xie Zhen toe back.


    Wu Ze went back with his words, and steward Zhao led people to the woodshed to bring out the Qing Xia. In the short span of a few months, she waspletely different from the pretty and clean servant girl from before. Not only was her body covered in dirt and filth, her hair was disheveled, and her body was covered with wounds from thest fight. Now that she was taken out and pressed down on the board, she heard Steward Zhao instruct the people on both sides ruthlessly, ¡°His Highness said that he was going to kill her with the staff. The two of you, deal with it.¡±


    After saying that, he stepped aside, no longer caring about whether she lived or died.


    The rays of light were like a thunder striking the sky. After staring nkly for a while, only when the staffnded on her body did she feel terrified. She kept begging, ¡°steward Zhao, this servant is wrong ¡­ Please spare my life ¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, this matter could not be decided by steward Zhao.


    Plotting to harm the Prince¡¯s wife was a great crime. His Highness didn¡¯t torment her, but simply bestowed her with death. This was already letting her off easy. Initially, she was dishonest andmitted a mistake. Initially, he thought that she would be more obedient in the backyard, but who would have thought that she would be vicious and try to harm the Prince¡¯s wife. She had lost her life, and she couldn¡¯t me anyone else.


    The cries for help in the courtyard gradually died down. When the steward walked out of the courtyard and saw this kind of thing, he became more and more numb.


    Only a dishonest servant would end up like this.


    If they stayed with their master, they should wholeheartedly serve him. They shouldn¡¯t think about the things that didn¡¯t exist. The most important thing was to keep a straight face.


    When she asked who it was, he said, ¡°A maid named Qing Xia.¡±


    It took her a moment to remember who Qing Xia was.


    ¡°What about her now?¡±


    He said, ¡°Dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± She probably guessed what was going on, so she didn¡¯t ask.


    She asked the doctor to look at her feet today. He said she could walk on the ground, but she needed to be careful not to sprained her feet again. She got out of bed and walked around twice, slowly, for a long time.


    In the evening she had wanted to take a seat in Madam Leng¡¯s room, but Yan Yu took her out of the house.


    She didn¡¯t really want to go out. It was cold outside and it was getting dark. She asked, ¡°Why are you going out?¡±


    But he wouldn¡¯t tell her. He just said, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get out.¡±


    Mystery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out. I want to talk to mum.¡±


    Yan Yu could not persuade her, so he carried her directly to the carriage and forcefully brought her out of the mansion. It wasn¡¯t until the carriage pulled out of the gate that she recovered from her daze. ¡°You!¡±


    However, it was already toote to alight from the carriage. Yan Yu blocked the entrance of the carriage. No matter how much she struggled, she was not allowed to leave.


    Finally he took her in his arms and legs and said, ¡°I¡¯ll show you something.¡±


    Only then did she behave. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    He coughed and looked away. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡±


    Again!


    Annoyed by him, she stopped resisting and wanted to know what he was going to show her.


    The carriage stopped in the middle of the street. The night market was brightly lit, and there were many passersby. The carriages were not suitable for walking, so they got off and walked. Yan Yu held her hand and did not move quickly, considering that her foot was just healed. Wu Ze and Wu Bin were following closely behind, protecting their safety.


    She came out in a hurry, without her hat, but it was dark and no one was looking at her.


    Yan Yu continued to lead her forward. There weren¡¯t many people in the night market. The weather was cold, and most of the people had gone home to sleep. Only a few people came out.


    Not long after she left, she stopped and said to him with her bright eyes under the night sky, ¡°I¡¯m tired from walking.¡±


    Her foot injury was just right. It really wasn¡¯t a good way to go.


    However, this was outside, not the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, nor was it the Jade Yard. He could not just carry her on his back. If others saw this, he would lose all his dignity as a prince.


    However, he didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he squatted in front of her and said in a condescending tone, ¡°Come up.¡±


    She bent down and climbed onto his back. She was naked, so he picked her up.


    In this way, the gazes of many people on the streetnded on them.


    However, he continued to walk steadily, as if he could not feel the gazes of others. His expression remained the same as he continued to walk forward.


    ¡°I used to tell you to carry me, but you didn¡¯t.¡±


    As a child, she said.


    This girl was narrow-minded, she did not remember when he was good to her, but she clearly remembered the bad things about him.


    Yan Yu pursed his lips and looked straight ahead, ¡°At that time, you were taller than me.¡±


    She thought about it.


    But now he was taller than she was, more than a head taller.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± she asked.


    He stopped, lifted her up, looked at her, and then turned away without speaking. She thought there was something wrong with him, but after a while he said, ¡°You kiss me and I won¡¯t be tired.¡±


    Xie Zhen said: ¡°No!¡±


    Who was going to kiss him on the street!


    However, he was not angry. Instead, he looked at her and smiled. Under the light, his expression was gentle and his facial features were handsome. He was originally very good-looking, but because of his perpetually cold face, he gave off a cold and stern feeling. Now that he had a smile on his face, he was stunned by the few girls that passed by.


    He carried her through the bustling city, crossed a stone bridge, and finally stopped at the edge of theke.


    There were quite a few boats docked by theke. The boats were exquisite, and the pleasant sounds of bamboo could be heard intermittently. Several people descended from the nearest boat. Some of them were familiar faces, surrounded by a group of people. They were dressed in royal blue, yellow, purple, and noble colors.


    When the man saw them, he seemed surprised. He walked up to them and called out, ¡°Sixth Brother.¡±


    Yan Yu put down Xie Zhe, slightly to the side to block her, ¡°Big brother.¡±


    This person was the First Prince, Yan Wen.


    Unlike the warm of Prince, Yan Wen was like a wolf with sharp eyes, and seemed very difficult to get along with. His gaze slid across Yan Yu¡¯s shoulder as he asked with a smile, ¡°Could this be Sixth Sister-in-Law?¡±


    She had never seen him before, and it was a little embarrassing for her to see him just now. She lowered her head and called out ¡®Big Brother¡¯.


    Yan Wen seemed to have discovered something interesting. He looked them over with interest andughed out loud. ¡°Sixth Brother and Sixth Sister-in-Law are really ¡­ interesting.¡±


    Yan Yu stiffly changed the topic, ¡°Why is big brother here?¡±


    Yan Wei pointed to a group of ministers behind him. ¡°Several old men insisted on pulling me over for a drink. I had nothing better to do, so I came with them.¡± After speaking, he continued to smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet Sixth Brother. This can be considered as a windfall.¡±


    Yan Yu said nothing.


    He understood the situation very well and did not disturb them. He tactfully took his leave and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first. I won¡¯t disturb you guys.¡±


    After the group of people left, Yan Yu led her to the pleasure boat after a long time.


    Ever since Yan Tao was established as the Crown Prince, the First Prince rarely appeared. Others thought that he was honest, but in reality, he was just conserving his energy.


    There were several servants on the boat. One was on the boat, while the other two stood to the side to wait.


    The pleasure boat gradually left the shore and headed towards the center of theke.


    Yan Yu led her to the bow of the boat. She grabbed his sleeves, ¡°Was that the First Prince just now?¡±


    He nodded slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before¡­¡± she murmured.


    Standing on the bow of the boat and gazing at the shore, the lights in the distance were like the stars in the sky, adorning the endless night sky.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you brought me here to see?¡±


    He stood behind her and called her nickname, ¡°Lamb.¡±


    She looked back, and just then there was a bang on the opposite shore, and the firelight blossomed and blossomed on the top of his head. Before she could regain her wits, more and more fireworks were set aze in front of her. In a split-second, the firewood lit up the night sky, and the entireke was as bright as day.


    Her ears were full of the sound of fireworks exploding.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! She was dazzled.


    Yan Yu walked up to her, bent down to hug her, and said in a low voice, ¡°Come home with me.¡±

 Chapter 78: Fifteen-years-old Birthday Ceremony (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 78: Fifteen-years-old Birthday Ceremony (Part 1)</h4>


    After quite a while, Xie Zhen finally said in his arms, ¡°This is ¡­You did it?¡±


    He made a slight sound of acknowledgment.


    After thinking for a while, she actually asked, ¡°Who taught you this?¡±


    To her knowledge, it was impossible for Yan Yu to do all these ¡­ Too shocking! When did he get enlightened?


    Sure enough, he let go of her and held her shoulders in silence for a moment, ¡°Wu Ze said all girls like this.¡±


    Oh.


    Sure, this was Wu Ze¡¯s credit.


    The colorful fireworks were still going on and on in the distance, one after another, alternating constantly. Themotion alerted the passersby andmoners on both sides of the river. Many people stopped to watch, raising their heads in surprise and bewilderment. It was not a festival today, so how could someone set off fireworks?


    One by one, they opened the windows and took their children to see the fireworks above theke. In a split-second, the entire street became bright, apanied by the cries of children, it became several times more lively than usual.


    She stepped out of his arms and stood at the prow of the pleasure boat, admiring it with everyone else.


    Her face was bright and dark, a soft smile on her lips, and her eyes were bright as if they were filled with the radiance of the stars. Yan Yu, who was standing behind her, didn¡¯t look at the sky. Instead, he looked at her with a good eye.


    It made his heart feel soft.


    He was disappointed and insisted on asking, ¡°How abouting home with me?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s toote,¡± she said, tilting his head. ¡°Mum¡¯ll worry if I don¡¯t go back.¡±


    Who told her to return to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion!


    Yan Yu looked straight at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He said dryly, ¡°It¡¯s not that home.¡±


    ¡°Which house is that?¡±


    The fireworks on the shore finally ended, and the passers-by on both sides of the river left, still wishing for more. The night sky returned to darkness, leaving only a crescent moon hanging high in the sky. Being used to the bright sky, it suddenly darkened, making it hard to see its surroundings clearly. ¡°Back to our house,¡± was all she could hear.


    She turned around and deliberately dragged her words out in a long drawl, ¡°I won¡¯t return.¡±


    Yan Yu was exasperated. Why didn¡¯t she returned? Wu Ze say that when a girl saw this, she would agree to any request. Was it useless, or was she different from the other girls?


    He didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He needed to take her back first. Thinking of the First Prince he had met earlier, his heart was in a mess ¡­ As soon as the boatman pulled the boat back to shore, she jumped off the shore and he caught up with her in two or three steps. ¡°How long will you be staying at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    There were two people standing under the tree. One of them was Wu Ze and the other was Wu Bin. The firework just now be their masterpiece


    When Wu Ze saw the Sixth Prince and the Prince¡¯s wifeing down, he looked towards Yan Yu excitedly. He didn¡¯t expect them to stare at him coldly. Wu Ze was baffled, why does his highness¡¯s mood is bad? Could it be that this firework was ineffective?


    It was indeed ineffective.


    On the way back, Xie Zhen never opened her mouth, Yan Yu used his eyes to kill Wu Ze.


    It wasn¡¯t until she was in the carriage that she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back until I¡¯m fifteen years old.¡±


    Her birthday was at the end of the year, and she was still more than half a month from her fifteen years old.


    Could it be that he had been living in the Duke¡¯s Mansion all this time?


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t want to do it, after all, it wasn¡¯t his own home, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for him to do anything. Also, Xie Xun always came to find Xie Zhen, so it was better for him to go back to his home.


    But since she said so, she made up her mind, and he couldn¡¯t change it though he didn¡¯t want to.


    She stayed at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for nearly a month on the grounds that Madam Leng was ill and that she hade back to take care of her.


    During this period, the Sixth Prince frequently visited the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. Even if someone wanted to gossip, they had nothing to say. Adding to the fact that Xie Zhen would reach her fifteen years old a monthter, it made sense for her to stay in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    On the twenty-fifth of December, she was called up early.


    All the female elders of the family came to the ancestral hall, the olddy and the several madams sat together, and the Madam Leng held the ceremony of fifteen years old for Xie Zhen. One by one, her clothes were added to her body. After kowtowing to the elders, she followed the Madam Leng to the banquet and greeted the madam, only ending after half a day.


    She was fifteen years old now.


    Returning to her own side room in the Jade Yard, she was about to ask Shuang Yu to take off his clothes, when Yan Yu rushed back from the pce. He hurried into the house and saw Xie Zhen standing by the window.


    He suddenly stopped.


    He wore a dark-green, gold-embroidered peony sleeveless shirt with a ribbon around his waist, which he squeezed tightly around his waist. Her hair was tied into a bun, and her hair was piled into a messy pile. Her hair was as fine as the clouds, making her small face as white and wless as jade. As he entered the room, the wind blew in from the outside, lifting the jade pendant around her waist and tinkling it.


    She looked back at him, a little surprised. ¡°Why are you back?¡±


    When he¡¯d left this morning, he¡¯d said that His Majesty had summoned him for an urgent matter. She¡¯d thought he¡¯de back by nightfall, but hadn¡¯t expected that he¡¯de back before nightfall.


    Yan Yu walked towards her step by step, letting the maids on both sides leave. It was probably because the cold wind outside had gotten into his throat. His voice was extremely hoarse. ¡°Have you finished your ceremony of fifteen years old birthday?¡±


    ¡°There are still some guests outside, but I¡¯m not going to go, so I want to rest in the house.¡±


    He looked at her unblinkingly, a little flustered.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    Instead, he led her to the bed, where she kept the clothes the Shuang Yu had brought in. He helped her to stand and asked solemnly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t there for the ceremony. Who dressed you?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Mother.¡±


    He nodded, a hint of uneasiness shing across his face, his hands burning. ¡°Then I¡¯ll change your clothes.¡±


    As he spoke, he covered his embarrassment with a cough.


    What does this have anything to do with her mother dressing her up? He really could make it up!


    His hand was on her waist, however, and he untied the ribbon. She wanted to stop him, so she hurriedly reached out her hand to stop him. ¡°No ¡­¡±


    He put his hand on her shoulder and looked up at her with a look that was very different from his usual, dark and steady, with a soul-wrenching appeal.


    She froze, mesmerized by the eyes.


    Yan Yu took advantage of this opportunity to take off her dark green blouse, revealing her deep clothes inside.He took them off one by one, gently and carefully, like a flower bud that was about to bloom, he was the first one to see the beauty of her hidden in the petals.


    Seeing that she was about to be peeled off again, all that was left of her was a underwear with red embroidered flowers. Xie Zhen insisted on not letting him take it off, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, you can go out ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu pretended not to hear and pressed her onto hisp, directly peeling her clean.


    Fortunately, there were no maids in the room, otherwise, Xie Zhen would really die of embarrassment here. Even so, in the daylight, she was too ashamed to face anyone. She desperately tried to burrow into Yan Yu¡¯s embrace, crying: ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡±


    Opposite the bed was the window, and there was no guarantee that there would be servants walking under the window. Yan Yu carried her to bed and let down the curtains on both sides of the bed. The curtain blocked the light, and for a moment the vision was blurred, and she tried to wrap herself in the quilt, but he wouldn¡¯t let her to do so. he tied her arms and legs in the way of her whole body against him.


    She was about to struggle again when he said in her ear, ¡°Lamb.¡±


    All that was left of her was a underwear and a pair of silk pants, but he was so neatly dressed that she found it unfair.


    She bit him on the arm and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t call me.¡±


    He did not pull away. After being bitten by her, he did not say a word. With a voice full of worry, he said, ¡°father wants me go to the border in spring.¡±


    When he entered the pce today, the Emperor Yuan Huai told him about this.


    The two cities needed to be rebuilt. After thest battle, no one in the city was in charge of this matter. The city lord, He Lianzhen, had abandoned the city and fled, leaving tens of thousands of citizens unmoved. After he defeated the Western barbarians, Emperor Yuan Huai ordered people to capture He Lianzhen. In the end, he was captured by a small temple a few hundred miles away from the city, and he was given a death sentence. As a result, the reconstruction of the city became even more distant. It was said that Wu Qiang was in dire straits and that the lives of the people were not good. Therefore, it was urgent to rebuild the two cities. In the end, the Emperor Yuan Huai decided to send Yan Yu and Xie Liqing to the border gates.


    This was a good thing for Xie Liqing, but for Yan Yu ¡­ Not so good.


    Emperor Yuan Huai wouldn¡¯t let the Yan Wen go, but letting him go would only make Yan Wen aware of the sense of danger and hasten the conflict between Yan Wen and the Crown Prince. Perhaps the Yan Wen would still be fighting and there would be great turmoil in the imperial court by then.


    Yan Yu was on the Crown Prince¡¯s side. If the Crown Prince was in trouble, he would not be well either.


    Furthermore ¡­ It would take him at least a year or two, maybe three or five years, and how could he bear to be separated for Xie Zhen so long?


    Unfortunately, Emperor Yuan Huai didn¡¯t understand his vexation, so he set out in March after the spring, it was urgent for him to do so.


    That was why she felt that there was something wrong when he came back today.

 Chapter 78: Fifteen-years-old Birthday Ceremony (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 78: Fifteen-years-old Birthday Ceremony (Part 2)</h4>


    She sat in his arms, digesting, her eyes open, not knowing what to say.


    She didn¡¯t know much about these things, but she had heard Madam Leng mention them. Daddy and brother were going to the border gates and would leave in the spring next year. Mum had prepared their clothes early. She had heard that they would be gone for a long time. The weather there was very different from the capital, so she didn¡¯t know if they would be able to get used to it.


    Yan Yu held her tightly in his arms, his head resting on her shoulders. He didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    He had to go, but he couldn¡¯t bear to part with her.


    After a long time, he called out to her, ¡°Lamb?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    He buries himself in her neck. ¡°Hold me.¡±


    She always felt that he liked to act coquettish with her recently.


    This wasn¡¯t excessive, but now she didn¡¯t wear any clothes. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed into his chest. ¡°you won¡¯t leave if I hug you?¡±


    He stiffened. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to go?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Her voice was soft and her body soft, and his heart was soft with it. He lowered his head to block her pink lips and savor the taste of her mouth. Every part of her was sweet enough for him to taste.


    She was not a thin-skinned girl, but her face was red from his kisses. She could not help but grumble, ¡°Don¡¯t bite my tongue ¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, before she could finish her words of protest, the words were swallowed by him.


    After the fifteenth birthday ceremony, she could finally return to the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    Yan Yu said goodbye to Madam Leng and Xie Liqing and took her home. She had lived in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for nearly a month, and had not brought much when she came. When she left, she had brought with her two extra cages, all of which were the new clothes and essories she had brought in the past few months. The Madam Leng had arranged for two other mammy to be assigned to her: Mammy Wang and Mammy Gui. Mammy Wang was an old mammy who had served the Madam Leng for many years. She helped to manage the backyard in a neat orderly.


    Madam Leng felt that Xie Zhen was too young to know what to do when something happened, and the two mammy coulde up with ideas for her.


    For example, if she had had Mammy by her side, she wouldn¡¯t have been so lonely and helpless when it was Qing Xia and Ouyang Yi¡¯s matter.


    Xie Zhen happily epted.


    When she returned to the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion, the carriage stopped before the gate of the Zhanyue Courtyard.


    After a month of noting back, the servants in the yard all came out to greet her. The moment Hong Mei and Tan Mei saw her, their eyes turned red. Ever since she had returned to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, they had been severely punished and knelt in the courtyard. No one was allowed to get up. At that time, the weather was extremely cold, and a few of them were so weak that they didn¡¯t kneel for long before they copsed. It was still Xie Zhen who carefully knew that Yan Yu would punish them, and let Yan Yu release them all that day.


    Only now did they escape.


    They had cleaned up the yard in the absence of Xie Zhen, and there was no sign that they had not lived in the house for many days.


    ¡°Ouyang Yi is still living there?¡± she asked, after having her things taken away and taking a look at the back of the room.


    Yan Yu said, ¡°Wu Ze has already found a yard in the west side of the city. She said she wants to pack up her things and move there the next day.¡±


    Why would she need so many days to pack her things?


    However, she wanted to stall for time.


    In this short period of time, cries could be heard from the Pavilion Changqing from time to time. None of the servants were willing to pass by, and after listening for a long time, they were toozy to even bring ingredients in. Originally, they only gave the ingredients once a day, but gradually it became once every two or three days. Seeing that the steward didn¡¯t say anything, the servant became evenzier.


    In just a few days, Ouyang Yi had lost a lot of weight.


    Now that Yan Yu had found a good house for her outside, she should be thankful for that, but she didn¡¯t expect to be grateful.


    On the day Ouyang Yi left the mansion, the snow had not yet melted. She reluctantly watched her servants carry her things onto the carriage. The Pavilion Changqing had quite a few jade vases, but she was reluctant to part with any of them. She actually wanted to move them all to the courtyards outside the city.


    Not too far away, Xie Zhen waited for the servants to carry everything up before speaking slowly, allowing Mammy Wang to take the ledgers to the Pavilion Changqing to inspect them.


    Mammy Wang led two maidservants away, returning after a short while. She respectfully said, ¡°there are two vases missing from the room, two gold-painted Man Mu boxes and a set of inkstones ¡­¡±


    There were around twenty to thirty items in total.


    Ouyang Yi¡¯s face turned green.


    Xie Zhen retracted her gaze and smiled, looking at Ouyang Yi with severity, ¡°Cousin Guning, are you nning to empty the Pavilion Changqing?¡±


    Ouyang Yi stood beside the carriage and tightly clenched the handkerchief in her hand.


    When she and Madam Li came in, they were poor and only had a change of clothes. Afterwards, when Madam Li left, Madam Li¡¯s things also followed her to the grave, and there wasn¡¯t anything else in Pavilion Changqing either. In fact, the things that belonged to her were the only clothes that the steward had make for her ¡­ But how could she be willing to just leave like this?


    She was reluctant to part with anything in this room filled with gold and silver.


    She had only wanted to take away a few things secretly, since Yan Yu was a prince, he probably wouldn¡¯t mind her too much. But who would have thought Xie Zhen would stop her midway.


    She was unwilling to give up. ¡°Cousin did not say anything ¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s your cousin?¡± she asked her.


    Her eyes were red with anxiety. ¡°Naturally, it is the Sixth Prince.¡±


    That was reasonable.


    ¡°You are Li Yu¡¯s cousin, not Yan Yu¡¯s cousin.¡±


    With that, she turned to Mammy Wang and said, ¡°get back everything on the carriage. Leave everything registered within the mansion. Ouyang Yi can only take her things away.¡±


    Mammy Wang and Mammy Gui replied and left.


    Although these two Mammy had only been here for a few days, because they were old and could do things, the servants in the mansion quickly submitted to them. It didn¡¯t take long for the servants to once again bring down their belongings and sort the items with Mammy Wang and Mammy Gui.


    The items were divided into two sides. One side was the Pavilion Changqing¡¯s, and the other side was Ouyang Yi¡¯s.


    What belonged to Ouyang Yi was only a small bundle containing a few pieces of clothing and jewelry, as well as two boxes of dowry prepared by the steward under the orders of Yan Yu.


    Ouyang Yi saw that only a small portion of her things were left, she red at Xie Zhen and said, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You can take these dowry. This is the Sixth Prince¡¯sst favor to the Li family. However, you must sign this agreement. After you marry, you will no longer have any rtionship with the Sixth Prince.¡±


    In fact, if she didn¡¯t sign the agreement, there wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Ouyang Yi wasn¡¯t Yan Yu¡¯s cousin and only they ignore her. Naturally, she had no other choice.


    But signing the agreement would save them a lot of trouble.


    Ouyang Yi looked at her in disbelief and subconsciously shook her head. ¡°How can it have nothing rtionship? I am¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t wait for her to finish. ¡°Then leave the dowry. I am your sister-in-low. Since your mother is gone, I will help you decide what kind of person you want to marry in the future.¡±


    Ouyang Yi stared wide-eyed.


    That would be even worse!


    Who knows what kind of person she would marry herself? If that man was half pockmarked and half puckered with bad manner, how did she do?


    Ouyang Yi gritted her teeth and took the agreement from her. She angrily signed her name and then sighed it with a handprint.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t even look at her and let Mammy Wang keep it.


    Mammy Wang put it away and asked the crowd, ¡°Did you all see it?¡±


    This was the path that between the gates. What happened here would spread throughout the entire mansion in less than half a day.


    The servants nodded in unison.


    Mammy Wang nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen it, then go and do your own thing.¡±


    In this way, even if Ouyang Yi returned to the prince¡¯s mansion in the future, there probably wouldn¡¯t be anyone who would interfere in her matters. Ouyang Yi knocked off her teeth and swallowed her blood. Annoyed, she got into the carriage and took the two boxes of dowry to the yard in south of the city.

 Chapter 79: Lantern Festival (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 79 part 1 - Lantern Festival (part 1)</h4>


    After sending Ouyang Yi off, Xie Zhen felt that the whole mansion was quiet.


    She had her servants put everything in the Pavilion Changqing back, cleaning up inside and outside of the courtyard, cleaning up all traces of Ouyang Yi¡¯s residence before letting it go.


    When Yan Yu returned from the pce, she was instructing her servants to throw away all the tables and chairs Ouyang Yi had used and rece them with new ones.


    She stood in the courtyard of the Pavilion Changqing, looking so adorable even when she was bossing around.


    Liu Lan carried the bedding and pillow that Ouyang Yi had used before and walked out. She asked, ¡°Empress, do you still keep these things?¡±


    She righteously asked, ¡°Do you want to keep it for the new year?¡±


    When she turned her head and saw Yan Yu looking at her meaningfully, she blushed and ran to him, ¡°I threw away all the things that Ouyang Yi used. Are you angry?¡±


    He lowered his eyes and did not find it strange at all. ¡°Why am I angry?¡±


    ¡°Because it costs a lot of money to buy things back,¡± she said.


    That miser¡¯s small appearance made him feel that it was funny.


    Ignoring the servants, Yan Yu pinched her face, ¡°Do I look poor?¡±


    She giggled, covered her face and took a step back. ¡°Not poor.¡±


    Little bastard.


    Yan Yu stared at her. Suddenly, he stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the Pavilion Changqing. On the way back to the Haoyue Courtyard, he said, ¡°In the future, everything in the mansion will belong to you. You can buy whatever you want.¡±


    There were many servants on the road, but when they saw them, they curtsied.


    ¡°So good?¡±


    He looked back at her helplessly, perhaps thinking she was uninterested. ¡°Do I usually treat you badly?¡±


    She nodded without thinking. ¡°Of course not, but it¡¯s so bad.¡±


    This was especially for the times she had just married into. Just thinking about it made her feel very wronged. At that time, she only felt that she had fallen into a wolf¡¯s nest. She didn¡¯t have any chance to escape, and didn¡¯t even have the confidence to speak. She was like a little daughter-inw. She didn¡¯t know how he got better¡­ Their rtionship had changed since she¡¯d returned home.


    Yan Yu wanted to retort, but after thinking for a moment, he realized that it was indeed the case.


    He walked in front and made a sound of apology.


    He said something else, but she didn¡¯t catch it. She chased him and asked what he had said, but he wouldn¡¯t say it a second time.


    He kept his mouth shut, no matter what she said.


    As they walked, it suddenly started snowing. It seemed to be snowing all the time this winter, and snow showed the rich of next year, There would be definitely a good harvest in the fields next year. Yan Yu went back to the room and brought her a cloak to wrap around her. He didn¡¯t let the servants follow them as he led her to the backyard.


    Theke in the backyard was covered in a thickyer of ice. Standing at the heart of theke, one could see most of the scenery in the mansion.


    ¡°What did you bring me here for?¡± Xie Zhen said with her red nose because of the cold.


    He and she stood in the pavilion, where a stove and a pot of warm wine had been prepared in advance. He led her to a seat and ced the stove on the table in her arms. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He suddenly wanted to be alone with her.


    No matter how he thought about it, this was the most suitable ce.


    She looked at him strangely, and though suspicious, she said nothing. Seeing that there was only wine on the table, she poured a cup for each of them, ¡°What kind of wine is this?¡±


    ¡°Old Shao Xing.¡±


    As Yan Yu was speaking she was going to have a drink, but the girl had probably forgotten that she was a bad drinker, and he didn¡¯t expect her because she might get drunk with a ss of wine. He wanted to stop her, but seeing her eager face, he thought that it would be just the two of them anyway. She could drink if she wanted to, at most she would get drunk and he would just carry her back.


    So he allowed her to drink half a ss.


    As the warm wine entered her stomach, she felt much warmer. She held the stove and tilted her head, saying, ¡°It¡¯s the new year soon.¡±


    She used to spend the New Year with her parents in Qingzhou. This year, she came to the capital with the Duke of Dingguo¡¯s family. However, after marrying Yan Yu, she should attend the pce¡¯s banquet.


    Yan Yu rested his chin on his hands, admiring her wobbly figuer. ¡°What gift do you want for New Year¡¯s?¡±


    She felt dizzy. Everything she saw was a double image. She barely muster up her spirit to think about it. All that was left in her mind was this thought: ¡°Kite ¡­¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, she fell into Yan Yu¡¯s arms.


    He caught her in his arms and looked down at her red cheeks. He couldn¡¯t help touch it with fingers, and then he curled his thin lips into a brief smile. ¡°You really don¡¯t have any requests.¡±


    He wanted to prepare a gift for her, but who knew that she only wanted a kite.


    In the distance, the bright, misty white, snowkes from the sky one after another came down, outlined the world of wrapped in silver. Nearer, he embraced her, wrapped her in his cloak, and smiled with his handsome face, lightening the coldness of his brow. He lowered his head atst, and pressed it to her lips.


    She had asked him what he had said, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Didn¡¯t she say that he had been bad to her before? Then he would be good to her in the future.


    On New Year¡¯s Day, Emperor Yuan Huai set up a family banquet in Lin De Pce. No officials were invited to the banquet, only heirs of the royal family were invited.


    Xie Zhen was able to meet the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince and other princes she had never met before, as well as their princesses and other concubines. There were no outsiders at the feast. Emperor Yuan Huai seemed to be in a good mood, and he could not help but drink with the crown prince and the other princes. He sat beside Yan Yu, with the Seventh Prince on his right. Senenth Prince was not married, but was very enthusiastic, calling Xie Zhen ¡°Sixth Sister-in-Law¡± all the time.


    Someone came to toast her, but Yan Yu prevented from doing so.


    Some of them were unstoppable, so he drank them for her.


    Seeing this, the First Prince could not help butugh. ¡°I usually look at Sixth¡¯s cold, but I never expected him to be so protective.¡±


    Yan Yu did not retort.


    After the family feast, Emperor Yuan Huai led the group to the Taiye Lake to look at the fireworks. The horizon suddenly lit up, and the fireworks began to ze. Most of it was the fireworks Yan Yu had prepared for her, so she saw it without much enthusiasm. But she was still in a good mood.


    After that, the people who did not have mansion outside the pce apany Emperor Yuan Huai. To the people who had mansion outside the pce, If they wanted to go back, they could do so. Yan Yu, of course, chose to go back. He didn¡¯t show any courtesy to the emperor and brought Xie Zhen back to his own house.


    On the way back, she asked with puzzle, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me drink?¡±


    Actually, she wanted to ask in the pce, but she couldn¡¯t find the right opportunity. She thought it would be all right if she had a drink or two, but Yan Yu wouldn¡¯t even let her touch them.


    Yan Yu was drunk by the princes and smelled of alcohol. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°You will get drunk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been drunk!¡±


    That¡¯s because she never remembers when she¡¯s drunk?


    Yan Yu opened his eyes and looked at her, a smile in his eyes. It was probably because he had just drunk a cup of wine. His eyes were not as cold as usual, only filled with lingering feelings. Seeing this, Xie Zhen¡¯s face turned red. She immediately gave up and sat back, unwilling to give up, she said, ¡°All right.¡±


    C79part2


    Chapter 79 Lantern Festival(part 2)


    When he returned to the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Wu Ze helped him off the carriage.


    Arriving at the gate of the Haoyue Courtyard, he waved Wu Ze down, barely managing to steady himself, and led Xie Zhen to the hall.


    After the hall was the inner room.


    At the house of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, she had initially kept Yan Yu from sleeping with her, letting him sleep outside on the Arhat Bed. He always crawled into her bed in the middle of the night and slept through the night. When he returned to the Prince¡¯s mansion, he naturally refused to let her sleep in the side room. He brought her pillow from the side room and forced her to sleep in the same bed with him.


    In the beginning, she had no qualms about going to sleep. After all, it had been so long that there was no way she could drag it out.


    However, Yan Yu didn¡¯t sleep with her as she had thought. He just hugged her at night and didn¡¯t do anything else.


    She wondered and was d.


    Before she got married, she heard from the mammy that it hurt to do something like that ¡­


    While she was still lost in her thoughts, Yan Yu had already covered her with his hands and was chewing on her face.


    She let out a whimper of pain.


    He smelled of wine and his body was hot, and every time he kissed her she felt as if it were on fire. The more he kissed, the harder it got to stop. She thought they were going to get together tonight, but he just kissed her on the neck and nibbled, finally he breathed heavily and held her and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    How can I sleep like this?


    His body was on the verge of burning up!


    She looked down carefully at his expression, and saw that he was only closing his eyes tightly, as if he was enduring a great deal of hardship. She didn¡¯t understand the ways of men and women, but she had previously promised him that she would get together with him after she reached the age of fifteen. She thought he was thinking for her sake and thought she was afraid, so she reached out to scratch the back of his hand, ¡°Big brother Xiaoyu ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu acknowledged with a grunt, but it was hoarse and heavy.


    She looked at his long eyshes, feeling really embarrassed to open her mouth. She bit her lip and hesitated again and again. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still a little afraid ¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    She continued, ¡°But ¡­However¡­


    He said, ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°If you were a little tender¡­¡± she said in a low voice, her face red and bleeding all the way up to her ears. ¡°Just ¡­¡±


    These were probably the most beautiful words in the world. Yan Yu¡¯s entire body softened when he heard them. The emotions that he had suppressed with great difficulty were ignited in an instant by her. He gnashed his teeth, wishing he could eat her alive. His arm tightened around her, and he said bitterly, ¡°Xie Zhen, You little bastard!¡±


    She said it like that. Why did he call her that?


    Thus, she puffed out her cheeks and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not a little bastard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said finally, biting her earlobe. ¡°How to deal with if we¡¯re get together and than you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t bear his bite on her ear and covered it with hand. ¡°Then give birth.¡±


    After a long silence, he said, ¡°I want to stay by your side.¡±


    She blushed again, thinking how far he could go without thinking too much.


    ¡°Will you be gone long?¡±


    He said, ¡°At least a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said in the dark.


    He was worried. Before he left, he began to warn her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    He gritted his teeth in anger and finally pressed her under his body to give her another fierce kiss. The little girl¡¯s hair was in disarray under his body, and her watery eyes made his blood boil. He left without saying anything. He ran next door to take a bath before returning. Then, he didn¡¯t dare to find trouble to himself anymore. He just hugged her and slept soundly.


    The day quickly arrived on the day of Lantern Festival.


    On the day, every family was eating the Yuanxiao, and the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion was no exception.


    She could eat a whole mouthful of it, and she could eat several at a time. However, Yan Yu didn¡¯t like sweet food, so she scooped one up and brought it to his mouth, trying to coax him: ¡°Eat one, try it, it¡¯s delicious!¡±


    He only took a nce at it, but he remained unmoved.


    In the end, she stuffed it into her mouth and bit into it, filling her mouth with sweet filling . Her cheek was round, and he leaned forward to kiss her lips, prying open her teeth and tasting the Yuanxiao in her mouth with her.


    Xie Zhen was frightened and didn¡¯t expect to eat like this!


    By the time he had finished the Yuanxiao in her mouth and even licked the filling clean, she was still in a daze.


    He took a sip of tea and said, ¡°It¡¯s too sweet.¡± A pun.


    ¡°Why did you rob me of my Yuanxiao?¡±


    He asked her, ¡°You didn¡¯t let me eat it?¡±


    But I didn¡¯t let him eat like that!


    She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t realize he had such a roguish side to him. But after thinking about it, there was nothing to be angry about. Anyway, he was childish, so she didn¡¯t care as much about it as he did.


    The biggest program of the Lantern Festival is not eating Yuanxiao, but thentern at night.


    The sun had yet to set, and thenterns had just begun to shine. The streets were filled with all sorts ofnterns of strange shapes and colors. At this time, the youngdys came out. The most boisterous time of the year, was the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. The streets were not only filled with people sellingnterns, but also with people guessing their riddles. The entire street was bustling with noise and excitement. The distant sky was filled with light and the stars were sparse. It was a grand asion in the capital.


    She wanted to go out and y, but Yan Yu said there were too many people out there and wouldn¡¯t agree to take her out.


    She seemed to hear the distant noise of the street. ¡°We would take Wu Ze and Wu Bin?¡±


    Yan Yu sat under the veranda. ¡°No.¡±


    She snorted at him, ¡°Big Brother Xiaoyu is a bad guy!¡±


    Unmoved, he inclined his head to ept the usation. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want her to leave, it was just that he hadn¡¯t been safe recently ¡­ He was followed everywhere, and it would only be more dangerous to take her with him.


    Xie Zhen refused to give up and rolled her eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s go out, shall we?¡± she said and kissed on his face.


    He blushed and stared up at her.


    She pretended not to see, kissing him from face to mouth, just like his kiss, slowly licking the corners of his mouth. ¡°Okay?¡±


    She nibbled at him earnestly, her soft voice humming softly.


    He finally couldn¡¯t resist and bit her on the lips. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She came out as she had hoped.


    Outside, like a bird released from a cage, there was joy. The carriage stopped at the end of the street and they got out of it. She led him through the stalls. Her child¡¯s heart had not left her, and she was curious to see anything, even the little Mianren by the roadside.


    She asked the grandpa to make tow Mianren, just like her and Yan Yu, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would really make two Mianren so well. The look in Mianren¡¯s eyes was very simr to theirs.


    Xie Zhen handed the Mianren of smiling woman to Yan Yu, while she holded the Mianren of wicked man said, ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, can¡¯t you smile?¡±


    As she said that, she ced the man in front of him on his face. Under the light of the floral lights, she saw that they were exactly the same.


    She giggled and dragged him off to the next ce. ¡°I want to eat Nest Candy!¡±


    Yan Yu bought her a small bag.


    She held the oilskin package all the way and wanted everything she saw, Yan Yu was in charge of paying for it. Furthermore, What she couldn¡¯t finish was eaten by Yan Yu. but Nest Candy was so sweet that he wouldn¡¯t eat it no matter what. She fed it to him herself, smiling, and asked, ¡°Is it good?¡±


    Yan Yu pursed his lips and looked at her without saying anything.


    She was about to leave when he stopped her and wiped the sugar from her lips with his thumb. ¡°Why do you eat so much?¡±


    She blinked her big eyes and said, ¡°All right?¡±


    He stayed for a while longer before letting out an ¡°En, Alright.¡±


    On her left hand was a stall sellingnterns, on top of which hung many exquisitenterns. Her eyes were drawn to the two prettiestnterns in the stall. She picked out two of the best ones, then handed them to Yan Yu and said generously, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Yan Yu was still eating the leftover bag of Nest Candy. He asked casually, ¡°Why did you buy a rabbitntern?¡±


    ¡°Lool like you.¡±


    What did he look like, a man of seven feet, like a rabbit?


    She continued, ¡°. ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, your eyes will turn red.¡±


    Instead, he handed thentern to Wu Ze and led her back to theke with one hand. It was the busiest ce, and the shore trees were full of riddles, fireworks, and rivermps. Both sides as bright as the day, many lovers meet here, speaking out their love each other.


    There were many riverntern floating on the surface of theke. The spots of fire were like stars, adorning the calm surface of theke. It was like a gxy, with two side of it were Ning and Zhinv.


    Yan Yu handed her the riverntern Wu Ze had bought. She happily led him to theke, lit the candle, and gently pushed it towards the center of theke.


    When the riverntern had drifted away, she turned to him and asked, ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, what do you think I wish for?¡±


    Her eyes were bright.


    He looked at her.


    She leaned close to his ear and said in a very soft voice, as if she was whispering, ¡°I hope that big brother Xiaoyu can return safely.¡±


    His heart skipped a beat.


    This fool, does she not know that speaking out the wish is useless?

 Chapter 79 Lantern Festival (part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 79 Lantern Festival (part 2)</h4>


    When he returned to the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Wu Ze helped him off the carriage.


    Arriving at the gate of the Haoyue Courtyard, he waved Wu Ze down, barely managing to steady himself, and led Xie Zhen to the hall.


    After the hall was the inner room.


    At the house of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, she had initially kept Yan Yu from sleeping with her, letting him sleep outside on the Arhat Bed. He always crawled into her bed in the middle of the night and slept through the night. When he returned to the Prince¡¯s mansion, he naturally refused to let her sleep in the side room. He brought her pillow from the side room and forced her to sleep in the same bed with him.


    In the beginning, she had no qualms about going to sleep. After all, it had been so long that there was no way she could drag it out.


    However, Yan Yu didn¡¯t sleep with her as she had thought. He just hugged her at night and didn¡¯t do anything else.


    She wondered and was d.


    Before she got married, she heard from the mammy that it hurt to do something like that ¡­


    While she was still lost in her thoughts, Yan Yu had already covered her with his hands and was chewing on her face.


    She let out a whimper of pain.


    He smelled of wine and his body was hot, and every time he kissed her she felt as if it were on fire. The more he kissed, the harder it got to stop. She thought they were going to get together tonight, but he just kissed her on the neck and nibbled, finally he breathed heavily and held her and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    How can I sleep like this?


    His body was on the verge of burning up!


    She looked down carefully at his expression, and saw that he was only closing his eyes tightly, as if he was enduring a great deal of hardship. She didn¡¯t understand the ways of men and women, but she had previously promised him that she would get together with him after she reached the age of fifteen. She thought he was thinking for her sake and thought she was afraid, so she reached out to scratch the back of his hand, ¡°Big brother Xiaoyu ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu acknowledged with a grunt, but it was hoarse and heavy.


    She looked at his long eyshes, feeling really embarrassed to open her mouth. She bit her lip and hesitated again and again. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still a little afraid ¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    She continued, ¡°But ¡­However¡­


    He said, ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°If you were a little tender¡­¡± she said in a low voice, her face red and bleeding all the way up to her ears. ¡°Just ¡­¡±


    These were probably the most beautiful words in the world. Yan Yu¡¯s entire body softened when he heard them. The emotions that he had suppressed with great difficulty were ignited in an instant by her. He gnashed his teeth, wishing he could eat her alive. His arm tightened around her, and he said bitterly, ¡°Xie Zhen, You little bastard!¡±


    She said it like that. Why did he call her that?


    Thus, she puffed out her cheeks and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not a little bastard.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said finally, biting her earlobe. ¡°How to deal with if we¡¯re get together and than you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t bear his bite on her ear and covered it with hand. ¡°Then give birth.¡±


    After a long silence, he said, ¡°I want to stay by your side.¡±


    She blushed again, thinking how far he could go without thinking too much.


    ¡°Will you be gone long?¡±


    He said, ¡°At least a year or two.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said in the dark.


    He was worried. Before he left, he began to warn her, ¡°Don¡¯t forget me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    He gritted his teeth in anger and finally pressed her under his body to give her another fierce kiss. The little girl¡¯s hair was in disarray under his body, and her watery eyes made his blood boil. He left without saying anything. He ran next door to take a bath before returning. Then, he didn¡¯t dare to find trouble to himself anymore. He just hugged her and slept soundly.


    The day quickly arrived on the day of Lantern Festival.


    On the day, every family was eating the Yuanxiao, and the Sixth Prince¡¯s Mansion was no exception.


    She could eat a whole mouthful of it, and she could eat several at a time. However, Yan Yu didn¡¯t like sweet food, so she scooped one up and brought it to his mouth, trying to coax him: ¡°Eat one, try it, it¡¯s delicious!¡±


    He only took a nce at it, but he remained unmoved.


    In the end, she stuffed it into her mouth and bit into it, filling her mouth with sweet filling . Her cheek was round, and he leaned forward to kiss her lips, prying open her teeth and tasting the Yuanxiao in her mouth with her.


    Xie Zhen was frightened and didn¡¯t expect to eat like this!


    By the time he had finished the Yuanxiao in her mouth and even licked the filling clean, she was still in a daze.


    He took a sip of tea and said, ¡°It¡¯s too sweet.¡± A pun.


    ¡°Why did you rob me of my Yuanxiao?¡±


    He asked her, ¡°You didn¡¯t let me eat it?¡±


    But I didn¡¯t let him eat like that!


    She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t realize he had such a roguish side to him. But after thinking about it, there was nothing to be angry about. Anyway, he was childish, so she didn¡¯t care as much about it as he did.


    The biggest program of the Lantern Festival is not eating Yuanxiao, but thentern at night.


    The sun had yet to set, and thenterns had just begun to shine. The streets were filled with all sorts ofnterns of strange shapes and colors. At this time, the youngdys came out. The most boisterous time of the year, was the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. The streets were not only filled with people sellingnterns, but also with people guessing their riddles. The entire street was bustling with noise and excitement. The distant sky was filled with light and the stars were sparse. It was a grand asion in the capital.


    She wanted to go out and y, but Yan Yu said there were too many people out there and wouldn¡¯t agree to take her out.


    She seemed to hear the distant noise of the street. ¡°We would take Wu Ze and Wu Bin?¡±


    Yan Yu sat under the veranda. ¡°No.¡±


    She snorted at him, ¡°Big Brother Xiaoyu is a bad guy!¡±


    Unmoved, he inclined his head to ept the usation. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want her to leave, it was just that he hadn¡¯t been safe recently ¡­ He was followed everywhere, and it would only be more dangerous to take her with him.


    Xie Zhen refused to give up and rolled her eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s go out, shall we?¡± she said and kissed on his face.


    He blushed and stared up at her.


    She pretended not to see, kissing him from face to mouth, just like his kiss, slowly licking the corners of his mouth. ¡°Okay?¡±


    She nibbled at him earnestly, her soft voice humming softly.


    He finally couldn¡¯t resist and bit her on the lips. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She came out as she had hoped.


    Outside, like a bird released from a cage, there was joy. The carriage stopped at the end of the street and they got out of it. She led him through the stalls. Her child¡¯s heart had not left her, and she was curious to see anything, even the little Mianren by the roadside.


    She asked the grandpa to make tow Mianren, just like her and Yan Yu, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would really make two Mianren so well. The look in Mianren¡¯s eyes was very simr to theirs.


    Xie Zhen handed the Mianren of smiling woman to Yan Yu, while she holded the Mianren of wicked man said, ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, can¡¯t you smile?¡±


    As she said that, she ced the man in front of him on his face. Under the light of the floral lights, she saw that they were exactly the same.


    She giggled and dragged him off to the next ce. ¡°I want to eat Nest Candy!¡±


    Yan Yu bought her a small bag.


    She held the oilskin package all the way and wanted everything she saw, Yan Yu was in charge of paying for it. Furthermore, What she couldn¡¯t finish was eaten by Yan Yu. but Nest Candy was so sweet that he wouldn¡¯t eat it no matter what. She fed it to him herself, smiling, and asked, ¡°Is it good?¡±


    Yan Yu pursed his lips and looked at her without saying anything.


    She was about to leave when he stopped her and wiped the sugar from her lips with his thumb. ¡°Why do you eat so much?¡±


    She blinked her big eyes and said, ¡°All right?¡±


    He stayed for a while longer before letting out an ¡°En, Alright.¡±


    On her left hand was a stall sellingnterns, on top of which hung many exquisitenterns. Her eyes were drawn to the two prettiestnterns in the stall. She picked out two of the best ones, then handed them to Yan Yu and said generously, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Yan Yu was still eating the leftover bag of Nest Candy. He asked casually, ¡°Why did you buy a rabbitntern?¡±


    ¡°Lool like you.¡±


    What did he look like, a man of seven feet, like a rabbit?


    She continued, ¡°. ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, your eyes will turn red.¡±


    Instead, he handed thentern to Wu Ze and led her back to theke with one hand. It was the busiest ce, and the shore trees were full of riddles, fireworks, and rivermps. Both sides as bright as the day, many lovers meet here, speaking out their love each other.


    There were many riverntern floating on the surface of theke. The spots of fire were like stars, adorning the calm surface of theke. It was like a gxy, with two side of it were Ning and Zhinv.


    Yan Yu handed her the riverntern Wu Ze had bought. She happily led him to theke, lit the candle, and gently pushed it towards the center of theke.


    When the riverntern had drifted away, she turned to him and asked, ¡°Brother Xiaoyu, what do you think I wish for?¡±


    Her eyes were bright.


    He looked at her.


    She leaned close to his ear and said in a very soft voice, as if she was whispering, ¡°I hope that big brother Xiaoyu can return safely.¡±


    His heart skipped a beat.


    This fool, does she not know that speaking out the wish is useless?

 Chapter 80 Birthmark (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 80 Birthmark (Part 1)</h4>


    After she was done with themp, she stood up.


    In the distance, the river bank was brightly lit and filled with people. It was bustling with noise and excitement.


    She wanted to take Yan Yu to guess the riddle, but after a few steps, she suddenly stopped. She didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but she felt that there was someone following them.


    However, when they thought about it carefully, they felt that it was impossible. They were standing in the dark, so who would be able to see them?


    She thought she was overthinking it. She stood at the intersection of theke and the street, inadvertently raising her gaze to the second floor of a teahouse. Indeed, she met a pair of sharp and deep eyes.


    The teahouse was set up right in front of the street. People swarmed towards the door of the teahouse. The first floor had a storyteller telling the story. The second floor was a private room. The attic was exquisite. It was clear that this was not a ce where ordinary people came and went. She saw the man sitting by the window with two men in the uniform of the guards standing behind him. The man greeted her with a smile.


    The First Prince?


    Xie Zhen did not expect to meet him here, after a moment of astonishment, a feeling of difort gradually welled up in her heart.


    She can¡¯t say ¡­. Instinctively, she did not like Yan Wen.


    Yan Yu noticed her abnormality and followed her gaze. When he saw the people on the roof, his expression didn¡¯t change, but his fists under his sleeves tightened secretly.


    There were people blocking their way through the streets. Soon, the First Prince¡¯s guards walked out of the teahouse and came up to them. ¡°The Prince Ping invites the Sixth Highness toe down and take a seat upstairs.¡±


    The First Prince Yan Wen was bestowed the title of Prince by the Yuan Hui Emperor when he was eighteen years old. He was currently residing in the Prince Ping¡¯s Mansion outside the pce. The ¡®Ping¡¯ that Yuanhui Emperor bestowed upon him contained many profound meanings. It was most likely meant for him to calm his heart and live a peaceful life. However, the Yuan Hui Emperor did not understand his own children, Yan Wen was the first born son of the former Empress, how could he be willing to be an ordinary prince?


    Now, the Yuan Hui Emperor was strong and healthy. Before the age of abdication, if anything happened to his body, perhaps the day of Yan Wen¡¯s rebellion woulde.


    His military strength was now on par with the Crown Prince¡¯s, while Yan Yu was highly valued by the Yuan Hui Emperor, and he had control of the two hundred thousand soldiers at the border. If he could take Yan Yu under hismand, it would be like adding wings to a tiger. Then, the oue of the battle between Yan Wen and the crown prince would be decided.


    Unfortunately, Yan Yu belonged to the Crown Prince.


    He had tried his best to win him over, but to no avail.


    In addition to the irreconcble contradictions between Yan Yu and him, there was still something he couldn¡¯t resolve. He wanted to bribe Yan Yu, it was not that simple.


    Yan Yu paused for a moment, then tactfully declined, ¡°The Prince¡¯s Wife not feeling well, please help me inform Big Brother, we are preparing to return to our Mansion, so we will not go up.¡±


    The guard straightened up, nced at Xie Zhen, nodded, and turned back to report.


    Xie Zhen stared in the direction he had left until the guard went upstairs to report to the First Prince. The First Prince raised his teacup and shook his head in regret. Only then did they leave.


    Xie Zhen noticed his displeasure and asked after they had left, ¡°What kind of person is the First Prince?¡±


    When they stopped under a bridge and thenterns floated past them, Yan Yu finally said, ¡°Prince Ping¡¯s methods are vicious and his schemes areplex. It¡¯s best if you stay away from him.¡±


    He was not called Big Brother Yan Wen, but Prince Ping.


    There seemed to be something else involved.


    Xie Zhen nodded as if she understood.


    At the same time, there were a few familiar figures standing on the opposite shore.


    In the previous year, Madam Leng had asked Xie Rong to take Xie Xun around the streets and pick out some beautifulnterns to bring back. During this period of time, the entire mansion had been rather depressed over the matter of Xie Liqing going to Wu Jiang. Since Madam Leng doted on the children, she intentionally made them go out on the streets to rx.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t likenterns. She liked Mianren on the streets.


    Xie Rong let the seller draw a Xiao Xun, paid for her, and took her to the shore for a walk.


    There were manynterns under the trees in front, and red lines were drawn on the trees. Beneath each red line was a scented sache. Inside the scented sachet, there were half of poetry. This tree was covered with scented sachet, but there was only one pair ofpelet poetry. If someone could obtain theplete poetry with another person, then that was fate.


    Therefore, there were many girls and boys standing under the tree. One by one, they filled with hope, took down their scented sachets, and began to search for their fates.


    Both Xie Xun and Xie Rong were not interested in the tree. One of them was too young, while the other one felt that it was too unreliable. Just as they were about to walk around the tree, they heard a sounding from behind them.


    ¡°Seventh Miss!¡±


    Xie Xun turned around, biting on her sugar. Amongst the crowd, she saw Princess He Yi standing in the light.


    She was wearing a long skirt. She wore a silk cape with gold makeup, and a pearl green dress. She was very pretty. It was obvious that she had been carefully dressed up. Xie Xun saw a girl around her who was about the same height as her. She wore a brocade hairpin, a gold dress with a light red silk dress, and a yellow embroidered skirt. Her figure was slender and elegant, and although she was dressed in an eye-catching manner, her face was covered by a transparent silk veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes and a pair of elegant willow leaf eyebrows.


    She followed the direction of Princess He Yi¡¯s gaze. That nce was filled with the moving of the wind and the moonlight, which made people¡¯s imaginations run wild.


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t have a deep friendship with Princess He Yi, so when they got close to her, she shyly smiled: ¡°Are you guys here to watch thentern festival as well?¡±


    When Yan Yao¡¯an saw Xie Rong, she usually straightforward young miss blushed and didn¡¯t dare to look at him too much. She quickly looked away and said to Xie Xun: ¡°Yes, I originally wanted to ask Sixth Brother to bring me here, but since he didn¡¯t agree, I had no choice but toe out myself.¡±


    It was only at this time of year that the Yuan Hui Emperor allowed her to leave the pce.


    Saying this, Yan Yao¡¯an introduced the girl beside her, ¡°This is the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu, Gu Ruyi.¡± With that, she introduced the two of them to Miss Gu. ¡°Ruyi, this is the Second Young Master and the Seventh Miss of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Gu Ruoyi looked at the two and smiled.


    Even so, Yan Yao¡¯an was an impatient person. Before she could say anything, she caught sight of the Marriage Tree hanging behind her. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Xie Xun had just known it, so she could exin it to her. ¡°There is a scented sachet hanging on the tree, and within the scented sachet is written a poem. If two people¡¯s poems could bebined, it would be a kind of fate.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s interest was piqued, and she led Gu Ruoyi forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look as well!¡±


    She had not taken two steps when she saw Xie Xun and Xie Rong standing there motionless. She thought for a moment before turning around and bringing Xie Xun along with her. ¡°Ah Xun,e as well.¡±


    Xie Xun would not refuse someone, so she had no choice but to follow them.


    She turned to Xie Rong for help, and he actually followed her.


    They stood under the tree. The one below had already been picked up by the others. Yan Yao¡¯an wanted to reach the top one. She stood on tiptoe for a long time, but still couldn¡¯t reach it. She was not convinced, so she asked the guards behind her to help her take it off. She did not open it, and encouraged Gu Ruoyi to take a scented sachet as well.


    Gu Ruyi picked the one closest to her.


    The two of them opened it at the same time. Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s note was written in calligraphy: ¡°How does your jade face look like? Plum blossoms, snow in the spring, body is covered by clouds in morning sunlight.¡± They looked at Gu Ruoyi¡¯a note, it was a simple sentence: ¡°Wishing you well and a long time.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an read the note over and over again, feeling very depressed, ¡°What does this mean? How easy is your note to understand,¡± Wishing you well and a long time, we can see the beautiful moon together!¡±


    Gu Ruoyi¡¯s eyes held a smile as sheforted her: ¡°It¡¯s just joining in for the fun of it, there¡¯s no need to take it seriously.¡±


    She thought for a moment before feeling much more at ease. However, when she turned her head to see Xie Rong holding a scented sachet in his hands, her hope was rekindled. ¡°What did Second Young Master¡¯s note?¡±


    Xie Rong folded the note with a normal expression and put it back into his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s just a casual poem.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an pursed her lips in disappointment. It would be great if she could form a pair with him.


    She turned around to speak to Gu Ruoyi, who was standing in a brightly lit area. Her face was tranquil, and her eyebrows were like moths in the ocean. She tilted her head and smiled at Gu Ruoyi, revealing the splendor of her surroundings. Xie Rong looked away, and just in time to see Xie Xun join in the fun. She pulled down a scented sachet from the tree, and mysteriously untied it in front of him. ¡°Suddenly looking back, that right person was in a ce with no lights? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Xie Rong rubbed her head and led her away.


    After a few steps, he saw Yan Yu and Xie Zhen approaching from the other side. He immediately forgot about the note and called out from afar, ¡°Sister!¡±


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu had originally nned to return to the Mansion but they didn¡¯t expect to meet them. Now, they couldn¡¯t even think of returning.


    ¡°Ah Xun! Brother!¡±


    When sisters met, they would inevitably have a lot to say.


    C80part2


    C80: Birthmark (part 2)


    Wu Ze and Wu Bin found a teahouse nearby. The first floor was the main hall, while the second floor was a private room. The room was neat and tidy, and it was a good ce to talk.


    There were no outsiders, so there was no need to worry about so much.


    In the private room, there was a small wooden table with redcquer, which could seat eight people. Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were originally sitting on one side, but Xie Xun insisted on sitting with Xie Zhen, forcing Yan Yu to the side. Yan Yu sat alone on one side, Xie Rong on the other, and Yan Yao¡¯an and Gu Ruyi on his right.


    Yan Yu looked at Xie Zhen with a dark expression.


    But what can he do? He can¡¯t drive her away. She smiled back, pretending she didn¡¯t understand anything.


    He snorted and ced the two Mianren on the table.


    Yan Yao¡¯an gave a cry of surprise when she saw this. Holding it in her hand, she looked left and right, ¡°It sure looks like you, especially this face that¡¯s exactly the same as my Sixth Brother¡¯s!¡±


    The waiters served tea and snacks one after another. The tea,Tie Guanyin, was new of this fall. The tea was rich and the tea soup was sparkling. Before the tea even entered his mouth, he could smell a rich and delicate fragrance. Other than tea, all sorts of other snacks were brought up one after the other. Although they were not as good as the Babao building, they were still among the top snacks in the capital.


    The waiter put down the pastries one by one. There was the Jujube Paste Cake, Baked Lotus Cake and Hibiscus Cake, etc. Xie Xun was the first to take a bite out of a Jujube Paste Cake. The inside was sweet and full, but it had juste out of the oven, so it was a bit hot. She carefully blew on it to let everyone have a bite.


    Yan Yu had finally finished the bag of Nest Candy from Xie Zhen. His mouth was filled with sweetness, and he had no interest in any of these things. He only nced at them for a moment before he went back to drinking his own tea.


    Xie Zhen had never seen Gu Ruyi before, so she asked Yan Yao¡¯an in confusion, ¡°This is?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an introduced her again, ¡°This is Ruyi, the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu.¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled and nodded at her. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an interrupted, ¡°She is my Sixth Sister-in-Law!¡±


    Xie Zhen paused, embarrassed.


    Gu Ruyi did not seem like any other rich and powerful girl who loved to put on airs. She seemed very amiable, and her smile was even more intimate: ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Sixth Prince¡¯s Wife in General of Agile Cavalry¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    They had seen each other before?


    Xie Zhen felt a little embarrassed. ¡°That time, Ah Xun slipped and fell into the water. I didn¡¯t pay attention to my surroundings. I don¡¯t remember that time when I had a meeting with Fourth Miss Gu ¡­¡±


    Gu Ruyi shook her head, not wanting her to mind, ¡°I just met you from a distance and didn¡¯t greet you. so behoove you don¡¯t remember. ¡±


    After speaking, she revealed a pair of curved and smiling eyes, looking through a thinyer of silk. It seemed one could see the smile on her face.


    Only now did Xie Zhen realize that she was wearing a veil from beginning to end. If it was outside, then it would be alright. Why didn¡¯t she take it off when she arrived at the house? Gu Ruyi had most likely noticed her confusion. She smiled lightly and lowered her head, an unnoticeable awkwardness shing across her eyes.


    However, she did not exin any further.


    When Xie Zhen realized it was strange, she couldn¡¯t help but notice.


    She hadn¡¯t taken off her veil from beginning to end. Xie Zhen had wanted to see if she would take it off when she ate dessert, but she didn¡¯t touch the dessert on the table. She just sat there and talked to them asionally.


    If she also wore a veil on the day of the General¡¯s birthday party, it would exin why she had no impression of her.


    It took about an hour to finish the tea and snacks. Seeing the sky outside, it was already the nine o¡¯clock at night. If he didn¡¯t go back now, doors would closed. When Yan Yao¡¯an left, she was still reluctant to part with it. Many times she wanted to steal the note from Xie Rong¡¯s sleeve, but she was discovered by Xie Rong. She could only bitterly withdraw her hand.


    As they walked down the stairs, Xie Zhen turned around and saw her make a face at Xie Rong, but Xie Rong ignored her and calmly walked on his own path.


    Yan Yao¡¯an stared at his back, not angry at all.


    Xie Zhen seemed to understand something and calmly turned around, pretending that she didn¡¯t see anything.


    Princess He Yi should have interest for her brother? First Brother would go to Wu Jiang next spring, she didn¡¯t know when he would return, and Yan Yao¡¯an was the favorite princess of the Yuan Hui Emperor. Even if she was really interested in her First brother, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t agree to this marriage, would he?


    First brother would be 20 years old this year, and when he reached the age of marriage, Xie Zhen had never known what kind of girl he liked. She always felt that he was indifferent to everything.


    If it was Princess He Yi ¡­ Xie Zhen shook her head, trying not to think too much. What if she misunderstood? After all, Yan Yao¡¯an always had a carefree attitude towards everyone.


    Walking out of the teahouse, the group of people stopped by the roadside.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen returned to the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Xie Rong and Xie Xun returned to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, coincidentally going with Gu Ruyi, while Yan Yao¡¯an herself returned to the Pce.


    It waste, and she was afraid that the road would be unsafe. Xie Zhen wanted Gu Ruyi to go with her brother, Ah Rong, but after thanking her for her kindness and saying that her carriage was here, she said goodbye and went to the carriage. The Gu Mansion¡¯s carriage stopped in front of the teahouse. She held onto the servant girl¡¯s hand as she prepared to step on the carriage, but a drunkard suddenly jumped out from the roadside and dashed towards her.


    Gu Ruyi was frightened and hurriedly dodged to the side.


    With the stimtion of the alcohol, the drunkard took advantage of Gu Ruyi and the maidservant¡¯s unguarded moments. With a wave of his hand, he removed the muslin covering her face and said with a smile: ¡°Beautiful girl ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the look on her face and his expression changed. he steadied himself and left with a curse that was unpleasant to hear.


    Gu Ruyi stood nkly where she was, the muslin cloth falling to the ground. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly red.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were also stunned.


    Her skin was like snow, and her nose was exquisite. However, there was a birthmark under the corner of her eye. The birthmark was not big, but it was enough to affect the beauty of the entire face. Under the colorfulnterns, it was especially eye-catching. The servant girl from the Gu family angrily stomped her feet and pointed at the drunk¡¯s back as she cursed. Ruyi came back to her senses, bent down to pick up the muslin on the ground, and once again put it on her face, blinking the soreness in her eyes. With a rxed smile, she said to them, ¡°I had a birthmark on my face when I was born, I wear a muslin in order not to scare you ,so hope you don¡¯t mind it.


    Xie Zhen quickly waved her hands and said, ¡°Miss Gu is too formal ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she saw that her First Brother had disappeared.


    Not longter, the drunkard who had offended Gu Ruyi earlier was brought back with a swollen nose and bruised eyes. He knelt in front of Gu Ruyi and kowtowed in apology, ¡°This lowly one deserves to die, this Miss is magnanimous. Forgive me this time ¡­¡±


    He kowtowed several times.


    Gu Ruyi looked at Xie Rong gratefully, but didn¡¯t say anything. She got into the carriage and headed home.


    After they left, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu got into the carriage to return home.


    She thought of the scene she had just seen and held her chin in regret. ¡°Miss Gu is so beautiful. If she didn¡¯t have the birthmark on her face, what kind of beauty would she be ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu sat at the side and listened to these words more than ten times along the way.


    Why did she care so much about other people¡¯s faces? Can¡¯t she pay more attention to him?


    Yan Yu did not say a word as she continued to bber on, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, do you think there is any way to treat this birthmark? Is there a secret recipe in the Pce? ¡±


    He looked at her and said he didn¡¯t know.


    She sighed in frustration and finally let the subject drop.


    The horse carriage drove along the street. Most of the shops by the roadside were closed, and only a few doors were lit up withnterns. The whole street was quiet and peaceful, in contrast to the hubbub from before. The moon was like a silver te in the sky, and the hooves of the horses could be clearly heard ttering on the street.


    Not long after, the carriage suddenly stopped.


    Yan Yu asked the coachman outside, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The coachman said, ¡°Your Highness, the wheel seems to be broken.¡±


    He frowned slightly.


    After a short while, Wu Ze, who was sitting outside, said, ¡°Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I will go to another ce to borrow a carriage.¡±


    ¡°How can it be bad?¡± Xie Zhen asked uneasily, sitting in the carriage.


    Yan Yu told her to wait in the carriage while he went down to take a look.


    It turned out that the wheel of the carriage had been broken, so the carriage could no longer move forward. Therefore, it had to stop by the roadside for the time being.


    ¡°After checking, Yan Yu lifted the curtain and went back into the carriage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡±


    When he saw it, he felt cold all over.


    The carriage was empty. Xie Zhen who was still sitting on before had already gone.

 Chapter 80 Birthmark (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 80 Birthmark (Part 2)</h4>


    Wu Ze and Wu Bin found a teahouse nearby. The first floor was the main hall, while the second floor was a private room. The room was neat and tidy, and it was a good ce to talk.


    There were no outsiders, so there was no need to worry about so much.


    In the private room, there was a small wooden table with redcquer, which could seat eight people. Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were originally sitting on one side, but Xie Xun insisted on sitting with Xie Zhen, forcing Yan Yu to the side. Yan Yu sat alone on one side, Xie Rong on the other, and Yan Yao¡¯an and Gu Ruyi on his right.


    Yan Yu looked at Xie Zhen with a dark expression.


    But what can he do? He can¡¯t drive her away. She smiled back, pretending she didn¡¯t understand anything.


    He snorted and ced the two Mianren on the table.


    Yan Yao¡¯an gave a cry of surprise when she saw this. Holding it in her hand, she looked left and right, ¡°It sure looks like you, especially this face that¡¯s exactly the same as my Sixth Brother¡¯s!¡±


    The waiters served tea and snacks one after another. The tea,Tie Guanyin, was new of this fall. The tea was rich and the tea soup was sparkling. Before the tea even entered his mouth, he could smell a rich and delicate fragrance. Other than tea, all sorts of other snacks were brought up one after the other. Although they were not as good as the Babao building, they were still among the top snacks in the capital.


    The waiter put down the pastries one by one. There was the Jujube Paste Cake, Baked Lotus Cake and Hibiscus Cake, etc. Xie Xun was the first to take a bite out of a Jujube Paste Cake. The inside was sweet and full, but it had juste out of the oven, so it was a bit hot. She carefully blew on it to let everyone have a bite.


    Yan Yu had finally finished the bag of Nest Candy from Xie Zhen. His mouth was filled with sweetness, and he had no interest in any of these things. He only nced at them for a moment before he went back to drinking his own tea.


    Xie Zhen had never seen Gu Ruyi before, so she asked Yan Yao¡¯an in confusion, ¡°This is?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an introduced her again, ¡°This is Ruyi, the fourth daughter of the Grand Secretariat Gu.¡±


    Xie Zhen smiled and nodded at her. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an interrupted, ¡°She is my Sixth Sister-in-Law!¡±


    Xie Zhen paused, embarrassed.


    Gu Ruyi did not seem like any other rich and powerful girl who loved to put on airs. She seemed very amiable, and her smile was even more intimate: ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Sixth Prince¡¯s Wife in General of Agile Cavalry¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    They had seen each other before?


    Xie Zhen felt a little embarrassed. ¡°That time, Ah Xun slipped and fell into the water. I didn¡¯t pay attention to my surroundings. I don¡¯t remember that time when I had a meeting with Fourth Miss Gu ¡­¡±


    Gu Ruyi shook her head, not wanting her to mind, ¡°I just met you from a distance and didn¡¯t greet you. so behoove you don¡¯t remember. ¡±


    After speaking, she revealed a pair of curved and smiling eyes, looking through a thinyer of silk. It seemed one could see the smile on her face.


    Only now did Xie Zhen realize that she was wearing a veil from beginning to end. If it was outside, then it would be alright. Why didn¡¯t she take it off when she arrived at the house? Gu Ruyi had most likely noticed her confusion. She smiled lightly and lowered her head, an unnoticeable awkwardness shing across her eyes.


    However, she did not exin any further.


    When Xie Zhen realized it was strange, she couldn¡¯t help but notice.


    She hadn¡¯t taken off her veil from beginning to end. Xie Zhen had wanted to see if she would take it off when she ate dessert, but she didn¡¯t touch the dessert on the table. She just sat there and talked to them asionally.


    If she also wore a veil on the day of the General¡¯s birthday party, it would exin why she had no impression of her.


    It took about an hour to finish the tea and snacks. Seeing the sky outside, it was already the nine o¡¯clock at night. If he didn¡¯t go back now, doors would closed. When Yan Yao¡¯an left, she was still reluctant to part with it. Many times she wanted to steal the note from Xie Rong¡¯s sleeve, but she was discovered by Xie Rong. She could only bitterly withdraw her hand.


    As they walked down the stairs, Xie Zhen turned around and saw her make a face at Xie Rong, but Xie Rong ignored her and calmly walked on his own path.


    Yan Yao¡¯an stared at his back, not angry at all.


    Xie Zhen seemed to understand something and calmly turned around, pretending that she didn¡¯t see anything.


    Princess He Yi should have interest for her brother? First Brother would go to Wu Jiang next spring, she didn¡¯t know when he would return, and Yan Yao¡¯an was the favorite princess of the Yuan Hui Emperor. Even if she was really interested in her First brother, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t agree to this marriage, would he?


    First brother would be 20 years old this year, and when he reached the age of marriage, Xie Zhen had never known what kind of girl he liked. She always felt that he was indifferent to everything.


    If it was Princess He Yi ¡­ Xie Zhen shook her head, trying not to think too much. What if she misunderstood? After all, Yan Yao¡¯an always had a carefree attitude towards everyone.


    Walking out of the teahouse, the group of people stopped by the roadside.


    Yan Yu and Xie Zhen returned to the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Xie Rong and Xie Xun returned to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, coincidentally going with Gu Ruyi, while Yan Yao¡¯an herself returned to the Pce.


    It waste, and she was afraid that the road would be unsafe. Xie Zhen wanted Gu Ruyi to go with her brother, Ah Rong, but after thanking her for her kindness and saying that her carriage was here, she said goodbye and went to the carriage. The Gu Mansion¡¯s carriage stopped in front of the teahouse. She held onto the servant girl¡¯s hand as she prepared to step on the carriage, but a drunkard suddenly jumped out from the roadside and dashed towards her.


    Gu Ruyi was frightened and hurriedly dodged to the side.


    With the stimtion of the alcohol, the drunkard took advantage of Gu Ruyi and the maidservant¡¯s unguarded moments. With a wave of his hand, he removed the muslin covering her face and said with a smile: ¡°Beautiful girl ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the look on her face and his expression changed. he steadied himself and left with a curse that was unpleasant to hear.


    Gu Ruyi stood nkly where she was, the muslin cloth falling to the ground. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly red.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were also stunned.


    Her skin was like snow, and her nose was exquisite. However, there was a birthmark under the corner of her eye. The birthmark was not big, but it was enough to affect the beauty of the entire face. Under the colorfulnterns, it was especially eye-catching. The servant girl from the Gu family angrily stomped her feet and pointed at the drunk¡¯s back as she cursed. Ruyi came back to her senses, bent down to pick up the muslin on the ground, and once again put it on her face, blinking the soreness in her eyes. With a rxed smile, she said to them, ¡°I had a birthmark on my face when I was born, I wear a muslin in order not to scare you ,so hope you don¡¯t mind it.


    Xie Zhen quickly waved her hands and said, ¡°Miss Gu is too formal ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, she saw that her First Brother had disappeared.


    Not longter, the drunkard who had offended Gu Ruyi earlier was brought back with a swollen nose and bruised eyes. He knelt in front of Gu Ruyi and kowtowed in apology, ¡°This lowly one deserves to die, this Miss is magnanimous. Forgive me this time ¡­¡±


    He kowtowed several times.


    Gu Ruyi looked at Xie Rong gratefully, but didn¡¯t say anything. She got into the carriage and headed home.


    After they left, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu got into the carriage to return home.


    She thought of the scene she had just seen and held her chin in regret. ¡°Miss Gu is so beautiful. If she didn¡¯t have the birthmark on her face, what kind of beauty would she be ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu sat at the side and listened to these words more than ten times along the way.


    Why did she care so much about other people¡¯s faces? Can¡¯t she pay more attention to him?


    Yan Yu did not say a word as she continued to bber on, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, do you think there is any way to treat this birthmark? Is there a secret recipe in the Pce? ¡±


    He looked at her and said he didn¡¯t know.


    She sighed in frustration and finally let the subject drop.


    The horse carriage drove along the street. Most of the shops by the roadside were closed, and only a few doors were lit up withnterns. The whole street was quiet and peaceful, in contrast to the hubbub from before. The moon was like a silver te in the sky, and the hooves of the horses could be clearly heard ttering on the street.


    Not long after, the carriage suddenly stopped.


    Yan Yu asked the coachman outside, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The coachman said, ¡°Your Highness, the wheel seems to be broken.¡±


    He frowned slightly.


    After a short while, Wu Ze, who was sitting outside, said, ¡°Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I will go to another ce to borrow a carriage.¡±


    ¡°How can it be bad?¡± Xie Zhen asked uneasily, sitting in the carriage.


    Yan Yu told her to wait in the carriage while he went down to take a look.


    It turned out that the wheel of the carriage had been broken, so the carriage could no longer move forward. Therefore, it had to stop by the roadside for the time being.


    ¡°After checking, Yan Yu lifted the curtain and went back into the carriage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡±


    When he saw it, he felt cold all over.


    The carriage was empty. Xie Zhen who was still sitting on before had already gone.

 Chapter 81 - Lord Ping

    <h4>Chapter 81 - Lord Ping</h4>


    His eyes suddenly turned cold, and he mmed his fist against the carriage.


    A loud noise came from the carriage, startling the people outside.


    Wu Bin immediately asked: ¡°Your Highness, what happened?¡±


    He walked down from the carriage, gritted his teeth and said: ¡°Xie Zhen is gone.¡±


    Wu Bin was shocked, he immediately lifted up the carriage¡¯s curtain and checked, only to see that there was no one inside, there was not even a trace of a struggle, it was clear that the person who brought Xie Zhen away was powerful in martial arts, and was not a normal person. He hurriedly chased them for dozens of steps, all the way to the mouth of the alleyway. He only saw the passersby, but did not find the slightest trace of them.


    Just then, Wu Ze borrowed a horse and brought it in front of him: ¡°Your Highness, it is alreadyte, we can only borrow one horse.¡±


    Right after he finished speaking, Yan Yu took the reins in his hand, and jumped up, running back to the road, he did not have time to say a single word to him. Wu Ze stood in ce, not knowing what was going on. It was only when Wu Bin came over to tell him that the Prince¡¯s wife had been taken away by someone did he suddenly realize something, and became anxious, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you see it? ¡±


    Wu Bin exined to him the situation at that time. The other party hade prepared and was extremely skilled.


    The two of them looked at each other, then Wu Ze quickly untied the rope tied between the horse carriage and them and jumped on top of the horse carriage. He said to Wu Bin: ¡°I will follow His Highness, go back to the as soon as possible and bring more people with you!¡±


    Wu Bin nodded and ran in the other direction.


    When Wu Ze was outside the streets, he was already far away.


    He asked around and finally found out that Yan Yu was going towards thekeside.


    Why go there? Did His Highness know something?


    In actuality, Yan Yu had faintly guessed what was going on and who was behind it. He sped at top speed all the way to the teahouse where he had just met the First Prince. Finally, he galloped downstairs at top speed, only to discover that the teahouse had already closed. The door was shut tightly as a ck-robed guard stood in front of the door. Upon seeing him, he stepped forward and greeted respectfully, ¡°Greetings, Sixth Prince.¡±


    He was not in the mood to beat around the bush and went straight to the point, ¡°Where is my Prince¡¯s wife?¡±


    The guard said, ¡°Your highness had guessed that you woulde here, so he asked me to pass on a message to you. sixth prince Consort has nothing to do, I ask that Your Highnesse to Lord Ping¡¯s mansion. ¡±


    Furious, he bent over and pulled out the sword from the guard¡¯s body, then stabbed at his opponent.


    The guard did not dodge, but received his sword.


    Yan Yu threw down his sword and turned his horse towards the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion.


    When Wu Ze rushed over, just as he was about to go back, he followed him.


    There was some distance between Lord Ping¡¯s mansion and this ce. The original half an hour¡¯s journey had been forcefully shortened by half a year¡¯s worth of time. When he arrived at the entrance of the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion, the door was ajar, as if waiting for him to arrive at any time.


    Yan Yu dismounted from his horse and walked into the manor without saying a word.


    The yard was brightly lit withnterns hanging by the side of the road, but no one spoke a word. The steward led him to the great hall. Inside the hall, the First Prince, Yan Yun, was sitting on a treasure chair.


    ¡°Sixth brother is here?¡±


    Seeing Yan Yu, he calmly stood up to allow her a seat, and asked the servant maids to bring her a cup of tea.


    Yan Yu did not sit, but stood in front of him expressionlessly, ¡°Duke Ping kidnapped my Prince¡¯s wife, what is his purpose?¡±


    Yan Yun sat back down on his seat, his sharp eagle-eyes revealed a smile, ¡°Sixth Brother, why are you saying things that are so scary? Hijacking could not be said to be, but it is just inviting the sisth sister-inw toe to the manor to take a seat. ¡±


    Yan Yu said coldly: ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°When I heard Sixth Brother say that the sisth sister-inw¡¯s body wasn¡¯t feeling well, this duke wanted to invite her into my house. Now that the wangfei is apanying her, I believe the two of them must have had a pleasant conversation.¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Yu¡¯s face turned slightly better, but he did not loosen up: ¡°I¡¯ve already sat down, so may I trouble Ping Wang to let me bring her home.¡±


    Yan Yunughed instead. He did not respond, nor did he ask the servant to call Xie Zhen. Instead, he invited him to sit and chat.


    ¡°If not for the presence of the sisth sister-inw, I¡¯m afraid that Sixth Brother would never have set foot in this Lord Ping¡¯s mansion.¡±


    On the contrary, he was very self-aware and knew that Yan Yu deeply hated and detested him. However, there were some people who had thick skin and had no bottom line. As long as they wanted to achieve their goal, they had to do it no matter what methods they used.


    Yan Yu did not answer.


    He took a sip of tea and continued, ¡°Sixth Brother and I have always been estranged. Why not take this opportunity to open up our hearts and speak? Have I offended you unintentionally?¡±


    Yan Yu sneered, ¡°Ping Wang is overthinking it, there¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    If there really was no such thing, would he not call him big brother and only call him the King?


    Yan Yun did not believe it.


    This Sixth Brother was arrogant and aloof. Other than walking a little closer to the Crown Prince, he did not have much contact with the other princes. However, Yan Yun could feel from his attitude that he loathed her.


    Yan Yun had wanted to recruit him again and again, but he remained unmoved. Right now, it was unlikely for him to maintain peace on the surface. The only thing he could do was openly talk and risk his life.


    Thinking about it till this point, Yan Yun did not seem to be in a hurry, and his eagle-like eyes became dim, ¡°Then why is Sixth Brother so distant from me?¡±


    The First Prince looked like his mother, the Empress of the Guard. He had sharp eyebrows and eagle-like eyes, as well as deep facial features. Crown Prince Yan Tao, on the other hand, was more like a Emperor Yuan Hui.


    Yan Yu exined in a calm manner: ¡°When I returned to the pce, you had already be king, and you were also ten years older than me. I should have been more respectful to you.¡±


    Nonsense!


    Yan Yun sneered in his heart, but remained unmoved on the surface. ¡°Since Sixth Brother is so respectful to me, why have you continuously rejected my invitation?¡±


    He tilted his head and said, ¡°My path is different from my big brother¡¯s. I¡¯m not scheming against him.¡±


    This was already stated very clearly. He was fullymitted to working for the crown prince, and no matter how Yan Yun advised him, he would not waver.


    Yan Yun was not a fool, he naturally knew his determination. It was just that he was extremely curious as to where exactly he had offended him, to actually make him harbor such hatred until now. Then, he thought of something and smiled lightly. ¡°If I remember correctly, Brother Spring has to go to the borders, right?¡±


    He said yes.


    Yan Yun sucked in a mouthful of air and looked at him with thoughtfully. ¡°I wonder how many spring and autumn this trip will be, with the sisth sister-inw alone at home, do you feel at ease, Sixth Brother?¡±


    As the voice faded, Yan Yu lifted his eyes and looked over fiercely.


    However, Yan Yun acted as if he didn¡¯t know anything, and used an extremely sparse and ordinary tone, ¡°If Sixth Brother doesn¡¯t feel at ease, why not let me take care of the sisth sister-inw instead?¡±


    He gnashed his teeth and said word by word, ¡°No need for Big Brother to worry. I have my own considerations.¡±


    Yan Yun raised his eyebrows, ¡°Oh? Sixth Brother, don¡¯t think too long. After all, there isn¡¯t much time left.


    It was a naked threat.


    Yan Yu held onto the cloud pattern armrest tightly, as if he would crush it in the next moment.


    Yan Yun took note of his actions, and sized him up, but did not expose him.


    Back then when he met Yan Yu on the cruise liner, he had carried that beautiful girl on his back and had guessed that she was not an ordinary person to him. After the investigation, they didn¡¯t expect the two to be acquainted in Qing Zhou and were neighbors. Since they were childhood sweethearts, their rtionship must be deeper than that of an average couple. He didn¡¯t think that his Sixth Brother, who never cared about others, would actually stop drinking wine for her. It seemed like her position in his heart was even more important than he thought.


    It was only because of this that Yan Yun had the thought of using Xie Zhen to threaten Yan Yu.


    As he had nned, he wavered.


    Yan Yun revealed a meaningful smile, all of these were thanks to the Xie Zhen who was apanying his wife.


    Thinking about Xie Zhen, he thought about her beautiful face.


    She was so beautiful that it was no wonder that the Sixth Brother was so infatuated with her.


    Xie Zhen also didn¡¯t know how he came to the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion.


    She had been sitting well in the car when she was suddenly seized by a man in ck. She wanted to cry out for help, but she felt her vision darken. The next time she woke up, she was in Princess Ping¡¯s room.


    She looked at the affectionate and smiling imperial concubine in front of her, still unable to make sense of the situation.


    It was dark outside, but there werenterns lit up everywhere, as if they had been waiting for her for a long time. Other than this, the table was filled with snacks. Inviting people to be guests in the middle of the night shouldn¡¯t be this way, right? Moreover, she had only seen Princess Pingyang once at the pce banquet, so there was no other interaction between them.


    Xie Zhen wanted to leave, but Ping Wangfei Li Yujun had to think of all sorts of ways to stall her.


    She would ask her about the beauty of the Qing Zhou and she would tell her some interesting stories about the capital, but she did not catch a single one.


    Xie Zhen could not wait any longer, he immediately stood up and walked out: ¡°It¡¯s toote, I will not bother eldest sister-inw anymore.


    Just as he stepped through the doorstep, he was stopped by two tall and sturdy biddy s outside his door. ¡°Empress Prince¡¯s wife, please stay. My Royal Concubine rarely invites you here.


    Xie Zhen was so angry that he died.


    Is this an invitation?


    This was simply kidnapping!


    But she was currently in someone else¡¯s territory, and without a servant maids by her side, falling out with others would only be disadvantageous for her. She gritted her teeth and turned around to face Princess Ping. ¡°Sis, you didn¡¯t call me here sote at night just to have a chat with me over tea, did you?¡±


    Princess Pingyang didn¡¯t refute her, but thought that she had to know anyways, so she didn¡¯t hide it from her. ¡°My prince and my sixth brother have something to say, Your Highness wants me to take care of you first.¡± the sisth sister-inw, don¡¯t be anxious. Sixth Brother wille to pick you up in a while. ¡±


    You have something to say? What does it have to be in this way?


    Xie Zhen had a bad premonition and wanted to rush out, but he was too weak.


    She could only sit back down and stare unblinkingly at the door, waiting for Yan Yu toe and pick her up.


    Seeing her act this way, Princess Ping could not help butugh, ¡°I heard that your highness said that the rtionship between the Sixth Brother and the the sisth sister-inw is very deep. From the looks of it now, it seems that it is true.¡±


    Xie Zhen her mouth a thin line ignored her.


    After about fifteen minutes, they heard the servant maids say to the biddy outside, ¡°sixth prince is here.¡±


    She suddenly sat up from the embroidered pier and rushed out anxiously to stand at in the porch. biddy was knocked to the side and muttered while holding onto her arm.


    She didn¡¯t hear him clearly. Her eyes were only focused on the person walking towards her from afar.


    Yan Yu¡¯s face turned ashen, and he walked over with the First Prince by his side.


    Xie Zhen rushed forward recklessly and spread her arms around his waist, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, you¡¯re finally here!¡±


    Yan Yu supported her shoulders, calming himself down, and made a soft sound of agreement.


    Yan Yun retreated to the side, and calmly looked at the two.


    Xie Zhen rubbed his chest a little, afraid that someone was present, he did not say a lot and swallowed everything back down. However, her dependent attitude could not fool anyone. Like a spoiled cat, she dragged her soft voice towards him and said, ¡°Shall we go home?¡±


    Yan Yu agreed before he raised his head to look at Yan Yun and Li Yujian. Then, without saying a word, he turned around and left.


    Only after returning to the sixth prince Pce did Xie Zhen feel at ease with his feet on the ground.


    She thought of the words that the imperial concubine had told her. After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she sat on the bedside and asked, ¡°What did the First Prince tell you?¡±


    Yan Yu paused in the middle of changing his clothes, his expression did not change at all, but he remained calm.


    ¡°Liar!¡± Xie Zhen did not believe him, if he really did not say anything, would he have to go through so much trouble, cause such amotion? When she saw that he wasn¡¯t dressed properly for a long time, she went up to straighten his sleeves. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°If Yan Yu didn¡¯t tell her, she would re at him angrily. If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll go to the side room! ¡±


    He gave a start, then quickly carried her to bed and dismissed the idea.


    After extinguishing the bedsidemp, the room quickly fell into darkness. Xie Zhen did not like sleeping with the light on, it would make her unable to sleep, so there was no light in the room. Even the small oilmp on the table was extinguished, and only the moonlight outside the window could be seen, shining down upon the room with a silver sheen.


    Xie Zhen originally thought that he would be frank with her, but unexpectedly he only said, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    His tone was tired.


    Xie Zhen heard and was about to climb down from his body, but he reacted fast, he flipped his body and pressed her down, then stared at her shining eyes in the darkness, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Sleep in the side room.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t slept in the side room for a long time, and the pillow and bedding inside were all empty. She didn¡¯t really intend to sleep, she just wanted to force him to tell her the truth.


    Yan Yu was silent for a moment, then bit on her lips helplessly, ¡°He asked me when I was going to the border entrance, how many soldiers did I have.¡±


    Xie Zhen felt that it was not that simple, his mind spun, and he reacted quickly: ¡°Did he use me to threaten you?¡±


    She still had some understanding of the current situation of the imperial court. The First Prince and the crown prince did not get along well, and the imperial court was already divided into two factions. Yan Yu was the crown prince¡¯s man, but it was hard to ensure that the First Prince would not be moved by the military power in his hands. If Yan Yu made a contribution to the border trial this time, it would be like adding wings to a tiger to the crown prince. When the First Prince was threatened, he would naturally not sit idly by and wait for death.


    Using her to restrain Yan Yu was indeed a good method.


    Yan Yu did not speak, but she knew that her guess was right.


    ¡°What did he threaten you with?¡±


    Yan Yu paused, ¡°He wants me to serve him.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, will I be in danger?¡±


    He held her close and said loudly, ¡°I won¡¯t let you be in any danger.¡±


    Xie Zhen was breathless from his embrace. She thought about it very simply and asked easily, ¡°Then if I go with you to the border trial, will I be okay?¡±


    Stunned, he propped himself up and looked at her. ¡°That ce is deste and deste, without a single de of grass. In the past, you would only suffer.¡±


    Xie Zhen said while beaming: ¡°Will you protect me properly?¡±


    He nodded without thinking.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m not afraid of suffering.¡±


    His chest was filled with her smile. At this moment, he was extremely protective of her. His arms wrapped around her and pressed his face against hers. For a long time, he didn¡¯t say a single word.


    Ever since Xie Zhen said that she would go to Wu Jiang with him, Yan Yu seriously thought about the possibility of doing so.


    It turned out that it still didn¡¯t work.


    Putting aside the fact that the water and soil around the border were not suitable for her, her body was delicate and precious, making it impossible for her to live in such a ce. The worst part was that after the battle, thousands of people had died in the city. Some of the corpses had not been disposed of and had caused some diseases. The spread of the disease was extremely fast, and it was said that hundreds of people had already died. What if she had followed and caught the same disease?


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t let her take the risk.


    However, if she stayed in capital, it would also be dangerous.


    In the past few days, Yan Yu had thought of countless ways, but when he went missing, he could not think of a foolproof n.


    After the snow melted, the weather became warmer every day. Soon, he would be able to take off his winter clothes and change into a spring shirt. Which is to say, there were only around ten days left before Yan Yu¡¯s departure.


    Xie Zhen heard about the situation of the Wu Jiang from him, but she never thought that it would have reached such a state of suffering that she didn¡¯t want to go there, what about him? Where¡¯s father and brother? Would they catch a disease?


    The more Xie Zhen thought about it, the more worried he became. He couldn¡¯t bear to see Yan Yu in a difficult situation, so he said to him obediently: ¡°Send more people to protect me.


    If he really could guard against Yan Yun so easily, then he would have been hibernating for nothing.


    Later on, it was the crown prince who noticed his abnormality.


    He only realized what had happened after asking.


    Yan Tao frowned, ¡°Big brother, you are being unreasonable.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t right, but they could do things that weren¡¯t right, so who could do anything to them?


    Yan Tao thought for a while, and finally said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, go to the border trials, leave a few more guards in the pce, I will send a few more people to help you if anything happens to your residence. the sisth sister-inw is the princess concubine that you retrieved from the sect. No matter how rampant the Ping Wang was, he wouldn¡¯t dare to hurt her. When it really gets to that point, I will inform the father that I do not believe that he will not let them go. ¡±


    Even though he said that, but if he was not by Xie Zhen¡¯s side, how could he be at ease?


    Thinking about it, he could only do it ording to Yan Tao¡¯s method. He had left his own twelve guardians to protect Xie Zhen, and the moment something happened, he would immediately bring her back to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. The twelve guardians was the most outstanding guard trained by the pce. When Yan Yu faced the Western Yi, the Emperor Yuan Hui gifted these people to him, and now he had these people protect Xie Zhen. In addition, there were nearly a hundred guards outside the mansion, all spread out in the dark.


    No matter how wild the Ping Wang was, he wouldn¡¯t brazenlye to the prince¡¯s mansion to rob them. These people were more than enough to fend them off for a while.


    After everything was arranged, it was soon the day before he left.


    That night, Yan Yu did not sleep at all. He lied beside Xie Zhen and had amp light in his room. He just watched her quietly and watched her for the whole night.

 Chapter 82 - Feast

    <h4>Chapter 82 - Feast</h4>


    When the sky was about to brighten, Xie Zhen suddenly reached out and hugged his waist, and said with a voice as thin as a mosquito, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡±


    How could she sleep when he hadn¡¯t slept all night?


    This trip had a bumpy future and his fate was unknown. She did not know how Emperor Yuan Hui had hardened his heart to let him go. Didn¡¯t they say that he doted on him the most? Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to return?


    At this time, Xie Zhen was extremely resentful towards the Emperor Yuan Hui.


    However, no matter what, he still had to leave. The horses outside had already been prepared, they were only waiting for him to rush to the city gate and leave with Xie Liqing. There were still hundreds of soldiers waiting at the door, not allowing her to be willful.


    Just as Xie Zhen finished speaking, he regretted his words. Silently taking back his hand, he lowered his head and added: ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not what I meant. Hurry up and get up. If you don¡¯t leave now, it will be toote. ¡±


    It was just after five o¡¯clock, two hours before departure, and they still had some time to talk.


    But what could he do? In such a short period of time, she could not say anything and could not do anything. This only added to her sadness. Yan Yu silently kissed her forehead. He was a man, serving his country was his duty. However, he just couldn¡¯t bear to part with her. He just didn¡¯t want to be separated from her.


    If only he could put her in his pocket and take her away.


    ¡°Little Lamb¡­¡±


    His lips moved as he called to her softly.


    Xie Zhen made a sound of acknowledgement before her long eyshes slightly lifted, sweeping over his chin, feeling a little itchy.


    He made up his mind and said with utmost seriousness, ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡±


    At this time, Xie Zhen was exceptionally obedient, nodding without thinking, ¡°Alright.¡± Then, he thought of something and worriedly reminded her, ¡°I have prepared clothes for you all year round, put them in that big box with four kinds of patterns. I heard from my mother that it was very cold at the border, so I brought you a few pieces of winter clothes ¡­¡± There were also some medicine to treat the pain, and they were all stored inside. ¡°Oh, I heard that the situation there is serious, and I invited four or five doctors to go with you. If you get sick, there must be someone in the vicinity who knows medicine.¡±


    She had thought of everything, even though she was usually absent-minded andzy, she was actually very meticulous at critical moments. She even prepared all of the things that Yan Yu would never have thought of.


    Yan Yu replied softly. He buried his head in her hair and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    No matter how reluctant he was, there was a time for him to part.


    It was dawn and the light outside the window was dim. servant maids entered the house to help them clean themselves.


    Yan Yu was dressed differently today. He was wearing a bright armor and a phoenix wing helmet. Xie Zhen stood on top of the embroidered pier and personally adjusted the red tassel on his helmet before saying smilingly: ¡°When Big Brother Xiao Yu wears armor, he finally doesn¡¯t look like ady anymore.¡±


    This was deliberately teasing him.


    Ever since he was thirteen years old, he no longer looked like a girl. Instead, he looked like a handsome young man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. Furthermore, he had broad shoulders and a broad back. He was tall and thin, how did he resemble a girl? Even when he was young, other people would not treat him as a little girl. Only when she was crippled would they call him big sister Xiao Yu.


    Yan Yu silently red at her, but she was smiling, making others unable to vent their anger on her.


    When he thought about leaving this little clown, he sighed in his heart, ¡°Little Lamb, don¡¯t talk anymore.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not understand, ¡°Why?¡±


    He said, ¡°If you say anything more, I won¡¯t be able to stop myself from taking you away.¡±


    Xie Zhen red at him, turned around, and no longer paid any attention to him.


    By the side, Yan Yu had finished tidying up. She also changed into a Mi He blouse made of leno s and a white dress that was scattered all over.


    Xie Zhen saw him to the door, and watched him mount the horse. With his hands behind his back and a smile on his face, he said in apletely obedient, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, you have a safe journey.¡±


    Yan Yu looked deeply at her, and worriedly warned steward to take good care of her, before calling him over for another round. Only after they had guaranteed the safety of Prince¡¯s wife with their lives, did he harden his heart, and rode his horse to leave.


    The tter of hooves could be heard as they disappeared into the distance, leaving only a straight back.


    Xie Zhen stood at the doorway for a long time. Only until she could no longer see him did she turn around and return to her room. She lowered her head andughed, feeling that she had overthought things and was just about to send Shang Yu to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to invite him in, but she didn¡¯t expect that servant would suddenly say: ¡°Empress, His Highness is back!¡±


    She was stunned, before she could digest this news, she saw Yan Yu walking in from the second door, and arriving in front of her like a gust of wind.


    Xie Zhen was shocked, ¡°Why did youe back?¡±


    He didn¡¯t have enough time to exin, so he pulled her by the hand and walked towards the study room in a hurry, as if there was something extremely urgent going on.


    Xie Zhen was unable to catch up to him, so he simply carried her and walked towards the study room in two or three steps.


    He opened the door and went into the inner room. He took a red kite from the top shelf of the bookcase and handed it to her: ¡°I almost forgot to give it to you. Last time I asked you what you wanted for the new year, and when you asked for a kite, I took the opportunity to paste one for you.¡±


    The kite was not as exquisite as the ones sold on the street, but the skeleton was very sturdy. With one nce, one could tell that he had painted it himself. Every part of it had been personally made by him. The craftsmanship was very rough, but he had done it bit by bit. Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes were a little sore. He looked at him with the kite: ¡°You came back to give me this?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to dy your departure?¡±


    Recently, he had been smiling quite a bit, and was no longer as devious as before. ¡°Sorry for the dy.¡±


    However, if he didn¡¯t personally hand the kite over to her, he wouldn¡¯t be at ease.


    Xie Zhen rubbed his eyes, ¡°No wonder I kept looking at you in secret all these while.¡±


    There was a time when he was alone in the study all day long and wouldn¡¯t let anyone in. Every time she went to look for him, he seemed a little flustered, the table was clean, he asked her what he was doing and said nothing, only lied to her about checking the border.


    Who would believe that?


    Xie Zhen had wanted to investigate this matter thoroughly, but unfortunately, after the incident with the First Prince, his thoughts were gradually divided, and he had forgotten about this matter.


    Yan Yu also forgot, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they remembered him when they were about to set off, this kite would probably have been dead by the time he came back.


    He took her hand and led her out of the study and all the way to the front door. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, touching her head. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    With that, he raised the whip and quickly left.


    Ever since spring, Xie Zhen rarely went out of the mansion. Firstly, it was to avoid the First Prince, and secondly, it was to not be able to lift his spirits.


    The spring red hurriedly thanked, this flower lost and opened again, the whole spring garden flowers did not stop. He seemed to be able to hear the sounds of flowers blooming when he woke up in the morning.


    Xie Zhen made a trip to the crown prince¡¯s residence during this time.


    It was personally invited by the Crown Princess.


    Crown Princess asked her about a few things about the current situation of the house. She asked her if there was anything she was short of, whether the servant in the house were obedient and said that she would be assigned a few more female servant maids s. With enough people at Xie Zhen¡¯s side, he politely rejected her. She knew that the Crown Princess had good intentions, but it was not a good thing to have too many people by her side.


    She sat in the crown prince¡¯s residence for half the afternoon, and in the end, she stood up to leave. However, she met the crown prince, Yan Tao, behind the screen wall in the front courtyard.


    Ever since Xie Zhen knew that Yue Yang had schemed against her, she had always been ungrateful towards him and kept a certain distance away from him. Now that they had coincidentally met, she greeted a few steps away, ¡°Second Brother.¡±


    Yan Tao should have just returned from the pce, so he was dressed very formally. His brows were a little solemn, and when he saw her, he stopped for a moment, ¡°the sisth sister-inw.¡±


    Xie Zhen wanted to leave, but it was not convenient for her to walk past him, so she exined: ¡°Second sister invited me to the Pce for tea, it is gettingte, I should go back.¡±


    Then, ignoring whether he agreed or not, she walked around him and headed for the door.


    Yan Tao suddenly said: ¡°A letter came from the border region, saying that Sixth Brother and Third Master Xie have arrived at Wu Jiang.¡±


    Xie Zhen suddenly stopped.


    Three months after Yan Yu left, she had yet to receive a letter. She had gone to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to ask about it, and Madam Leng had not received any letters from Xie Liqing and Xie Rong either. They guessed that the border crisis was serious, so ordinary people did not dare to enter or leave.


    Now that she had news of Yan Yu, she was naturally interested.


    But to ask the Crown Prince¡­


    She hesitated, then said, ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    Yan Tao gave a gentle smile and truthfully said, ¡°The letter said that it was the sixth of the third month, exactly one month ago.¡±


    She opened her eyes with curiosity and asked impatiently, ¡°Then how are he and my Abba? Have the border diseases spread? Is there any danger? When will they be back? ¡±


    In the end, she was still a fifteen-sixteen year old girl. She wasn¡¯t calm enough, so she asked whatever she thought of.


    Yan Tao¡¯s eyes revealed gentleness as he answered her questions one by one. ¡°The letter said that they are all well and that the epidemic situation at the borders has already been controlled, so Sixth Brother and Third Master Xie shouldn¡¯t be in any danger. the sisth sister-inw can rest assured.¡± Pausing, he continued, ¡°As for when I will return ¡­ I¡¯m not sure about that. ¡±


    When Xie Zhen heard the words, he felt slightly more at ease. But when he heard the words, he felt his mood plummet again.


    Yan Tao couldn¡¯t help but want to touch her head, tofort her with a few strands of her golden hair.


    It was fortunate that he did not act impulsively. In the end, he only said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry the sisth sister-inw, since Sixth Brother entrusted you to me, I will take good care of you, and you should also take good care of yourself.¡± As he spoke, he looked at her face and smiled: ¡°Didn¡¯t the servant advise you to eat more?¡±


    She¡¯s been a little thintely.


    Xie Zhen subconsciously took a step back. He felt that what he just said was a little excessive, so he turned his head and said forcefully: ¡°Thank you second brother, I will take care of myself.¡±


    That was to guard against him.


    Yan Tao shook his head, but did not point it out, ¡°That¡¯s good, Sixth Brother can finally rx after you return.¡±


    She could not bear to listen any longer, so she pulled her skirt out and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    After saying that, she only left him with a slender figure, and disappeared behind the image wall in the blink of an eye.


    Actually, Yan Yu had not thought about entrusting Xie Zhen to the crown prince from the beginning.


    After all, the crown prince had thought about Xie Zhen before. Even though Xie Zhen had already married him, there was no guarantee that Yan Tao would not follow the etiquette of a gentleman. If he didn¡¯t have no other choice, Yan Yu would never ask Yan Tao for help.


    That was why he had ced guards around the prince¡¯s mansion. The crown prince had wanted to put up with his actions, but had been rejected instead. The manor was filled with Yan Yu¡¯s men. If possible, he wished that he could protect her even more.


    Xie Zhen did not know how Yan Yu had thought so much, and it was soon the end of the day. Grand Secretariat Gu¡¯s wife, the Liu Family, had invited many noble women for a feast at home.


    Xie Zhen and Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion were also invited.


    Seeing that the spring flowers were about to be lost, Liu Shi then thought to take advantage of thisst bit of time to hold a banquet and discuss the ways of rearing flowers with the other wives.


    Since there was nothing to do during this period of time, Xie Zhen would be going.


    It waste spring, so Xie Zhen changed into a brocade dress and wore embroidered shoes with high soles. Two Golden Jade Plum Blossom hairpin were stuck at his temples. servant maids led them to the octagonal pavilion in backyard. From afar, they saw that a lot of people had arrived.


    Some of them were standing under the tree and talking sweetly, while others were sitting on the stone table and ying Go. Most of them were drinking the iced sour plum soup once, enjoying the peonies in the yard. Xie Zhen saw the Princess He Yi and Gu Ruyi who were sitting and talking in the pavilion with a single nce.


    Yan Yao¡¯an looked up and greeted her from afar: ¡°Ah Zhen!¡±


    In an instant, it attracted the attention of many people.


    Xie Zhen walked forward and sat beside her, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe as well.¡±


    She had originally thought that this was just a small feast, but she hadn¡¯t expected that she would see so many people today. There were many unfamiliar faces in the crowd that she didn¡¯t recognize. He looked around and coincidentally met with a pair of unkind eyes. She was stunned, she looked at him carefully, only to see that the youngdy was dressed in a red blouse made of leno, a blue chiffon dress, and a gold tightropentern hairpin. Behind her were a few servant maids servants, they were probably not ordinary people.


    But Xie Zhen had no impression of her at all.


    followed her gaze and asked curiously, ¡°You know Provincial governor Lin¡¯s daughter?¡±


    The Provincial governor Lin had a total of two daughters, one sixteen and one fourteen. The one in front of him was obviously less than sixteen, and she should be the Second Miss, ¡°You said that she is Lin Huapin?¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an nodded his head, his face revealing a trace of unhappiness, ¡°I don¡¯t like the Lin Family, Sixth Brother is annoying them too, don¡¯t bother with them.¡±


    That look was extremely disgusted.


    Xie Zhen could not help butugh, it seemed like Yan Yao¡¯an and Yan Yu were of the same heart, no matter what they did, they would stand on the same side.


    They didn¡¯t like Lin Huapin, but that didn¡¯t stop them from liking him.


    There were manydies surrounding the two of them, watching Lin Huapin and Lin Jinpin y chess.


    The two were both skilled in chess. One of them was in charge of the dark while the other was in charge of the white game.


    Lin Huapin and Lin Jinpin, the two sisters, were famous girls in the capital for their talent. When they heard that Lin Jinpin could paint at the age of three andpose poems at the age of five, they made the Provincial governor Lin view her as a precious gem in her hands. Her two sisters¡¯ reputations were spread far and wide. Before even reaching at her fifteenth birthday, countless people had already stepped over the threshold, wanting to tell one of them. It was a pity that Provincial governor Lin had very high standards of knowledge and thought that since his daughter was so outstanding, she had to marry someone extraordinary. Normal families would not be able to match them.


    Therefore, even though Lin Jinpin had passed the age of sixteen, he still had not told her about the marriage.


    Initially, Provincial governor Lin was not anxious, he thought that his eldest daughter would at least marry a prince. Unfortunately, his n failed, and his daughter was not yet married, but he himself was unable to protect himself. Now, even if he wanted to propose marriage for his two daughters, others wouldn¡¯t be willing to marry his daughter as a wife.


    Lin Rui was unwilling to give up. Not long ago, he had surrendered to the Crown Prince to show his loyalty, but the Crown Prince refused to ept his offer.


    He was in a hurry at home, but there was nothing he could do.


    The two daughters of the Lin Family knew that the family was sad, and also heard their father scolding Xie Liqing at home. Naturally, they med this on the Xie Family, to the point that they disliked Xie Zhen and Xie Xun.


    Now, seeing Xie Zhen and Princess He Yi talking andughing, she felt even more indignant.


    Lin Huapin raised his eyes and looked at Lin Jinpin, showing a meaningful look.

 Chapter 83 - The 49th Day

    <h4>Chapter 83 - The 49th Day</h4>


    Not longter, Madam Leng arrived with Xie Xun.


    Xie Xun had caught a cold a few days ago and had only recovered from it. Ever since she was pushed into the water by the Lin Family''s servant maid, her health wasn''t very good and she caught cold easily. Even after raising her body for these few days, she still hadn''t been able to recuperate. Xie Zhen''s heart ached for her. Originally, she did not want her toe, but she said that she missed the sis and wanted to follow her.


    Since Madam Leng couldn''t do anything about her, she gave her two additional clothes and brought her to the Grand Secretariat''s mansion as a guest.


    Once she arrived at backyard, she immediately pounced towards Xie Zhen happily,ining: "What is sis doing in the pce all day, why aren''t youing to see me?"


    Xie Zhen caught her andughed as she scratched her nose, "Didn''t I go to see you the day before yesterday? You forgot in the blink of an eye? "


    She thought about it for a moment, and it seemed to be true.


    Madam Leng went to the side to talk with Liu Shi, leaving the scene to the girls. Yan Yao''an and Gu Ruyi were the closest to each other, and often visited the Grand Secretariat''s mansion as their guests. This was why they knew that the backyard had a piece of Jade Orchid, and would blossom into a pink flower every spring. The Gu family''s flowers were different from the others'', they had been blooming for a long time, and were not defeated yet.


    It was rted to how Gu Ruyi was raised.


    Yan Yao''an then suggested that they take a look. Coincidentally, there were stone tables and stools under the trees, they could sit under the trees and drink tea and pass the time. When Xie Zhen heard that Gu Ruyi''s big brother knew painting, she could not help but be curious to see what kind of talent he had.


    Arriving at the Yn Academy, Gu Ruyi asked the servant maids beside her to go and bring the Gu n''s Eldest Young Master Gu Ce''s painting over.


    Very quickly, servant maids returned with two paintings.


    Gu Ruyi unfurled in front of them. One picture depicted a water lotus in a pond during summer, and the other depicted the silhouette of Gu Ruyi sitting under a tree. The water lily was vivid and lifelike,zily lying on the surface of the water. The petals were beautiful, and one could even see the droplets of water on it clearly. Gu Ruyi who was in the other painting turned her body, and coincidentally blocked the birthmark on the other face. The beauty had a smile, and looked gentle and beautiful, as though the person in the painting was right in front of her, and could easily be touched with a single touch.


    No wonder Yan Yao''an kept praising Gu Ce''s painting skills.


    Xie Zhen praised, "It''s indeed beautiful ¡­."


    In his own home, with only the few of them in the Yn Academy, Gu Ruyi took off the veil covering his face, revealing a dark red birthmark beneath his eyes, showing his true appearance. At first, she was a little embarrassed, but when she saw that Xie Zhen and Xie Xun''s attitude was frank and did not look at her weirdly, she finally felt at ease and gradually rxed.


    Gu Ruyi personally made tea for them, and slowly pushed away the foam on the tea broth, then ced a cup in front of each of them, "This is the Jade Gear Spring that was delivered only this year, try it." After she finished speaking, she saw that Xie Xun was still staring at the two paintings, and couldn''t help butugh, "If Seventh Miss likes it, then coincidentally, my brother is home today, I''ll have him draw one for you, right?"


    Xie Xun revealed a happy expression, then shyly shook his head, "I think it''s better not to trouble myself ¡­ I''ll just watch. "


    Gu Ruyi said it was not troublesome, and unknowingly opened up a conversation, "My brother had just taken the High Schr''s Examination this year, and our family was celebrating for him. My father let him rest for a while, and now that he''s free at home, he has nothing to do. If you like it, you can let him draw a picture to pass the time. "


    Xie Xun was a little tempted.


    Madam Leng had her room redecorated a few days ago. The room was still missing a mural that was hung on the wall, if she could let Gu Ruyi''s brother draw it, it would be perfect.


    Xie Xun subconsciously looked towards Xie Zhen.


    With regards to these things, since she could make the decision herself, Xie Zhen didn''t care about her opinion anymore, "You decide it yourself."


    She gently nodded her head, "Then I''ll have to trouble Sister Gu."


    Gu Ruyi then asked her what kind of picture she wanted to draw, and she said that she wanted a Bamboo Cloud Evergreen Painting. Gu Ruyi took it down and asked servant maids to tell his brother about it.


    In the end, Xie Zhen thought it through thoroughly, "After Mr. Gu is done painting, ask the servant maids in your mansion to tell me, I''ll have Big Brothere and take it, and also give Mr. Gu a word of thanks."


    Gu Ruyi nodded, and she did not say a word, but when the Princess He Yi heard Xie Rong''s name, she could not help but think about it, and blushed.


    After working in the Yn branch for a while, when it was almost time for lunch, the girls got up and prepared to head to the front hall.


    Passing by a rock garden, they heard people talking.


    Two or three girls were talking.


    With the fake mountains and trees blocking their way, it was as if they didn''t notice the few people who were walking over from behind, and were talking among themselves.


    "I heard that the border trials are very chaotic right now ¡­"


    "Yeah, dozens more died!"


    Another girl dressed in a goose yellow spring shirt spoke in a mysterious tone and whispered to the other two, "Didn''t the sixth prince and the Third Master of the Xie n and Young Master Xie also go ¡­ After hearing that the Third Master Xie had contracted an illness, I wondered if he would be able to return. My father said that His Majesty sent him to the border trials. I don''t know if it''s because he values him, or if ¡­"


    Before she could finish his words, she made an expression as though her neck was crooked.


    A few people were amused by her expression and couldn''t help butugh. As they wereughing, they saw Xie Zhen standing not far away with a cold face. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale and they were unable to say a single word.


    Those who were still in high spirits a moment ago were now like chicks that had their throats pinched, unable to even make a sound.


    Xie Zhen came in front of them and asked expressionlessly: "Whose girls are you?"


    The few of them looked at each other, their faces sullen, "The Prince''s wife''s Empress ¡­ "Please let us go, just pretend you didn''t hear anything ¡­"


    Xie Zhen''s lips curved into a cold smile, "You guys said that my father contracted an illness, how could I pretend not to hear about it? Who taught you this? " "If you do not speak honestly, I will pass on your words to the Saints. How dare you try to guess the Holy Will. Do you want to die?"


    To specte on the Holy Will and discuss the Imperial Family, this was a grave crime that involved plundering the family!


    The three of them immediately trembled and knelt in front of Xie Zhen with a thump, kowtowing to him. They regretted their mistake and begged Xie Zhen to forgive them.


    One of them was afraid that she would talk to the Emperor Yuan Hui, so she immediately told her the truth. She had heard of the news from the Lin n''s young mistress that the Third Master was ill... Her Highness the Princess is generous, please let us go this time."


    Xie Zhen frowned, "How did they know about my father?"


    The three of them shook their heads, saying that they didn''t know.


    Xie Zhen was only scaring them, she would not really send them to the Emperor Yuan Hui, and coldly told them to leave, "Next time if I hear you guys talking about trouble, it won''t be that simple!"


    The three of them thanked him and retreated.


    Princess He Yi, Gu Ruyi and Xie Xun who were hiding behind a rock walked out. Princess He Yi stared at the direction where the three left in dissatisfaction, "Why did you let them go so easily? If it were me, I would definitely pull their tongues out! "


    Xie Zhen frowned, with a stern face: "Princess, do you know the situation of my father in the border trial? Did he really get sick? Did anyone beside His Majesty talk about that? "


    Yan Yao''an shook her head, but just when Xie Zhen was relieved, she said: "How can I know everything about my father, even if he is truly ill, he wouldn''t tell me. How about this, I''ll help you ask around once we get back to the pce. If there''s any news, I''ll send someone to the prince''s mansion to inform you. "


    She nodded gravely.


    Then, she recalled the rumors that the three of them had told her about the Lin n''s young mistress.


    Yan Yao''an was also puzzled. Logically speaking, Lin Rui had always been at home and should not have known about the situation in the imperial court. Then, how did the two of them know about it?


    Xie Zhen told her about Xie Xun falling into the water at the general''s estate. We suspect that it was the servant maids beside Lin Huapin. "


    She did not mention anything about Xie Xun going to the Lin Pce to identify someone, she only said that when Xie Xun fell into the water, she recognized that it was Lin Huapin''s servant maids. Hearing that, Yan Yao''an shook his sleeves angrily, "This Lin Family members really don''t have any good stuff!"


    Xie Zhen nodded in agreement.


    Yan Yao''an advised them while walking. When they were almost to the Flower Hall, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she whispered a few words into Xie Zhen''s ear.


    Listening to her finish speaking, Xie Zhenughed along, his eyes revealing his craftiness, "Princess, are you not afraid of the Lin Family holding back?"


    Yan Yao''an curled his lips in disagreement, and said in an unreasonable tone, "Her family is about to fall, do I have to be afraid of her father?"


    Besides, she was a princess!


    Hearing that, Xie Zhen made sense.


    They ate in the parlour.


    Madam Leng, Lady Liu and a few elders were having their meal in the east, while they, thedies, were having their meal in the west. At the table, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were seated facing each other, preparing Lin Huapin and Lin Jinpin the sisters. After the meal, Xie Zhen did not eat much, and even Xie Xun had eaten less than usual.


    After that, when Xie Zhen asked her why, she humphed and said, "I don''t have an appetite ¡­ ¡­"


    After the meal, Lady Liu invited them to the backyard Pavilion to take a seat. They also made some scented tea and moistened their throats after the meal.


    The afternoon sun was much hotter than it had been in the morning. The heat from the sun shining on top of their heads was excruciating. It was still early in the summer, but the weather had already begun to heat up.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun chatted as they stood by theke.


    There weren''t many people by theke now, and most of the girls had to stop to catch their cool. Only a few came out to walk around.


    Before long, they saw Yan Yao''an and Lin Huapin walk out of the pavilion together, and stopped not far away from them by the river. Lin Huapin was a little ttered. They all knew that the Princess He Yi was not easy to get close to and only spoke to people they liked, and they normally did not care about them. Why did they suddenly be close to her?


    Lin Huaping suddenly had a glimmer of hope. If she could get on good terms with the princess and ask her to speak up for him, wouldn''t that mean there would be hope for her family?


    Because she was too joyous, Lin Huapin didn''t even have time to think about why the Princess He Yi would suddenly change her attitude towards her. As she walked, she came to thekeside.


    Yan Yao''an looked at the center of theke and asked with interest, "When I was walking in the courtyard just now, I heard someone say that the Third Master Xie has gotten sick at the border. Do you know about this?"


    Lin Huapin''s expression did not change, andughed: "Such a thing actually happened? To return to the princess, I do not know. "


    "Is that so?" Yan Yao''an tilted his head and looked at her, the corner of his lips held a hint of a smile, "If this is true, you should be very happy, right?"


    Lin Huapin held his breath, his face still maintaining a gentle smile, "The princess is joking, Master Xie and sixth prince are going to the border trials for the citizens of Wu Jiang, to help them share their worries, if something were to happen to them, we would not have enough time to worry, how can we gloat?"


    It was very clear.


    Yan Yao''an was almost fooled by her, she thought that this Lin Rui was really capable, her two daughters, one was a famous talented girl in capital, the other could trick others just by opening her mouth. Her lips curved up in a mocking smile, "Miss Lin, you have a good belly ¡­"


    Lin Huapinughed without saying a word.


    "If your father were to be exposed for being corrupt and taking bribes, I wonder if you would still be so calm?" Yan Yao''an asked with a smile.


    Just as she said, she saw Lin Huapin''s face change.


    finish talking, Yan Yao''an asked again: "Do you think your father will be able to escape this cmity?"


    Lin Huapin''s voice trembled, "Princess, what do you mean by that ¡­"


    "I can help you say a few words in front of father." She raised her eyebrows. "But you have to promise me one thing."


    Lin Huapin asked anxiously: "What''s the matter?"


    She pointed at thekeside, "I can see that the lotus leaf looks pretty good. How about you pick it for me?"


    Lin Huapin followed her gaze and looked over. He saw that there was not even a ce for him to borrow energy from, which was near the center of theke. The center of theke was about ten feet deep, and she didn''t know how to swim, so swimming over was almost impossible!


    Lin Huapin revealed a difficult expression, "If Princess really likes it, I will ask the biddy who knows water to pinch it for you ¡­"


    She smiled and shook her head, "Miss Lin, if you don''t go personally, how can you prove your sincerity?"


    There was no room for negotiation.


    Lin Huapin choked. If she really went over, let alone taking back the lotus root, she might even lose her life! " Why did the princess insist on that one? "


    Yan Yao''an blinked, looking innocent. "I think it looks good, when I go back tonight and make the pce maidservant boil the lotus seed silver ear soup, it will definitely taste good."


    After talking for a long time, Lin Huapin did not make the slightest movement. She ced her hands on her waist and stared angrily: "Are you going or not? This is the only chance we have, don''t regret it. "


    Lin Huapin clenched his teeth, "Princess, do you mean what you say?"


    She snorted, "When have I ever lied to anyone?"


    Because with her words, Lin Huapin was willing to give it her all. As long as she could save her father from a cmity, what would it matter if she let her pluck a lotus root? Moreover, there were so many people by thekeside, even Lin Jinpin was there. If she fell into the water, wouldn''t there be someone to save her? Thinking like this, she jumped into theke without hesitation. Her entire body submerged into the water, and after a short while, she swam upwards two times, wanting to tell Yan Yao''an that she had swam through the water. However, she had overestimated herself. Not to mention plucking the lotus seed, she didn''t even have the ability to go ashore to save her life.


    Lin Huapin shouted for help in the water, "Help... "Save me ¡­"


    When the people of pavilion saw themotion, they all sat up, looking anxious.


    Yan Yao''an stood on the shore and anxiously turned around, constantlyining, "You said that you don''t know water, why are you jumping into theke? Even if I say that I want to eat the lotus seed, you can''t throw away your life! "


    After talking for a long time, she finally remembered to ask the pce maidservant nanny beside him to pull her up.


    It was a pity that she was quite a distance away from the shore. Even if she were to stretch her arms, she wouldn''t be able to reach it.


    Lin Huapin drank a bellyful of water. Seeing that she was about to die, his eyes started to sink into the water, frightening thedies to the point that they were about to lose their money. Lin Jinpin''s face was pale white, she kept calling out to her sister on the shore, "Who knows water? Hurry and save my sister, the screen doesn''t know how to use water! "


    Yan Yao''an finally remembered that she had a mama who knew how to swim. That mama jumped into the water and fished Lin Huapin out of the water.


    Lin Huapin was already unconscious, but when biddy pressed on her stomach, she spat a mouthful of water.


    Lin Jinpin threw himself onto her and cried as his eyes turned red. "How did she fall into the water?"


    One of the girls who saw it stammered, "Miss Lin jumped in by herself ¡­"


    Lin Jinpin did not believe that if she was fine, who would unintentionally jump into the water? Someone must have hurt her! She subconsciously thought about the Xie n''s two sisters, but turned to look at Xie Zhen and Xie Xun. These two were standing at the periphery with open and honest expressions. Furthermore, Lin Jinpin had just seen it earlier. The two of them were far away from Lin Huapin, so it was impossible for them to harm her ¡­


    At that time, the person closest to the painting''s screen was a princess. Could it be a princess?


    She looked at Yan Yao''an suspiciously. Yan Yao''an also had a troubled face, revealing a worried look, "It''s all my fault. When I said that I wanted to eat the lotus roots, Miss Lin said that she wanted to pick it for me. If I know that she doesn''t know how to drink water, I can''t let her go! Fortunately, no one died, otherwise how would I feel in my heart? "


    Lin Jinpin was extremely suspicious of this exnation.


    But almost everyone who saw it said that Lin Huapin jumped in by herself, and no one pushed her. Even if Lin Jinpin didn''t believe it, she couldn''t say anything.


    After asking the doctor to look over the Lin Family members, Xie Zhen and the rest sat in the octagonal pavilion.


    Thinking back to the scene just now, Xie Zhen still thought that it was extremely funny, "After Lin Jinpin goes back and asks Lin Huapin, she will probably hate the princess."


    Yan Yao''an did not mind, "There are too many people who hate me, and I still care about the two of them?"


    He had apletely overbearing personality.


    "Then how do you n to end this? Do you really want to speak up for the Provincial governor Lin in front of His Majesty?" If that was really the case, then Lin Huapin would not lose out if she fell into the water today.


    Who would have thought that Yan Yao''an would actually retort boldly, "It''s not like she got me a lotus seed, why should I speak up for Lin Rui?"


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were dumbstruck.


    "We''ll talk about itter." She took a sip of tea and continued in a calm andposed voice: "Even if I were to speak up for Lin Rui in front of father, I never promised her that it would be good words ¡­ I have long disliked Lin Rui, he is like a hoodlum, once he sees others speak human words, and when he sees others speak ghost words, even if I did not add insult to injury, it would not be bad. "


    Xie Zhen could be considered to have experienced what it meant to turn hostile, and was simply filled with respect and admiration for Yan Yao''an.


    No matter what was said, in the end, she was the one who had helped Xie Xun and caused him to feel grateful in his heart. I never thought that Lin Huapin would actually jump down. "


    At that time, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun was standing on the other side. They thought that Lin Huapin would turn around and leave, but they didn''t think that she would jump into the water without hesitation.


    Yan Yao''an hit the nail on the head: "She''s dumb."


    After speaking, she let out a sigh which was quite a pity, "But she really did get lucky. When Ah Xun fell into the water, it waste autumn and theke water was ice-cold. Now that it''ste spring, at most she''ll be taught a lesson. "


    Just this one lesson was enough for Lin Huapin to remember for his entire life.


    In the future, she probably wouldn''t even dare to approach the water''s edge. She probably didn''t want to eat lotus seeds anymore.


    When Lin Huapin and Lin Jinpin returned home, Lin Huapin repeated the agreement he had with Princess He Yi. He remembered the fear when he fell into the water and he was still trembling a little, "sis ¡­ Go and ask the princess for me. Do you think she will still make a decision if she agrees to my request? "


    After hearing what she had to say, Lin Jinpin did not hold much hope.


    However, she still found an opportunity to ask the Princess He Yi.


    She did not expect the Princess He Yi to say: "I''ve already said something in front of the father, as for whether he listens or not, I don''t care."


    Lin Jinpin brought this along with her. Due to the shock from falling into the water, Lin Huapinid on the bed for three whole days. "She lied to me ¡­"


    At first it was anger, but then it settled down to think, why would the princess want to deal with them?


    Who was the closest Princess He Yi to?


    The two sisters looked at each other and saw the anger in each other''s eyes, "It must have been Xie Zhen and Xie Xun. It must have been their idea.


    She clenched her fists, her eyes red with anger.


    As the summer heat was approaching, Xie Zhen finally received a letter from Yan Yu.


    The letter quickly wrote about his situation at Wu Jiang, and it was mostly unrted and urgent matters. It told her about his daily routine, and then it also mentioned that Xie Liqing and Xie Rong were fine, so she didn''t need to worry about him. After Xie Zhen finished reading, she did not expect there to be a second page. He read it carefully, and actually asked her how she had been, what she did every day, and where she had been.


    After Xie Zhen saw this, she pursed her lips and smiled.


    She went to the study room and had Shang Yu prepare ink and paper, preparing to write his reply. After thinking about what to say, and just as she was about to write, Shuang Yan suddenly entered the room in a flurry of emotions. He did not bother to greet her and said: "Miss, cousin Guniang is in a bad situation!"


    Xie Zhen didn''t even look up, "Which cousin Guniang?"


    It was only then that Shuang Yan spoke wrongly and changed his tone, "It''s Ouyang Yi who is in trouble."


    After Ouyang Yi moved to the side courtyard, she was actually quite honest at the start. After the 49th day, she began dishonest, and did not get along with the neighborhood. There would be quarrelling every two or three days. After pausing for a few days, her two boxes of dowry were lost. She suspected that it was the neighbor''s Liu family. She started a fight with the Liu family''s daughter-inw on the spot, and heard that they were both injured.


    (Note: The 49th day is one of the customs in old days. It refers to every seven days after the death of a person as a memorial service will be held until the 49th days after the death of the person.)


    No matter what, the Liu family refused to admit that they stole something from her. She was certain that it was from the Liu family.


    After Xie Zhen heard this, she felt a headache, "Didn''t I sayst time that her matter had nothing to do with us? I don''t care what you tell me


    Shuang Yan knew her dislike, and only now did she know that she shouldn''t meddle in other people''s business.

 Chapter 84 - Gao Xun

    <h4>Chapter 84 - Gao Xun</h4>


    They had thought that this matter would end like this, but it had taken a new turn.


    Originally, Yan Yu had asked the steward Zhao to find a husband for her. The other party had dozens of acres ofnd and did business on capital street, whose surname was Wang. The son of the Wang family was recently preparing for this year¡¯s examination, and if he were to pass it, it would be a good thing to bring honor to his ancestors, and if Ouyang Yi was able to marry him, it would definitely be a marriage that would be hard to find. Yan Yu being this kind to her was already the end.


    Today, Shang Yu came to her again and told her that she had found Ouyang Yi¡¯s dowry. It wasn¡¯t Liu family next door who took it, but rather the biddy with light fingers that stole it back home.


    After Ouyang Yi found out the truth, she was so angry that she got someone to find the biddy and beat her up in front of the neighbors.


    After this matter, although the dowry was returned, Ouyang Yi still had a grudge with her neighbor the Liu family. Everyone lived on the same street, where the news would spread very quickly. Everyone said that Ouyang Yi had a bold and fierce personality, she would definitely be in trouble whoever marries her.


    Coincidentally, these words were heard by the Wang family. The son of the Wang family has been studying since childhood and has a gentle personality. Moreover, if he married a brutal woman, wouldn¡¯t that turn the whole family upside down? After some discussion, the Wang family decided to quickly withdraw from this marriage. They also sent back the gifts that steward Zhao had given them.


    Steward Zhao did not tell them that Ouyang Yi was rted to the sixth prince, so that the gifts immediately returned to Ouyang Yi¡¯s courtyard.


    Ouyang Yi was so angry that she immediately scolded the Wang Family. Seeing that, everyone shook their heads.


    Shang Yu treated all of this as a joke and told it to Xie Zhen. After hearing it, Xie Zhen only said it in his heart: Serves you right. If she did not change it, she would not be able to get married for the rest of her life.


    Fortunately, she had signed her name and left with the dowry in her hand. Thus, she no longer had any rtions with the sixth prince Pce.


    Xie Zhen thanked Mammy Wang for her consideration. If not for that paper of contract, she really didn¡¯t know how Ouyang Yi would have messed around.


    A few dayster, she heard Shang Yu say that Ouyang Yi and the young son of the Liu family was hooked up. The Liu family did not care about the past, and was willing to marry her, but she refused to admit it.


    Xie Zhen was a little confused. Why did she not want to marry?


    After staying at home for two days, Xie Zhen decided to go watch the show.


    She had Shang Yu prepare the carriage and bring two servant maids¡¯s two wet nurses and a few guards to the courtyard that Ouyang Yi lived in. Just as they walked out of the residence, they saw a man and a horse parked outside the door.


    Looking up, the handsome young man who immediately wore a deep blue brocade robe was Gao Xun.


    Xie Zhen was a little surprised, when she walked over she asked: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Gao Xun smiled magnanimously as he brought his stallion to a halt, ¡°I heard that Ah Yu went to the border pass, so I came to see you. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve been going.¡±


    A few of the mama recognized him and called him Young Master Gao.


    Xie Zhen smiled and said, ¡°I have been doing quite well. I have oftene here to visit the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion when I have free time, so if you have time, you can go there too. My mother had said a few days ago that she hadn¡¯t seen you for a long time, and missed you a little.¡±


    He paused. ¡°I wille to visit my aunt tomorrow after I have prepared something.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded.


    Seeing that she was about to leave, he could not help but ask, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought that there was nothing to hide anyway, and since he also knew Ouyang Yi, she exined the whole situation, ¡°¡­ I was just on my way to see her. ¡±


    When he heard this, he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    After saying that, when Xie Zhen did not make a sound, he realized that he was being too rash, and immediately coughed to exin: ¡°I heard some news about the border trials in the army, if you are interested, I can tell you as I walk.¡±


    Finished,¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really? What news? ¡±


    He mounted his horse and smiled brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk on the way.¡±


    So Xie Zhen happily got in the carriage, and through the curtain she asked Gao Xun: ¡°Is there any news about my father and brother? Are they in good health? Did the construction of the city wall go smoothly? ¡±


    Gao Xun walked along the road, the majority of them were talking about the situation of the people at the border guards, it had nothing to do with Xie Liqing and his group, and they did not even mention a few words about Yan Yu. Even so, Xie Zhen was still in high spirits. Just thinking about them staying there, even knowing a little bit of information was good.


    Gao Xun apanied her all the way, and she sat in the carriage as she listened to him talk. After he finished asking his question, she immediately asked him the next question.


    Gao Xun¡¯s voice was not loud, and only the people in the carriage could hear him.


    He was seen sitting on the horse with a grand air, as if he were a guard, and no one paid any attention to him.


    An hourter, they arrived at the entrance of the city.


    The alley was narrow, barely enough for a horse carriage to pass through.


    The coachman drove the carriage inside, with Gao Xun following behind. Ouyang Yi¡¯s courtyard was at the deepest part of the alley. Before he could reach the end, he heard the sound of someone hitting the wall from inside, apanied by a woman cursing, ¡°You¡¯re an ignorant fool, you have no parents, it¡¯s your fortune that my son is willing to marry you. We don¡¯t despise you, but you do!¡±


    Hearing the voice, Shang Yu secretly lifted a corner of the curtain and looked in front.


    In front of one of the courtyard doors, there stood a ck haired woman wearing a green robe. She looked aggressive, and was pointing at Ouyang Yi¡¯s door and cursing at him.


    There was every single person in this alley, so Xie Zhen was not used to this kind of ce in the future.


    The woman cursed for a while and was about to sit at the door to rest when the door opened from the inside and a bucket of dirty water was thrown at her.


    Ouyang Yi threw the wooden basin on the ground, not losing out to her in the slightest, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you guys are nning? You want me to marry your son? ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re just coveting my wedding!¡±


    So it turned out that the Liu Family lived next door to Ouyang Yi. They had long heard that she had two boxes containing many good things. A while ago, the Wang Family had returned some things, and when they looked from afar, they could only see the glistening beads underneath the red silk, which they had worked so hard to earn in their entire lives. After some discussion, the Liu family decided to have their son have a secret rtionship with Ouyang Yi. Like this, she could only marry into their family, and the betrothal ceremony would naturally go to the Liu family.


    These two ns were entangled with each other, and the families living nearby did not want to interfere. When others saw this, they would avoid them, but no one was willing to help.


    Shang Yu asked around and told Xie Zhen the truth.


    On the other side, the Liu family¡¯s daughter-inw was dripping with water, and almost started fighting with Ouyang Yi. Xie Zhen sat in the carriage quietly for a moment and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    This was Ouyang Yi¡¯s mess, let her clean it up herself, they won¡¯t bother about it anymore.


    On the way back, Gao Xun also did not speak a word. The two of them silently returned to the prince¡¯s mansion, and when Xie Zhen got off the carriage and prepared to go back, he said: ¡°If you think it¡¯s troublesome, I can help you handle this matter.¡±


    Xie Zhen turned his head to look at him in astonishment, and quickly shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no need ¡­ It has nothing to do with you,st time I signed the contract with Ouyang Yi, from now on her matters are no longer rted to me. ¡±


    However, Gao Xun thought that she didn¡¯t want to let him wade through, so she grinned and said, ¡°Originally, this was just what Ah Yu did not do well enough. He is my brother, it is only right that I help him.¡±


    No wonder all the elders in the family liked him. His smile was bright and dazzling. Xie Zhen really could not bear to reject him. After hesitating for a while, she nodded and smiled to him: ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be troubling Big Brother Gao Xun.¡±


    He looked at her nkly, then turned his head and murmured, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡±


    For some reason, Xie Zhen suddenly felt a surge of guilt in his heart. He dragged her and walked towards the manor, and didn¡¯t even invite him to sit inside, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going back first!¡±


    Gao Xun stared at her back until she disappeared behind the shadow wall.


    He always thought that Xie Zhen was his and wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. When did he lose her?


    He curled his lips in bitterness and mounted his horse, returning to the flower bamboo alley.


    A few dayster, Gao Xun sent someone over with a message, saying that the problem with Ouyang Yi had been resolved.


    Ouyang Yi was willing to marry the Liu Family¡¯s youngest son, but she wanted to move out with the Liu Family¡¯s youngest son. She wanted to use Yan Yu¡¯s marriage partner to open a grocery store on another street to make a living.


    After Xie Zhen found out, he sent someone to ask Gao Xun how he managed to persuade him.


    Gao Xun only replied: ¡°She should no longer want to live her former life of wandering aimlessly.¡±


    Xie Zhen deeply agreed.


    Humans, it¡¯s fine if she was to live a miserable life, but if she had experienced the hardships of life and also enjoyed thefort of being served, then it would be impossible for her to return to live a miserable life. Ouyang Yi was just like this. She had suffered all sorts of hardships after following the Madam Li, but after being brought close to the prince¡¯s mansion to enjoy the treatment of having here and go as she pleased, she would definitely not be willing to suffer.


    Xie Zhen was very grateful to Gao Xun, and invited him into the pce to treat him well.


    The hall was served by the servant maids and the Senior Servant. The two of them acted magnanimously and asionally talked about interesting stories from their childhood.


    When he was about to leave, Gao Xun wanted to say something but stopped in her tracks. What did Xie Zhen think of him as?


    Gao Xun dipped his forefinger into the tea water and wrote while saying: ¡°I often hear news of the border trials in the military camp. If you want to know about Uncle¡¯s situation, I can often write and tell you.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded, his eyes staring at the words he wrote, and couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    He wrote: ¡°There are people watching outside the residence. Be careful of the people inside.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s fist slowly tightened under the table, his expression bing more and more serious. Soon after, he smiled and revealed two simple words, ¡°Alright, if you have any news, please tell me first.¡±


    Gao Xun replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    After the water on the table dried up, he said goodbye and left.


    Xie Zhen ordered his men to remove the dishes, but he had no choice but to consider whether or not the First Prince had spies at home ¡­

 Chapter 85 - One Year

    <h4>Chapter 85 - One Year</h4>


    Ever since Gao Xun warned her to be careful of the people in the residence, she wanted to find out if there were any spies sent by the First Prince in the residence.


    Amongst the people on duty in Zhanyue Court, Shang Yu and Hong Mei, as well as the two nannies were brought here by her from her mother¡¯s family. After Qing Xia left, what remained were Sun Ya, Cui Shan, Lv Ao and the other four biddies.


    She asked Shang Yu to pay careful attention to these few people, and Shang Yu observed them for a few days, but she didn¡¯t find anything strange.


    Xie Zhen told her and Shuang Yan not to rx and continued to observe.


    As the weather gradually turned to winter, the capital¡¯s weather became colder and colder day by day. Xie Zhen was afraid of the cold, hence she quickly lit a fire in the house. Even so, she still dressed very heavily, wearing a crane coat over her white fur jacket and a rabbit fur cloak. Her nose was usually red from winter, like a radish.


    Yan Yu would write to her every other month, exining his situation in the Wu Jiang.


    The two of them had unknowingly separated for close to a year, and thetest letter that was delivered to Xie Zhen just happened to be from half a month ago.


    Yan Yu could not take it anymore, he could only write one line on the letter.


    ¡°Little Lamb, I missed you so much.¡±


    Xie Zhen held onto the letter, and she could not help but smile foolishly.


    The border trial was a very tempering ce. She could feel that he had changed over the past year, and his speech was no longer as impetuous as before. The letters he wrote to her became calmer and calmer, gradually bing more manly. There were many things that he needed to take care of in Wu Jiang, so he had to quickly mature himself in order to solve the consecutive problems. Like a seed that had sprouted at night, her big brother Xiao Yu had grown up in a ce that she didn¡¯t know, and he had agreed to miss her.


    Xie Zhen wrote a letter asking when he would be back, and even told him about Ouyang Yi¡¯s matter. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Big Brother Gao Xun helping you clean up this mess. ¡±


    She knew he would be angry, but she wanted to make him angry.


    Who asked him to leave her in capital for so long? There was no point in leaving her here.


    asionally, Xie Zhen would call Xie Xun over. The two of them would either sit in the in the porch to boil tea and eat dim sum, or go to the Spring Blossom Castle to sit on the swing and watch the turtle. Xie Zhen had even invited Princess He Yi and Gu Ruyi to his residence, and Xie Xun had brought Zhong Rou over as well. The few of them built a few stoves in the pavilion and chatted as they roasted the mes.


    Xie Xun and Zhong Rou were very close, most likely because Zhong Rou had saved her life. She was not afraid of Zhong Rou, so every time they met, she would sweetly call him ¡°Sister Zhong¡±. Zhong Rou was just like Madam Leng, a person with a cold expression and a warm heart, especially towards this kind of sweetdy, she was unable to resist them. At the start, she was a little ufortable, butter on she slowly epted it.


    At this time, Xie Xun brought over two sweet potatoes from the kitchen, and threw them into the brazier to roast them. She knew how to eat without a teacher, so she had a lot of thoughts on how to eat.


    Very quickly, the pavilion started to smell the sweet potato. She leaned over to smell it, and saliva was about toe out: ¡°It smells so good.¡±


    Zhong Rou asked from the side: ¡°Are you familiar with it?¡±


    As he spoke, he was about to pull it out and take a look.


    Xie Xun immediately shook her head, ¡°Not yet, Sis Zhong, be careful of scalding!¡±


    Zhong Rou had followed General Zhong on the battlefield, and had never seen danger before. She took it out and pinched it, seeing that it was not familiar, she put it back, telling Xie Xun to be careful.


    Yan Yao¡¯an watched by the side and suddenly asked Xie Zhen, ¡°Did Sixth Brother say when he would be back?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head, at a loss, ¡°He didn¡¯t. Do you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard Dad said that the city wall over there is almostpleted. The rest are all the houses and streets construction in the city. There¡¯s not much of a problem, so he should be back soon.¡± Yan Yao¡¯an said casually.


    Xie Zhen was happy at first, but soon raised his cheeks in anger, ¡°He never told me!¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an chuckled, to smooth things over. ¡°Sixth brother should want to give you a pleasant surprise.¡±


    However, Xie Zhen was still not happy. In this past year, Yan Yu had almost never told her about the circumstances of the border trials, and did not even tell her anything that he had done. She had heard it from someone else when she was almost back!


    In the remaining time, Xie Zhen clearly spoke very little. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Yan Yao¡¯an took the initiative to not provoke her and turned his head to talk to Gu Ruyi.


    Gu Ruyi smiled gently as she listened to her talk while brewing the tea.


    In the end, Xie Xun finished roasting the sweet potato. Xie Zhen wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat it, she merely ate a little with Zhong Rou eating most of it.


    After they left, Gao Xun came over in the evening.


    Gao Xun was almost her informant.


    He said, ¡°I heard thatst month, the Western Yi generals reorganized their troops and attacked the Wu Jiang once more. However, there were only ten thousand people. Before they could even enter the city gates, they were captured by the sixth prince. The sixth prince had said that if they wanted to release him, the Western Yi¡¯s Emperor would have to surrender to him, otherwise, he would have to cut off the head of the Western Yi Great General and hang it on the city wall. ¡± After all, killing the enemies to serve the nation is the long-cherished wish of every hot-blooded man, ¡°Before long, Western Yi will submit to the Da Jing, and the days at the border will also be peaceful.¡±


    Xie Zhen asked him: ¡°Then, do you know when he and my father brother will return?¡±


    Gao Xun was unsure now, and honestly shook his head.


    She said with disappointment, ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Gao Xun couldn¡¯t help but want to console her, but the moment the words were about to reach his mouth, he didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he could not help but stroke her head andfort her, ¡°She should be back very soon.¡±


    She was in a low mood and did not notice that his gesture was somewhat inappropriate.


    Gao Xun did not stay for long, he got up and returned to the army camp.


    He hade out rather frequently recently, and even Zhong Shang¡¯s gaze towards him was a little off. Today, she purposely spoke to him with a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your identity.¡±


    He smiled bitterly.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten a single moment. It was precisely because he remembered them so clearly that he felt pain.


    It was impossible for him to take another step forward. He wanted to maintain a distance, but in his heart, he was unwilling to do so.


    He was a weak person, and could not harden his heart to cut off contact with Xie Zhen, so he became indecisive and took the chance to enter.


    After sending Gao Xun away, a few dayster, Xie Zhen received a letter from the Fringe City.


    He didn¡¯t even need to look at the name to know who it belonged to.


    She opened it and saw a few lines of words written on it, ¡°Do not get too close to Gao Xun, I will return as soon as possible.¡±


    He then added, ¡°Return at thetest in the spring.¡±


    Just by this scrawl one could imagine how anxious the person who wrote the letter was at the time.


    Yan Yu¡¯s words were never very neat. He was not one of his own people in well-behaved, his words were a little insolent and unyielding. It was as if he was someone who saw his words.


    Xie Zhen stuck his tongue out at the letter, ¡°Who told you not toe back even after going for so long?¡±


    Her birthday wasing up, and he didn¡¯t say anything!


    On the Wu Jiang¡¯s side, Yan Yu was currently burning with anger.


    Gao Xun this brat ¡­ How long had it been since he¡¯d been gone, and he¡¯d made it to his door in no time at all? And more than once? Did he really think that just by not being in capital, he would be able to poach others?


    Yan Yu called over a servant, who was surnamed Zhou Ming Huaizhi, and was one of Yan Yu¡¯s capable subordinates. He asked, ¡°How is the investigation going?¡±


    Zhou Huaizhi said, ¡°Your Highness, this lowly one has sent someone to investigate. The Chiliarch Gao has indeed been wandering around the Prince¡¯s Mansion recently. However, most of the time I just stand outside the door for an hour and I don¡¯t go in. ¡±


    Yan Yu asked again, ¡°Does he have nothing to do in the army?¡±


    Zhou Huaizhi replied, ¡°There is a quota for training in the army camp every day. The Chiliarch Gao haspleted it faster than the others and has more time to spare. Furthermore, he has a good rtionship with Master Zhong, who is the only son of General Zhong, so no one would dare to stop him.¡±


    Yan Yu thought for a moment, then coldly said: ¡°Then increase the training quota for him, and let him train his body properly so that he can be of use to me in the future.


    Since he couldn¡¯t even finish his daily training, let¡¯s see how long he will have to waste?


    Zhou Huaizhi agreed, and sent someone to pass on a message to General Zhong to train the Chiliarch Gao. Thetter had high hopes for him, and he definitely could not be careless.


    When these words reached Zhong Kai¡¯s ears, he found out from his son that Gao Xun and sixth prince were old friends, and that it was natural for sixth prince to appreciate him, so he did not suspect anything. Others would run fifty kilometers a day, but he would run a hundred miles a day, and carry a lot of weight. Other than that, he had also doubled in his practice of archery and kung fu, giving Gao Xun no time to do anything else for the rest of the day.


    There were several times that Gao Xun had thought of going to the prince¡¯s mansion to see Xie Zhen, but he would always lie down right after he finished his training, and the moment he closed his eyes and opened them again, it was the next day.


    Even after a month, he did note to look for Xie Zhen again.


    When Yan Yu heard about it, he was slightly pleased and nodded his head in satisfaction.


    Over the past year, his facial features had been sharpened to a point that was clearly defined by the sand and dust. In between his brows, his features had also be a bit more mature. His handsome face had be firm and resolute. He was no longer the impulsive and sharp youth from before. He was finally like a man hiding his strength. His actions became more and more stable. asionally, he would be angered to the point of losing his temper by his subordinates, but he wouldn¡¯t easily beat someone up. Instead, he knew to think of a way to solve the problem. During this year, he had worked together with Xie Liqing and managed the various Wu Jiang s in an orderly fashion. The people of the city praised them, and they would even give him a thumbs up when they mentioned him.


    He quickly grew up in order to return to the capital and Xie Zhen¡¯s side as soon as possible.


    When he thought of Xie Zhen, he thought of the few months she had been with him before he left.


    That was the most intimate period after they had been separated from each other. They were forced to part before they even had the chance to enjoy it. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s really a nostalgic experience.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s soft mutter seemed to still be by his ear. When he closed his eyes, it was her who called him ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu¡± while sitting in his arms in a spoiled manner. Every night, her voice would apany him to sleep. Once during the day, he would think about her twice more, and her figure would appear in his dreams.


    When he looked down, he could see her moist and clear eyes, as well as feel her soft body wrapped around his. After waking up, his pants were wet. Only then did he know how much he missed her, and he changed his clothes without changing his expression, allowing Zhou Huaizhi to ask Xie Liqing how the reconstruction of the house was going. If there were no major problems, he would return to the capital early in the spring.

 Chapter 86 - The Man

    <h4>Chapter 86 - The Man</h4>


    Xie Liqing could not return, because the rest of the work was under his care. If he went back, Wu Jiang would not even have someone to control. Thus, after hearing Yan Yu¡¯s n, he had Xie Rong follow him back. Over the past year, the two of them had suffered a lot, and if they stayed any longer, they wouldn¡¯t be able to learn much.


    Yan Yu thanked him for his good intentions and turned to let Zhou Huaizhi prepare to return to the capital.


    Wu Jiang still had a few scattered issues that he needed to settle before he could return.


    In capital, Xie Zhen did not know about the things that Gao Xun had done to him, and even thought that it had been a while since Gao Xun came, but after being puzzled for a while, he did not think too much into it.


    On a cold day, she was suffering from a serious illness.


    The window had not been closed at night, and a cold wind was blowing in through the draught, even with the fire burning. She was bedridden for several days with a headache and a fever. Her voice was so hoarse that she couldn¡¯t speak. Yan Yao¡¯an, Gu Ruyi and the others came over to see her. Seeing that she was not feeling well, they did not disturb her and after a few words of condolences, she left. On the other hand, the Madam Leng¡¯s heart was in pain. She only heaved a sigh of relief when she came to a clear mind and turned with Xie Xun to guard by the bed.


    Madam Leng asked Xie Zhen who was on night watch. The servant maids people looked at each other, then looked at each other. No one made a sound.


    Finally, the Madam Leng asked Shuang Yu, and Shuang Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s Cui Shan.¡±


    Cui Shan¡¯s face immediately paled as he kneeled on the bed, begging for forgiveness, ¡°Madam, please look carefully ¡­ At that time, it was true that the servant had closed her doors and windows. At night, the wind somehow blew them open. It was the servant who deserved to die, so I beg you to forgive me this time. ¡±


    Madam Leng frowned and ordered him to bring her outside to kneel down in punishment.


    Mammy Wang epted his orders and brought Cui Shan away.


    The sky was cold and the earth was freezing. Not long after kneeling outside, Cui Shan could no longer take it.


    Mammy Wang¡¯s ruthlessness caused her to kneel for four hours in one go. It was said that Cui Shan could not even walk on two legs, and was supported by others to walk back. She thought that this punishment was severe enough, but she didn¡¯t expect that Mammy Wang would let her clean the corridor outside before she could get out of bed the next day.


    First, let¡¯s not talk about how cold the weather was and how much cold the water was. The important thing was that the injury on her knee had not healed, so shouldn¡¯t she be on her knees while wiping the floor? How could she afford two legs like this?


    It was a pity that Cui Shan did not dare to bargain with the Mammy Wang.


    She scrubbed a corridor all day, and in the end her hands were cold and her legs were numb. When she got back, she threw the rag on the ground and began to cry.


    She was the one who instigated Qing Xia to seduce Yan Yu.


    At that time, she was the one who picked the head first, guessing if Yan Yu would divorce Xie Zhen, and also said that Qing Xia was good-looking, had a gentle personality, and would definitely be taken by Yan Yu.


    Amongst all the servant maids s, she was the one who yearned for the world to be free from chaos.


    Mammy Wang had long since disliked her, but she had never mentioned it in her heart. She never thought that this time, when she touched the reverse scale of Madam Leng, she would be properly punished, and it would not be a loss. That was why the Mammy Wang didn¡¯t sympathize with her. Instead, he forced her to do so, causing her injured legs to drag on for a whole month before she recovered.


    The winter silently passed, and Xie Zhen once again returned to his lively and energetic state. The Madam Leng said that he would take her and Xie Xun to the Lingyin Temple to burn some incense and cure the illness and disaster. Since she had nothing to do at home, she agreed and set a time to go with her.


    It was a day when the snow melted and the sun rose.


    The mother and daughter duo sat on the same carriage. Xie Zhen was in a good mood all the way as he leaned his head against the carriage wall and hummed a melody he heard from an unknown ce.


    Her voice was so delicate that no matter what song was sung from her mouth, it would always turn into a melodious melody.


    Along the way, they followed the song and arrived at Lingyin Temple, there were many people in the temple. It was probably because of the new spring. Halfway up the mountain, there was a forest of peach blossoms, and in the spring it would open up to the entire mountain. It was extremely beautiful, and many people from capital came to visit. The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain and they had to hike up.


    They did not even move normally, much less climb such long stairs. When they reached the top of the mountain, Xie Zhen¡¯s and Xie Xun¡¯s legs were sore, and they had to be supported by the servant maids to barely be able to climb up. Xie Zhen wiped the sweat off his forehead and could not help butin: ¡°Why do temples always like to be built on mountains? If you don¡¯t have the stamina, howe you can¡¯t get up there? ¡±


    This caused Madam Leng and the wet nurse tough.


    She was very active when she went to Puning Temple when she was young. She never yelled that she was tired, but when she grew up, she became more and morezy.


    The group of people were led to the Great Hall of Treasures by the young monk and each knelt on a prayer mat for three incense sticks to burn. Xie Zhen closed his eyes and made a wish, before inserting the incense into the cauldron.


    She didn¡¯t have any big hopes, she only wished to see her family reunited and that her Big Brother Ah Shan and Yan Yu would return from the border trial earlier.


    After bowing to the Bodhisattva, they went to the guest room at the back to rest.


    After hearing that the Lingyin Temple¡¯s fast food was delicious, the Madam Leng asked someone to greet the temple¡¯s host before she came and specially prepared their meals for lunch. Although they were all vegetable dishes, the fast food was very exquisite. A te of Eight Treasures Tofu was tender and fragrant, melting immediately upon entering his mouth. The other dishes also gave people an endless aftertaste.


    After they finished their fast food, Madam Leng and Xie Xun stayed in their room to rest.


    Xie Zhen sat for a while. He felt that it was boring, so he walked around in the courtyard. There was a hundred-year-old elm tree in the yard. It was covered with elm money, and it fell down with the wind. The fragrance assailed his nostrils. On a whim, she asked Shuang Yu to tell the host if he could bring a bag of elm money back. At night, they could make elm money egg pancakes and elm money rice.


    The host very generously agreed.


    Xie Zhen sat at the in the porch and watched Shuang Yu and Mammy Wang knocking on the trees for money. The green and yellow money was scattered all over the ground and there were still many thatnded at Xie Zhen¡¯s feet, quickly knocking on half of the bags. There was also arge elm tree in Qing Zhou¡¯s house. When she was young, she and Xie Xun liked to eat scrambled eggs with the elm, so Madam Leng made the kitchen cook this everyday. There were no elm trees in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, they had not eaten one for a year.


    Xie Zhen divided the money into two bags, one for Madam Leng and the other for himself.


    She was just about to go back to her room to wake up Madam Leng and Xie Xun, when Hong Mei suddenly ran in quickly and approached Xie Zhen: ¡°Empress, someone from the residence said that His Highness is back, please go back quickly!¡±


    Xie Zhen was startled, he sat up and asked: ¡°When did youe back?¡±


    Hong Mei was not sure either, upon hearing the news, she immediately came to report to Xie Zhen, ¡°Should we inform Madam?¡±


    Thest time Yan Yu mentioneding back in the spring, it was already the beginning of spring. Xie Zhen could only me him foring back without warning, and hurriedly let Shuang Yu pack his things, not bothering to say a word to Madam Leng, and only left him with onest sentence before leaving. Halfway up the mountain, the Prince¡¯s Mansion¡¯s carriage was stopped by the side of the road. She led the servant maids¡¯s wet nurse and sat on it without any doubts.


    The carriage came to a sudden halt after it was halfway there.


    Fighting sounds could be heard from outside as weapons and weapons were shing. Each collision was more intense than thest. Shuang Yan lifted the curtain and peeked outside, only to see a few ck robed men, holding onto swords and des, fighting with the guards that Yan Yu had left behind. There were around twenty to thirty people on the other side, they had obviouslye prepared, and were on par with twelve guardians.


    At the beginning, the twelve guardians had the upper hand and easily taken care of the guards. However, after they took care of one group, another group of guards rushed over from the distance. Gradually, the twelve guardians lost all of his stamina, seven of them were defeated, and there were only five left to struggle for survival.


    Only then did Xie Zhen fall into his trap.


    She gritted her teeth as she observed the situation outside with Shuang Yan.


    These people were most likely sent by the First Prince. They wanted to capture him and use her to threaten Yan Yu. Previously, when Gao Xun said that there was someone from the First Prince outside the Pce, he told her to pay attention to the situation in the Pce. Who would have thought that the one who was going out with Madam Leng Ah Xun today would be him.


    That means, Yan Yu¡¯s return was also fake?


    She asked them, ¡°Which one of you can drive a carriage?¡±


    Mammy Gui said: ¡°This old servant has driven an ox-cart in the past, and has not touched it for many years after following Madame. If the Empress trusts this old servant, let this old servant give it a try.¡±


    In this situation, even if he didn¡¯t believe it, he had to believe it.


    Xie Zhen exined the situation to her and told her to ride her horse and rush out, it would be best if she could reach the foot of the mountain.


    Mammy Gui responded quickly. While the people outside were fighting, no one noticed them. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and sat on the shaft, one hand pulling the reins, shouting out loud and charging forward. Upon seeing this, the guards who were busy fighting all followed along and attacked even more viciously.


    There were only three twelve guardians s left, guarding the carriage closely to prevent the First Prince¡¯s men from kidnapping them.


    In the end, Mammy Gui was not proficient with the carriage and had taken many detours. Unexpectedly, he had arrived at the edge of a hill. The slope was steep, reaching all the way to the foot of the mountain. There were dense, sky-reaching trees at the foot of the mountain, as if the end couldn¡¯t be seen. Hong Mei was young, and he was already extremely frightened. He curled up in a corner with his eyes filled with fear.


    The First Prince¡¯s bodyguards finally caught up to him, grabbed him from the carriage¡¯s shaft and threw him to the side. The horse, startled, whinnied and turned to run down the road. The carriage made a circle at the back, separated from the horses, swayed at the edge of the hill, and then rolled down the slope.


    Xie Zhen spun around in the carriage, his head knocking against the carriage walls as he quickly lost consciousness.


    The carriage slid down the hill and crashed into a tree, breaking into pieces. The servant maids s were all smashed into the underbrush, while only Xie Zhen was unlucky. He fell into the river and followed the water flow to the foot of the mountain. When she woke up, it was alreadyte. She was alone, with the dark sky above her and the tall trees on both sides, apanied only by the sound of insects.


    She was soaked, and the night was a little cold, and the wind was so cold that she could not stop shivering.


    Xie Zhen supported himself as he sat down on the tree trunk.


    She had been hit on the forehead when she fell, and even though the bleeding had stopped, it still hurt a little. She curled up in a ball and looked up at the stars above her, and for a moment she was both frightened and helpless.


    I wonder if Shuang Yu will find her when he wakes up? Would the First Prince¡¯s mene for her? Could there be a beast in this forest?


    If she stayed like this for a night, even if there was no danger, she would most likely freeze to death.


    Thinking this way, it was even more hopeless.


    Xie Zhen wanted to stand up and go somewhere else, even if he could not find his way back, maybe he could still see the vige. The leaves in the forest blocked the moonlight, projecting onto the ground leaving only darkness. Xie Zhen stumbled, and couldn¡¯t see his path clearly, so he could only move slowly.


    Suddenly, he tripped over a protruding rock.


    She whimpered and sat up, unable to see if her leg was injured. She was like a lost animal, squatting on the ground and blinking. Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell silently to the ground. She did not want to cry, because that would make her seem weak. However, she could not resist, so she used her sleeves to wipe her tears away as she tried to hold in her tears. She squatted on the ground alone, missing Yan Yu extra.


    She did not know when he would return. Perhaps before he did, she would have already been captured by the First Prince¡¯s men.


    ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, the sound of footsteps came from behind him.


    She froze, not daring to move.


    Until the person behind him spoke: ¡°Ah Zhen?¡±


    She stood up in panic, looking backwards in disbelief, ¡°Gao Xun?¡±


    This voice was without a doubt Gao Xun.


    But why was he here?


    Gao Xun finally found her, and rxed a little, ¡°Finally found you!¡±


    Originally, after Xie Zhen¡¯s carriage fell to the ground, the servant maids didn¡¯t manage to find her. Thus, he returned to his residence and ordered dozens of guards to search for her on the mountain. At that time, Gao Xun finally found the time toe over, but he did not expect that something would happen to her. He immediately rushed to the Lingyin Temple without stopping and searched around the hillside.


    No one had expected her to fall into the water and be washed so far away, so they only searched for her nearby. He had originally thought that he would not be able to find her tonight. However, he did not expect that he would suddenly hear some noise in front of him, which he immediately rushed over to check. As expected, she was right here.


    In the mountain, there were not only Yan Yu¡¯s people, but also the First Prince¡¯s people who were looking for her.


    He found a few sticks of dry wood nearby, took out a fire piston from his bosom, lit it up, and said considerately, ¡°Your clothes are all wet, first use the fire to dry them. After you¡¯ve rested, we¡¯ll continue walking forward, find a house to temporarily stay in, and I¡¯ll send you back tomorrow morning.¡± As he spoke, he took off his outer robes and draped it over Xie Zhen¡¯s body.


    Xie Zhen was really cold, so he did not refuse and wrapped himself in a circle in front of the bonfire to get closer.


    Her face was as white as paper under the firelight. Her eyshes drooped down tiredly and she seemed to be listless. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back now?¡±


    Gao Xun was startled, and then exined to her, ¡°On this mountain, other than the people from the sixth prince Pce, there are also people from the First Prince. If you go out now, you might be caught by them. Moreover, it¡¯s not safe to walk at night, so I might as well wait until dawn before leaving the mountain. ¡±


    She understood and raised her big eyes to look at him. her mouth a thin line obediently nodded and did not speak anymore.


    The moon was in the middle of the sky. It was already midnight.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s clothes had finally dried, and she sneezed towards the fire.


    Gao Xun would extinguish the fire and bury the remaining firewood into the ground. Seeing that, she took off her undergarment and shrugged, ¡°If you continue to take it off, you won¡¯t have any clothes to wear, you will also catch a cold!¡±


    He didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°I¡¯m a man with a strong body. You¡¯re different.¡±


    However, Xie Zhen had insisted on not letting him take it off, and had even threatened to return the robe to him if he disobeyed, which was why he gave it up.


    There was no way to stay here all night. If the First Prince¡¯s men came looking for them, the two of them would not be able to defend themselves. Gao Xun pointed ahead and said to her: ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look over there, maybe we¡¯ll meet a farmer.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded and followed him in.


    They did not know when they arrived, but they did not expect this mountain to be so big. After walking for an hour, they had not seen a single farmhouse. Instead, they were exhausted. Xie Zhen had originally caught a cold, and fell down the mountain, causing his entire body to ache. It was rare for her to walk with him for such a long time without saying a word, and seeing that she was walking slower and slower, Gao Xun knew that she did not have enough stamina, so he squatted down and said to her: ¡°You cane up, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head, ¡°I can walk by myself.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. You look like you¡¯ll faint at any moment.¡±


    Xie Zhen did not say anything.


    She was indeed very tired, but she didn¡¯t want Gao Xun to carry her on his back either.


    He could guess what she was thinking about, but Gao Xunforted her, ¡°There are only the two of us here, no one will see you, and it will not affect your reputation either.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah Zhen.¡± Gao Xun squatted on the ground and turned his head around to look at her. His eyes were open and honest, and his smile was even heavier than before, ¡°When I was young, when I went to Puning Temple to burn incense, I even carried you on my back a few times. Since you treated me as your big brother and your big brother is carrying his little sister, what¡¯s wrong with that? ¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head in the end, ¡°I can still walk.¡±


    Gao Xun was injured.


    He stood up and walked forward with a calm expression, as if nothing had happened.


    As she walked, Xie Zhen felt that it was getting colder and colder. She tightly held onto Gao Xun¡¯s clothes, but she could not help but shiver. Her steps became heavier and heavier, and she felt that her head was getting lighter. Every step she took was especially strenuous, she called out with difficulty, ¡°Big brother Gao Xun ¡­¡±


    When Gao Xun heard the voice, he turned his head around only to see her leaning forward slowly.


    Gao Xun was shocked, and immediately went to catch her.


    ¡°Ah Zhen!¡±


    He touched her forehead. Perhaps it was because she had fallen into the water just now, but the current heat was so strong that he couldn¡¯t even think straight through it. He called her Big Brother Gao Xun and called her Big Brother Xiao Yu from time to time. Gao Xun¡¯s heart ached for her. He carried her and quickly ran to the front to look for the farmers. He called her name continuously along the way, ¡°Ah Zhen, Ah Zhen, don¡¯t sleep!¡±


    She grabbed the front of his shirt and sobbed, ¡°I feel so bad ¡­¡±


    She was already burnt to this state, how did shest follow him for so long?


    Gao Xun scolded her for being stubborn, and at the same time, he pitied her tenacity. His Little Fairy had suffered so much, but he couldn¡¯t share any of it for her.


    Fortunately, there was a farmer¡¯s house not too far away, he anxiously carried Xie Zhen and walked over, and knocked on the wooden door, ¡°Is there anyone there? Save us! ¡±


    There were more than ten farmers nearby, and each of them had hare and pheasants hanging in their yard. It was likely that the hunters living in the mountains had found them here.


    Not long after, a woman came out of the house. She looked kind and asked him what he wanted.


    Gao Xun made up a lie and said that he and Xie Zhen were siblings. They went to the temple on the mountain today to enjoy the incense, but who would have thought that they would be kidnapped by bandits on the way. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to escape, but his sister had a fever. It just so happens that I have a piece of broken silver here. Please stay here for the night, ma¡¯am. ¡±


    The woman sized them up with a gaze of disbelief. ¡°Are you really siblings?¡±


    Gao Xun said yes.


    The woman¡¯s gazended on Xie Zhen¡¯s face. Although Xie Zhen¡¯s body was covered in dirt, one could still see that he had a good appearance. Sheughed: ¡°Anyone who escapes from home will be considered a brother and sister.¡±


    With that, he did not care if Gao Xun understood what he said, but went back to his room to wake up his men, and made a temporary room for them to stay in. They were hunters who lived a life of hunting. Many kinds of medicinal herbs were always kept in their homes, including antipyretic medicines. The woman epted Gao Xun¡¯s silver and fried it overnight for Xie Zhen to pass on to them. She also prepared two sets of clean clothes for them to change into.


    Xie Zhen was burnt silly, the woman helped him change clothes.


    After Gao Xun fed her the medicine, she fell asleep in a daze.


    In the morning of the second day, her temperature dropped, and it was not as hot asst night. She became clear-headed, and when she opened her eyes, she could not see Gao Xun, and started to panic.


    The woman fed her some porridge and smiled at her. ¡°Your brother? He¡¯s giving you medicine outside. He¡¯ll be here in a moment. ¡±


    With that, he recounted how Gao Xun knocked on the doorst night and carried her to plead for help. In the end, he added something else in his words, ¡°Your brother treats you so well ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen lowered his head and did not say a word.


    She could guess how Gao Xun had exined their rtionship and could also guess that this aunt had misunderstood him. However, she couldn¡¯t exin it easily since she didn¡¯t ask him, so it seemed that he wanted to cover it up.


    Before long, Gao Xun came in with the medicine. Seeing that she had woken up, he joyfully sat down on the bedside: ¡°Ah Zhen, how do you feel? Are you better? Do you feel ufortable? ¡±


    Last night he had held her, and she had been saying it so hard that it had made his heart clench.


    Xie Zhenughed and shook his head, he was still a little weak, the color of his lips turned white, and revealed a smile that revealed two dimples: ¡°I¡¯m much better now, thank you Big Brother Gao Xun.¡±


    Gao Xun wanted to feed her the medicine, and she said that she would do it herself.


    With such a big bowl of bitter medicine, she frowned as she drank it, but she still insisted on drinking it.


    If this were before, he would definitely be acting coquettishly while moring over the sweet jujube.


    She did not act coquettishly in front of him.


    Gao Xun realized that there was a moment of bitterness to this reality. He urged her to sleep a little longer and walked out of the house himself.


    Indeed, someone had found this ce during the day.


    It was someone from the First Prince.


    Gao Xun gave the woman and the hunter a few more silver and exined, ¡°My sister used to be a servant maids of arge family. Now that she has escaped, they want to capture her. If anyonees to ask, tell them that you have never seen us before. ¡±


    The woman did not expect that there would be so much trouble. She immediately regretted it and said, ¡°If I know your identities are not clean, I will not let you stay here!¡±


    Gao Xun could only give her the jade pendant on her body. Only then, did she reluctantly agree to it.


    Noon, Xie Zhen was taking medicine in his room while Gao Xun sat beside him.


    Several guards rushed in on their horses and asked loudly if they had seen a woman before, describing her exact appearance to Xie Zhen.


    The woman and the hunter stood in the courtyard and fearfully nodded. ¡°I saw ¡­¡±


    The guard was stern. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The woman casually pointed in a direction. ¡°She said she wanted to stay. I saw that she didn¡¯t know her identity and was afraid of causing any trouble, so I didn¡¯t let her stay. She went in that direction. ¡±


    Seeing that she did not seem to be lying, the guard turned the horse around and led gang in chasing after her.


    After they left, Xie Zhen and Gao Xun heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was not easy to leave from here, and furthermore, they would even meet the First Prince¡¯s men. After discussing for a while, they decided to stay here for a day, and if they did not find Yan Yu¡¯s men a dayter, they would head out by themselves.


    One dayter, Xie Zhen¡¯s fever hadpletely retreated.


    At the western border of the Twilight Zone, it was dusk.


    Xie Zheny on his bed for the whole day, wanting to walk around. Gao Xun also felt that it would be better to walk, so he did not stop her. The yard was covered with wheat and just as thedy was about to put it away, Xie Zhen sat down and watched. The weather in the mountain was cool and refreshing. In the evening, one could still see the sunset, and it was even morefortable than staying in the capital.


    She talked casually to the woman, and she even talked in a way.


    She could talk to anyone. The woman said there were many prey on the mountain, and they hunted for a living. She asked what prey they hunted for, and when she caught them, the woman told her what to do with them.


    She listened attentively with her chin in her hand, nodding asionally with a hint of understanding. Her big, dark eyes recovered their spirit, and her smile was bright and dazzling.


    Gao Xun stood under the window and watched them quietly.


    He never thought that there would be a day where he and Xie Zhen would get along like this.


    He had earned more than a moment of this kind of time.


    The sun in the west was just barely setting, and it was almost sunset. The woman put away the wheat and prepared to go to the kitchen to make dinner. Just as he stood up, he heard the sound of hoovesing from afar.


    Their voices were loud and clear, and there were quite a few people on the scene.


    The woman¡¯s face was pale as she looked towards Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen was also startled, didn¡¯t the First Prince¡¯s man leave? Could it be that he found out he was cheated and came back after chasing them?


    The other person arrived in a hurry. Before they could react, the farmer¡¯s door was mmed open.


    All soldiers and horses.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes were filled with unease, until someone alighted from his horse and stood at the entrance of the farmhouse with a straight back, like a pine tree. He was still wearing the bright armor that Xie Zhen had personally helped him wear when he left. Even after a year of polishing, it was still shining brightly. The clothes he wore entuated his resolution and determination, giving him an unordinary appearance.


    He saw Xie Zhen walking towards her with big steps.

 Chapter 87 - Intimate

    <h4>Chapter 87 - Intimate</h4>


    The woman¡¯s winnowing dustpan fell to the ground with a tter, and the wheat fell to the ground and sttered at her feet.


    When had the woman on the mountain ever seen such a scene? She was immediately frightened by the soldiers and horses surrounding the courtyard. She was speechless. ¡°You, you guys are ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t hear what she said and stopped in front of Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen was stunned, as she never thought that he woulde here. Her almond eyes were wide open, and her pink lips were slightly parted as she stammered, ¡°Big, Big Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    Yan Yu carried her in his embrace, and pressed her head close to his chest. He said hoarsely, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    His arms were stronger than ever, his chest firmer, and his whole body was manly. Xie Zhen¡¯s waist hurt, and she wanted to look at his face, but discovered that he seemed to have grown taller. She could only see his firm chin and protruding adam¡¯s apple.


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t care about the fact that his subordinates and outsiders were present, and couldn¡¯t control his desire for her. He buried his head in her hair, greedily absorbing the fragrance of her body.


    Her scent hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest. It was still a faint fragrance of lotus flowers, both delicate and delicate at the same time.


    He seemed to smell it all the time he¡¯d been at the border, but when he opened his eyes, there was nothing there. At that time, he truly missed her. He always felt that time passed too slowly, every day was torturous. Now that he was back, he held her in his arms and smelled her scent. She was still hismb.


    He raised his head slightly, and saw Gao Xun standing under the window.


    When they came in, Gao Xun originally wanted to escape with Xie Zhen, but he didn¡¯t expect that the one who woulde would be him.


    Gao Xun stood rooted to the ground,pletely at a loss as to what to do, and felt a little awkward. ¡°Ah Yu ¡­¡±


    When he came, he already knew what was going on. Gao Xun appearing here was undoubtedly equivalent to saving Xie Zhen. He said in a neutral tone, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Surprise shed across Gao Xun¡¯s face, but he quickly put on a rxed smile, ¡°Why do you need to thank me before?¡±


    As he said that, he walked past him and patted his shoulder as if nothing had happened, ¡°Ah Zhen fell into the water and caught a coldst night. She burned up the whole night, take good care of her.¡±


    Yan Yu nodded and hugged Xie Zhen even more tightly.


    Gao Xun¡¯s hatred towards him had already faded with the passage of time. After all, they were brothers who had grown up together since childhood, and even though they hadn¡¯t met since many years ago, their rtionship had still disappeared. Before, he was angry because he had left without saying anything and snatched away his beloved. But now that he thought about it, even if Xie Zhen didn¡¯t marry him, based on her status as a the fifth girl of Xie Family, she would never have married him.


    That was why Xie Zhen could be called Little Fairy?


    He was a mortal who was never worthy of Xie Zhen.


    Even if he was to leave the stage, he should have been able to walk with his head held high and his feet held high.


    When Yan Yu asked his subordinate to give him a horse, he jumped on it and without looking back, he shouted for his horse to take him away and left this ce. This ce was basically thest memory of him and Xie Zhen. Even if it was a one-sided dream on his part, it was enough for him to cherish it for the rest of his life.


    Gao Xun rode far away and suddenlyughed out loud. Hisughter transmitted into the valley and startled the birds on the tree that were resting.


    He stopped only when he could no longer see the farmhouse. He lowered his head for a long time, but did not know what he was doing. In the end, he raised the horsewhip and slowly rode towards the capital.


    Yan Yu thanked the hunters and gave them some silver before bringing Xie Zhen back to capital.


    Yan Yu had just returned from Wu Jiang today, and before he had even taken off his armor when he returned to the sixth prince Pce, he heard from the steward that Xie Zhen had disappeared. He interrogated them carefully about what had happened and called over a hundred and eighty soldiers to search the forest. These people had just returned from the border pass with him. They hadn¡¯t even sat down to warm up before they were called back.


    Right now, they were following behind Yan Yu, heading back to capital together.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were riding together, surrounded by expressionless army officers.


    Yan Yu brought her along a small road in the countryside before when he suddenly lowered his head and whispered into her ear, ¡°Why are you so stiff? ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head and whispered, ¡°No.¡±


    She was embarrassed, in front of so many people, did she have to be intimate with Yan Yu? She wasn¡¯t that thick-skinned and didn¡¯t want to be seen as a joke.


    Hence, when she left the Hunter¡¯s house, she sat straight up, her back maintaining a certain distance from Yan Yu¡¯s chest.


    Yan Yu embraced her waist, and let her lean into his embrace. He ced his hand on her forehead and touched it, then whispered to her, ¡°It¡¯s gone, do you feel ufortable anywhere else? Do you want me to walk a little slower? ¡±


    Xie Zhen still shook his head, his small head still shaking in front of his chest, causing him to feel extremely itchy.


    Yan Yu thought for a bit, and couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Was it Gao Xun who found youst night? He sent you to a hunter¡¯s house. Where do you live? ¡±


    Xie Zhen said, ¡°Aunt Xu, clean up an empty room. I will sleep with Aunt Xu tonight, and Big Brother Gao Xun and Auntie Xu¡¯s husband will sleep together.¡±


    Yan Yu was relieved.


    The two of them continued on their journey. Ancient trees covered the sky and blotted out the sun. The dense leaves on the trees blocked the sun above. The forest was cool and quiet, only the sound of the horses¡¯ hooves crunching on the leaves could be heard. Yan Yu and Xie Zhen were at the front, nked by his capable subordinates, one of them Zhou Huaizhi.


    Zhou Huaizhi could not help but look at Xie Zhen a few more times since he had never seen him before.


    But right at this time, Yan Yu lowered his head and asked: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking to me? Do you not miss me? ¡±


    As Xie Zhen stared at Zhou Huaizhi¡¯s eyes and wanted to hear what he had to say, she felt awkward and answered vaguely.


    Yan Yu was not satisfied and insisted on asking: ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s face turned slightly red, her almond eyes were moist enough to drip water, ¡°Don¡¯t ask this for now.¡±


    Why did he have to ask in front of so many people? Can¡¯t I go back and say something?


    Yan Yu lowered his head to look at her rosy face, and red at Zhou Xuan with his eyes. Zhou Zheng immediately coughed once and looked forward with his well-behaved. He was not going to act rashly.


    Yan Yu¡¯s hands wrapped around her waist, he extended forward to hold onto the reins, and pretended to be depressed: ¡°I only walked for a year, and my Little Lamb is no longer close to me.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s face became even redder, and protested: ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡±


    How close they used to be before he left in a year, and why did it seem to have changed? In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have said such words even if he was beaten to death!


    He moved closer and asked again, ¡°Then do you miss me?¡±


    Xie Zhen lowered his head and held the hand that held the reins, and gently scratched it, ¡°I thought of it.¡±


    Her strength was very light, like a small animal acting coquettishly. An itchy sensation spread from her hands into his heart, causing his heart to soften by half. Yan Yu released the reins in one hand, then pressed her head against his chest, lowering his head to kiss the top of her head, ¡°Why can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    Xie Zhen did not say a word. He maintained this posture and rode a horse, tempering himself to the point that his skin was thicker and thicker. He did not feel embarrassed at all in front of others, making her blush all over.


    Xie Zhen buried her head into his chest, exposing only her two bright red ears. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, don¡¯t ask anymore!¡±


    Yan Yu knew that she was really shy and finally let her go. He touched her head and did not force her.


    A group of people entered the capital, causing quite a stir among the citizens of the city.


    Yan Yu told them to all return, and she brought Xie Zhen back to the sixth prince Pce.


    Walking out of the busiest street, they arrived at the road that they had to take back to the residence. There were many mansions on both sides of the road, and all of them were the well-known families in capital. There were few pedestrians on the road, and carriages were all passing by.


    Yan Yu pressed Xie Zhen all the way to his chest, and waited until no one was around before he lowered his head and bit her ear. ¡°Little Lamb?¡±


    She gave a little grunt.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to ask me?¡±


    Of course there were, and a lot of them. It was just that she hadn¡¯t been able to find any convenience on the way back, so she kept it in her heart. She had originally nned to ask again after returning to the sixth prince Pce, but since there weren¡¯t many people left, she asked.


    She raised her head to look at his Adam¡¯s apple, and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch it. ¡°When did youe back?¡± How do you know where I am? ¡±


    Yan Yu caught hold of her small hand that was moving randomly, and bit her finger: ¡°I came back today, and when I came back, I heard from steward that something happened to you, so I rushed back to the mountain in a hurry. I heard from the mountain guards that I couldn¡¯t find you halfway up the mountain, so I went down to the foot of the mountain to search for you.


    Xie Zhen eximed in realization, ¡°Where is my Abba and brother?¡±


    The prince¡¯s mansion is right in front of his eyes, he rode even faster, ¡°Father-inw is still in Wu Jiang, and will only be back after a while. Xie Rong should have already reached home by now. ¡±


    She revealed a puzzled expression, her big watery eyes were filled with confusion, ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t know that something has happened to me?¡± You didn¡¯t tell her? ¡±


    Yesterday, she had left the mountain ahead of time. It was unknown when Madam Leng and Xie Xun had left.


    Yan Yu rubbed her eyshes with his thumb, his fingers felt itchy, and he thought that it was fun, ¡°Yesterday, when you didn¡¯te back, steward Zhao did not let anyone know. After I return today, I did not inform anyone about it, as I did not want them to worry. Now that you have returned, if you want to tell them, you can just say so another time. ¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded his head, luckily they did not let Madam Leng know, otherwise, his mother would definitely be worried.


    Returning to the entrance of the sixth prince Pce, the steward Zhao thanked the heavens and earth that they had safely returned. He hurriedly led them back to the Pce, allowing the servant to serve them with tea. He also informed people to go to the mountain and told the guards not to look for him anymore, saying that the Prince¡¯s wife had already been found by the sixth prince.


    Xie Zhen was frightened, she went back to her room and fell asleep the moment sheid down on the pillow. Yan Yu stood beside her and looked at her carefully.


    Yan Yu slept until nightfall, and when he woke up, the outside of the window waspletely dark. Inside the room, there was a dyed oilmp, and Yan Yu sat beside her.


    She rubbed her eyes and asked in a sleepy voice, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    Yan Yu helped her up because she had just recovered from a serious illness and still needed to drink another day of medicine. Yan Yu had long told the servant maids to fry the antipyretic medicine, and after she woke up, he gave her a warm up and let her drink it.


    After drinking the medicine, Yan Yu ced the bowl to the side.


    Xie Zhen grabbed him by the sleeve, and told him the entire situation that happened yesterday, revealing his doubts, ¡°I think there¡¯s people from the First Prince in the Residence. Otherwise, why would someone spread the news around randomly?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded her head, to let her be at ease, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked, the person who spread the news yesterday has been found, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    While she was asleep, Yan Yu had already asked the steward Zhao to investigate.


    Other than the coachman from yesterday, the ones who had spread the false news in the residence had all been caught, and the coachman was immediately beaten to death. The person who had spread the news randomly was servant maids, Cui Shan. The steward Zhao had been beaten twenty times by Cui Shan, and asked him to instruct her on how to release her. Yan Yu wanted to use her to scam the First Prince, so the first thing he did was to get people to lock her up in the woodshed.


    Xie Zhen was not too surprised to hear that person was Cui Shan, ¡°No wonder Mammy Wang always said that she was not a peaceful servant maids a while ago.¡±


    Yan Yu asked: What do you want to do with her?


    Xie Zhen tilted his head and thought, ¡°She was bribed by the First Prince and almost caused me to lose my life.


    After Yan Yu heard this, he already knew what to do.


    Cui Shan could not die for now, he had to stay and confront the First Prince. Yan Yun had ced spies around Xie Zhen, and wanted to kidnap her while he was not around. If news of this spread to the ears of the Emperor Yuan Hui, it would definitely attract extreme anger. As long as the witness and evidence were urate, Yan Yun would not deny it.


    As for that servant maids Cui Shan ¡­ Just as Xie Zhen had said, being disloyal and unrighteous, after this matter was over, could not be left alive.


    After thinking of a solution, he looked down and saw Xie Zhen looking at him curiously. Under the candlelight, her beautiful face was covered by ayer of hazy veil. With a blink of her watery eyes, Ying Ying, it was no wonder that the sight of it made people itch for her.


    After all, he hadn¡¯t seen her for a year and he couldn¡¯t help but want to get intimate with her.


    He stooped and picked her up and carried her into the inner room.


    Without any warning, Xie Zhen hugged his neck and asked helplessly: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    His thin lips curled up into a smile. ¡°After waiting for a year, of course I¡¯ll make the first move.¡±


    Just as he was about to reach the bedside, Xie Zhen spoke a few words before blushing and burying her face into his shoulder, ¡°I want to take a bath ¡­¡±


    She had fallen from the mountain yesterday, and then into the water, and had walked a long way in the woods, and was already dirty. Since the hunters weren¡¯t able to properly wash up, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If she was allowed to be intimate with him like this, she wouldn¡¯t agree to anything.


    Yan Yu was confused by her cat-like alluring voice and actually agreed, ¡°Alright, take a bath first.¡±


    Xie Zhen heaved a sigh of relief.


    She did not expect that after he told servant maids to take the bath barrel in and boil some hot water, he would actually carry her directly to the back of the screen.


    Xie Zhen was shocked senseless, ¡°¡­ Why didn¡¯t you let me off? ¡±


    Yan Yu raised her eyebrows, and his lips was revealing a smile, ¡°What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 88 - Little Lamb

    <h4>Chapter 88 - Little Lamb</h4>


    Big Brother Xiao Yu had turned into sly during he was in the border!


    This was the first thought that came to Xie Zhen¡¯s mind. The second thought was to push him away and look towards the door: ¡°Let Shuang Yu in ¡­ I want Shuang Yue in! ¡±


    When she was worried, her face would turn red with embarrassment. Yet, she had to use her small temper in front of him, making her look extremely cute.


    Yan Yu¡¯s embrace was empty. He asked with regret: ¡°You¡¯re weak, so why can¡¯t I help you clean yourself?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He actually had this idea!


    Xie Zhen was shocked, as she quickly retreated and crashed into the barrel with her back, ¡°I, I can wash by myself ¡­ I don¡¯t need your help. ¡±


    If she really wanted him to help her¡­ Xie Zhen felt extremely ashamed when she thought of that scene. Although the two of them had already be husband and wife, they had not reached that stage yet ¡­ Seeing that she was about to cry, Yan Yu pitied her and couldn¡¯t rush in. He could only take a step back and call the servant maids in on her behalf as he walked out of the screen with his turn around his body, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    Xie Zhen nodded repeatedly and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan came in and sprinkled some peach blossoms on the tub. As they helped Xie Zhen change his clothes, they asked, ¡°Why is Miss¡¯s face so red?¡±


    Unconsciously, she touched his face, causing Glistening Water to blink in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±


    Shuang Yu nodded, ¡°Is the water too hot? Your servant poured more cold water on it? ¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t just her face that was blushing. Her entire body was also pink ¡­


    Xie Zhen knew that it was not because of the water, so she hurriedly said there was no need, and casually lied: ¡°It is probably because of a fever.¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan believed him and asked no further.


    This time, when Xie Zhen met with an ident in the Lingyin Temple, the two of them, as the closest two servant maids s, were actually unable to protect her properly. They had almost apologized with their deaths. If anything happened to Xie Zhen, they would not be able to see the people of Madam Leng and Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion again in their lifetime. After Yan Yu returned, the two of them had been kneeling in Zhanyue Court the entire time. Fortunately, Xie Zhen had managed to find them and was uninjured, so the two of them stopped ming themselves.


    Of course, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t know about this change in their hearts.


    Xie Zhen sat in the bathtub, his body was wrapped in hot water, all the fatigue in his body instantly disappeared. Sheid on the side of the bucket while Shuang Yu washed her hair. When she thought about what happened next, she became a little absent-minded.


    Shuang Yu gathered her hair in his hands, put on the soap and carefully rubbed it, ¡°Where did Miss fallst night? The servant searched the mountain for several hours, but was unable to find you. ¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted his head and half-opened his watery eyes, ¡°I fell into the river and was washed away by the water ¡­ Even down to the foot of the mountain, I didn¡¯t know where that ce was. ¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan sighed, while Shuang Yan rubbed her arms with his towel and said angrily: ¡°This First Prince is so arrogant!¡±


    They were Xie Zhen¡¯s personal servant maids and had not hidden some things from them, so they all knew what was going on.


    Shuang Yu scooped up a spoonful of water and washed the foam off her head, ¡°How was thatdy saved? You didn¡¯t encounter any danger, did you? ¡±


    Xie Zhen said that she didn¡¯t, but after thinking about it, she still didn¡¯t say it, ¡°I walked for a while, found a house and stayed there for the night.¡±


    Only then did the two of them let go of the big rock in their hearts and seriously bathed Xie Zhen. After washing up, they would help her wipe off the water stains on her body and put on the blouse made of leno s and embroidered shoes.


    When Xie Zhen walked out of the screen, Yan Yu was sitting on the Eight Immortals chair in the hall and exining things to the steward Zhao. He tilted his head and saw that she hade out, and hurriedly sent the steward over to her.


    *


    As Xie Zhen sat in front of the copper mirror, for some reason, she suddenly thought of the booklet Madam Leng had shown her.


    When Madam Leng gave her the book, she didn¡¯t know what was inside at all. When she flipped it open, she was immediately shocked by the painting on it ¡­ She only skimmed through a few pages, then hid the book under the clothes closet and never opened it again.


    But the images were etched deeply into her mind.


    There were all kinds of postures ¡­ She even doubted how it was done!


    When she raised her head, she saw Yan Yu in the mirror. She suddenly turned her head and saw he was standing behind her. He looked at her: ¡°What are you thinking about? You blushed.¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head like a rattle drum, trying to cover it up, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of anything!¡±


    Unfortunately, the credibility of her words was not very high, so Yan Yu looked away gave a lowugh.


    He had really changed a lot this year ¡­ She always felt like he was more like a mature man now? In front of him, Xie Zhen was like a angry little girl.


    Oh, and a spoiled little girl.


    Sensing her nervousness, he took a towel from a nearby wooden rack and stood behind her. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your hair drying?¡±


    As he progressed, she rxed.


    Xie Zhen turned around and looked at him, then quickly said with looked away, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for big brother Xiao Yu to help me wipe my hair.¡± He bit his lip, feeling a bit shy.


    Yan Yu gathered her hair into his palms, and used towel s to slowly suck in the water. Looking at her pink face in the mirror, he could not help but lower his head and bite her left ear. ¡°Why did you let me wipe your hair when you didn¡¯t let me bathe you just now?¡±


    You actually still hold a grudge, you stingy bastard.


    Xie Zhen puffed her cheeks and scolded him in the mirror, ¡°Then don¡¯t wipe it.¡±


    He pretended not to hear her and whispered in her ear, ¡°Little bastard.¡± His hands were strong, and in a few moments he had half dried her hair. He picked up the ivoryb from the dowry and slowly smoothed out her three thousand strands. Xie Zhen was veryfortable with him, but very quickly her entire body rxed. She sat on top of the embroidered pier and leaned in front of him, and asked curiously: ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    Yan Yu asked: ¡°What?¡±


    She muttered to herself, but she could not help it. ¡°You are at the border ¡­ Did something happen? ¡±


    He did not understand. He had encountered many things at the border, so he did not know which one she was referring to.


    Xie Zhen stammered for a long time, his ck, big eyes turned into slits as he said, ¡°You weren¡¯t like this in the past ¡­ ¡­ You seem to have changed. ¡±


    He replied with an ¡®oh¡¯, as if he did not care about it at all. ¡°What has be of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You used to be childish. ¡± Xie Zhen mercilessly cut through.


    Yan Yu clenched his teeth, and stared at her, ¡°How childish?¡±


    She tilted her head as she thought about it seriously, and exined it so clearly and clearly, ¡°I get angry whenever I see it, and I get angry when I see it ¡­¡± And they always like to get angry and yell at me. ¡±


    The rebuke was as if she herself was not childish.


    Actually, the two of them were on par with each other, neither of them had the right to say anything about the other. It was just that Xie Zhen had grown up by a year, and felt that he had matured, even Yan Yu had matured, and that was why he had the words he had just said.


    Yan Yu used his wooden brush to knock on her head.


    Xie Zhen held his head and stuck his tongue out at him, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Slick!


    Yan Yu looked at her and chuckled. He then bent down and wrapped her around his arm between the copper mirror and slowly approached her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me not to yell at you?¡±


    Xie Zhen looked into his eyes and nodded.


    He then asked: ¡°Little Lamb, I¡¯ve done it, can I touch you now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen had been circled around by him, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to reply.


    One of the reasons that Xie Zhen asked was to not touch her, but he never said which one of them would allow him to touch her. Xie Zhen thought for a long time, then suddenly turned her head with a flushed face, ¡°I said that I can¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Will you listen?


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t wait for her to finish, he carried her and walked over to the bed.


    *


    This was the first time the two of them were not experienced enough and would more or less be making a joke.


    Xie Zhen shrank into a corner on the bed, his entire body was wrapped up tightly, his tears flowing down his eyes, ¡°You liar, it obviously hurts!¡±


    Yan Yu was perspiring profusely, he did not expect her to kick him away so suddenly. Since it had alreadye to this critical point, was he going to stop?


    He tried to pull the nket away and pull her out from within, ¡°Little Lamb, I am not lying to you ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen did not let him touch her, and curled up into a ball and rolled around, the back of her head facing him, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡±


    Yan Yu felt a headache, this was truly a little ancestor, his entire body was so tender, he couldn¡¯t even touch it, how was he going to continue?


    He had been waiting at the border for a year, living the life of a monk. If he still couldn¡¯t touch her when he returned, then he would be even more pitiful than a monk.


    Yan Yu made up his mind and turned over to once again cover her body. He could only start over and slowly and carefully serve her again.


    The moonlight outside the window was hazy, and stars hung in the sky in groups of twos and threes. asionally, the sounds of insects could be heard, adding to the tranquility of the night.


    Outside the house stood two gatekeeping servant maids s. They were precisely Shuang Yu¡¯s eyes.


    The two of them had originally been dozing off, but after hearing the sounds in the room and realizing what it was, their faces immediately flushed red.


    They were already twenty years old and following by Xie Zhen¡¯s side. Even though they weren¡¯t married yet, they knew exactly what was going on. Ever since Xie Zhen had married Yan Yu, the two of them had not been getting along well. Every time they returned to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, he would call the two of them to the side to interrogate them.


    Now, the huge burden in the Madam¡¯s heart could finally be put down. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan thought.


    After finishing his business, he should have to use hot water. Shuang Yu carried antern and was about to go to the kitchen to boil some water, when he suddenly heard Xie Zhen¡¯s voice from inside, mixed with her sobbing, ¡°I¡¯m already bleeding ¡­¡±


    She and Shuang Yan looked at each other, seeing the awkwardness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Shuang Yu said: ¡°I will go heat up the water, Your Highness should be needing it in a while.¡±


    Shuang Yan nodded, ¡°You can go, I¡¯ll guard here.¡±


    Very quickly, Xie Zhen stopped crying.


    Shuang Yan¡¯s face flushed red when he heard it outside the door. He felt that it was really hot tonight, it was not this hot in the past, could it be because it was almost summer?


    A quarter of an hourter, Shuang Yu had finished boiling water in the kitchen.


    But the house didn¡¯t let them in, let alone ask for hot water.


    An hourter, it was still the same.


    Not even two hourster.


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan stood outside the house, waiting until the sky had turned white. Only then did the sound of movemente out from the room again.


    *


    Last night, Xie Zhen was exhausted, his entire body aching from the pain, and was sleepless.


    She had originally wanted to have a good rest today, but she was awakened early in the morning by Yan Yu. She was in the light sleep to begin with, so she couldn¡¯t fall asleep even a little bit of movement. Now that Yan Yu had only gotten up and put on his clothes, she bewilderedly opened her eyes.


    Yan Yu put on his outer robe, turned around and rubbed the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep for a bit more?¡±


    Last night, she cried so much that he could not coax her. He did not know that she could cry this much. She was truly a person made of water.


    Xie Zhen huffed and puffed, her tone was a little angry from getting up, her soft voice sounded a little hoarse: ¡°It¡¯s all your fault ¡­¡±


    Her bath was in vain.


    Yan Yu was in a good mood, she would do whatever she wanted, ¡°I¡¯ll get the servant maids to boil some hot water, I¡¯ll help you clean your body.¡±


    Xie Zhen hurriedly pulled back, her small white face tensed up. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ll do it myself. ¡±


    Yan Yu asked her: ¡°Can you do it yourself?¡±


    She did not speak.


    After a long while, he buried his face in the pillow, his cheeks werepletely red, no one knew what shy scene he was thinking, but he said depressingly: ¡°Then let Shuang Yue in and help me.¡±


    I don¡¯t want him anyway.


    Yan Yu knew that she was thin-skinned, and was afraid that it would make people anxious. He no longer teased her: ¡°Then I¡¯m going out?¡±


    She made a sound of acknowledgment.


    Footsteps sounded in the room and gradually disappeared behind the screen.


    Not long after Shuang Yu came in, she quietly peeked her head out from the bed. Her eyes were red, one look was enough to tell that she cried pitifullyst night. Shuang Yu was originally a little ufortable, but seeing that Xie Zhen was even more shy than him, he couldn¡¯t help butugh, as he wet his towel¡¯s face and spirit, carefully helping her wash. If she had to rub other ces, she had to do it herself. Since Shuang Yu couldn¡¯t force her, he gave her the towel.


    She lingered in the house for an hour and just as she was about to put on her clothes, Yan Yu brought a porcin bottle from the outside.


    She quickly shrunk herself in and opened her big, watery eyes. ¡°Why did youe in again?¡±


    Yan Yu sat at the bedside and waved the medicine bottle in his hand, ¡°The wounds on your body will only heal faster if they are treated with medicine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He said it so lightly, who was to me for that!?


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t even have the strength to sit up. He pulled her into his arms and slowly spread the medicine on her body, applying extreme gentleness on every single wound on her body. In the end, she was too embarrassed to raise her head no matter how she buried herself in his neck. He helped her put on her clothes one by one and pecked her on the lips, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Little Lamb, call me Little Turtle.¡±


    Xie Zhen was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    He carried her to the mirror and stroked her head. ¡°Do you look like a tortoise right now?¡±


    She bit his neck. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    As he said that, he tightened his grip on her. Luckily there were no other servant maids in the house, otherwise he would haveughed at her.


    In the mirror, Yan Yu saw two people hugging each other. If she were to raise her head at this moment, she would definitely see a rare tenderness in his eyes.


    He lifted her up and was about to carry her out of the room when she called out, ¡°Put me down!¡±


    It¡¯s fine if she was tired of being in the house, but if she was being like this in front of the servant maids, where would she put her face ¡­


    Yan Yu asked: ¡°Are you really going toe down?¡±


    She nodded affirmatively.


    When Yan Yu released her hands, she frantically climbed down from his body. Unfortunately, the moment her feet touched the ground, she felt her body go soft and almost fell to the ground.


    Yan Yu caught her quickly, and she was ashamed and angry, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    He nodded and pursed his lips, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Xie Zhen red at him fiercely.


    Heughed out loud.


    ¡­

 Chapter 89: An Wang

    <h4>Chapter 89: An Wang</h4>


    When using the morning meal, Xie Zhen''s hands were sore, and she buried herself in the porridge, ignoring everyone else.


    Suddenly, there was a piece of egg pancake with young elm seeds on the te in front of her. She raised her head and looked at Yan Yu, who coughed and said, "Eat more."


    She looked on it helplessly but did not move.


    Yan Yu tilted his head and asked: "Don''t you like eating young elm seeds? There are the ones who brought back from Lingyin Temple. "


    That day, she had gotten the biddy to pick most of the bags of young elm seeds, and wanted to bring them back to make the elm egg pancakes. However, on the way, she was kidnapped by the First Prince''s men and didn''t get to eat it. Fortunately the young elm seeds was in Mammy Wang''s arms, and only a little was spilled, so the rest could still be used to make a few dishes.


    Xie Zhen raised her chopsticks and grabbed the elm egg pancake, but before she could put it into her mouth, the pancake had already fallen into her bowl. Her hands were sore, so she kept her head down to eat the porridge.


    Yan Yu finally realised what the problem was, sitting closer to her, and he picked up another piece of egg pancake and ced it next to her mouth, "Go ahead and eat it."


    What was with the tone of a cat teasing a dog?


    Xie Zhen red at him and humphed with a lowered head, "I''ll just eat the porridge."


    Unfortunately, before she lowered her head, Yan Yu had already raised her chin and pinched her cheek, "Are you going to eat it?"


    She was very resolute. "No! I don''t!" She purposely dragged the word out.


    Yan Yuughed, revealing a row of clean and tidy teeth, "Then do you want to eat something else?"


    At first, Xie Zhen did not react, but when she saw the faint smile on his face, she recalled the scene fromst night and her face immediately flushed red, "You, you are shameless!"


    There was still the servant maids in the room. Although they might not be able to understand what he was saying, she felt that she did not have the face to see him, so she pushed his angrily aside and said: "I won''t eat!"


    Yan Yu knew that he was being too funny, he put away his smirk and said solemnly: "Quickly eat, after we finish eating, we still need to go to the pce, don''t go hungry."


    She turned her head, her eyes full of doubt. "What are you doing in the pce?"


    Yan Yu fed her the amulet before indifferently replying: "I don''t know, I''ll know when I get there."


    He had just returned from the border pass, so no matter what, the Emperor Yuan Hui would host a feast for him. Yesterday, when he returned, he went to Lingyin Temple to look for Xie Zhen, but did not get the time to enter the pce. As a result, Emperor Yuan Hui had an opinion of him, if he did not go today, it would not end well.


    It was just hard on Xie Zhen... He felt sore all over and wanted to follow him around.


    Xie Zhen took a bite of the cake made from elm money and all the food was wrapped into his left cheek.


    Yan Yu scooped another spoonful of porridge for her, "father still doesn''t know about this, I n to tell him after today''s banquet."


    Xie Zhen opened his mouth to eat them, and his thoughtfully nodded.


    Therefore, while he fed her, she obediently ate and asionally asked a few questions.


    Seeing that she was enjoying her food, Yan Yu opened her mouth and ate the food. She chewed on it slowly and then swallowed it. Even the way she ate was so attractive ¡­ He finished thest mouthful and wiped the corner of her mouth with the handkerchief. "Are you full?"


    Xie Zhen nodded, after eating, he had almost recovered a lot of strength. When he looked at Yan Yu, who had been feeding her all this while, he actually did not eat much.


    She went to the inner room to change clothes, and he just had time to eat. He hastily ate a few pieces of egg cake and radish cake, and she was already out of there.


    *


    Xie Zhen changed into a goose yellow spring gown, a flowery bird pattern dress, two scented sachet hanging from her waist, and a piece of jade pendant. On her head was a golden silkntern hairpin and a pair of golden jade plum blossom hairpins. Yan Yu went to the side to wash his hands, allowing the steward Zhao to prepare the carriage before bringing Xie Zhen out.


    The carriage stopped at the door, and they boarded it and headed directly for the pce.


    Yan Yu carried her on hisp, and ced his hands on her waist, "Does it hurt?"


    Xie Zhen opened her round almond eyes and stared at him: "What do you think?"


    He bit her pink lip and massaged her waist time and time again. His strength was just right. Every hit on the spot could indeed remove a lot of fatigue. Unfortunately, Xie Zhen was a ticklish person. She fell into his embrace whileughing and begged for mercy while crying, "Big Brother Xiao Yu, don''t touch me anymore!"


    She did not dare to sit in his arms again. She slipped into a corner and looked at him warily.


    Yan Yu''s eyes revealed helplessness, "Didn''t you say that my waist is painful?"


    She wiped the water from her eyes. "But I''m ticklish."


    Her voice was soft, and she sounded extremely delicate.


    If he didn''t touch her, she would say that it would hurt, and if he massaged her, she would say that she was ticklish. In the end, Yan Yu simply ced her legs on top of his legs and gently massaged her calves with all his might. Only then did she feel better and not me him anymore. She blinked her bright and clear eyes as she sized him up without moving, and her words shocked people: "Big Brother Xiao Yu, are there other women in the border trial?"


    Yan Yu''s movements paused, he turned and red at her: What did you say?


    She trembled under his gaze, and didn''t even have the courage to speak anymore. "How can you be so lovable ¡­"


    No one could me Xie Zhen for his misgivings. The impression he gave others was really too bad.


    Putting aside the fact that he didn''t know how to show kindness to others, he was even throwing away his face for her to see... Now, he would take care of her feelings and massage her legs and feet. He didn''t even hate to talk anymore. Xie Zhen felt that it was rare. Other than this reason, she really couldn''t think of anything else.


    When he touched Yan Yu''s reverse scale, his thin lips curled into a line and stopped what he was doing, "Other than you, who else have I tried to please?"


    Xie Zhen thought about it seriously, it seemed like there really wasn''t any.


    She was silent.


    He continued to knead her calf. "You want me to find another woman?" he asked slowly.


    Xie Zhen almost jumped up, "You dare!"


    He sat down on hisp and looked him in the eye with his head. "If you dare to find another woman, we will leave you!"


    There was no room for negotiation.


    Yan Yu''s eyes flickered, moved.


    After a while, she sat back down on her seat andzilyid on the couch, mumbling to herself, "I was just speaking casually." He paused for a moment before adding, "You are not allowed to take it to heart."


    The corner of Yan Yu''s mouth slowly rose, "What do you mean by saying it casually?"


    Sheid her head on her arms and hummed softly. "You know that."


    In fact, she had just asked him if he had any other women in the borderline and immediately regretted it, because he didn''t seem to have any experience at all ¡­ Last night had hurt her so much, she had bled so much, he was so stupid, she was the only one who was so unlucky and willing to let him do it.


    Yan Yu slowly ced his hand on her waist, and massaged her sore waist bit by bit. His tone was always cold and aloof, "Is it not enough to cause a ruckus with just you? What do I want others to do? "


    Xie Zhen turned his head to protest, "I''m not going to cause a ruckus."


    He asked, "Where are you not making a ruckus?"


    "Here and there."


    Yan Yu was angered to the point ofughing, he struck her forehead hard.


    *


    When they reached the entrance of the pce, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu separated first. One went to the Pce Linde, and the other went to the Pce Zhaoyang.


    Xie Zhen was brought to Pce Zhaoyang by the pce maid and Empress Wang was waiting for her inside the pce.


    When she arrived, she found out that the Emperor Yuan Hui had actually given the order of bestowing the title of Wang to Yan Yu in the morning assembly, bestowing him with the title of General Huai Hua. When Xie Zhen heard this news from Empress Wang, she couldn''t help but think that maybe she would be An Wang Fei in the future.


    As expected, Empress Wang pped the back of her hand with pride, "I''m afraid you guys still need to rebuild your residence outside the pce. You will be the An Wang Fei in the future, and there will be even more people under yourmand.


    Of course, Xie Zhen would not refuse, and said sincerely, "Thank you, Empress."


    Empress Wang''s pale face revealed a smile, as he carefully sized up the girl in front of him. To be honest, when she had just married Yan Yu, she did not think well of the two of them. She thought that if Yan Yu took a fancy to her looks, there would be conflicts after a long time. She didn''t think that they would actually have a good rtionship after a year, and now that their rtionship was better than ever.


    Even when Yan Yu had been in the border trial for such a long time, he had not separated them.


    Empress Wang had no choice but to re-evaluate Xie Zhen. I wonder what kind of special method does this girl have to make Yan Yu happily submit to her?


    He didn''t know what methods to use. As long as a person likes you, no matter what you do, his heart will be tied to you. If he doesn''t like you, then it doesn''t matter what you do.


    Xie Zhen sat at Empress Wang''s ce for a while, and during this time, he paid a visit to the Ping Wangfei, Crown Princess and the other Prince''s wife s one after another.


    It seemed that Emperor Yuan Hui had invited many people to the banquet in the pce.


    Those who received the news all went up to congratte Xie Zhen, who stood up and returned the greetings. It was only until Princess Ping came before her that she said it wlessly, "Congrattions the sisth sister-inw, I had told King Ping that Sixth Brother was the most outstanding out of the few brothers and was also recognized by father. Sixth Brother really lived up to everyone''s expectations and became the youngest brother to be crowned king."


    Princess Ping wore the agallochum color with gold makeup and a short satin shirt. She wore an oily green pce dress with a wide top. Her makeup was exquisite, her smile was perfect, and even her words of congrattions were sincere. It was as if the person who had forcefully trapped Xie Zhen that night wasn''t her, and it was as if the person who had tried to kidnap her had nothing to do with the First Prince.


    Xie Zhen only replied, "Eldest sister-inw is too kind."


    Fortunately, the Princess He Yi also came, so Xie Zhen and the others did not keep quiet. Among these people were the eldest princess, the third princess, whom she had never seen before; the eldest princess, Yan Yuan, and the third princess, Yan Qianyin; the second princess, who had been sick since childhood; she died before she was five years old; the fourth and fifth princesses, who had married far away; and the fourth and fifth princesses, who hade back only once during the holidays. Yan Yao''an introduced them to her one by one, then pulled her to sit by the side and chat. As they talked, Yan Yao''an suddenly eximed.


    Xie Zhen turned his head, and asked while pointing at her neck: "Ah Zhen, why are you red here?"


    Xie Zhen didn''t react and reached out to touch it.


    She very quickly remembered that this was the ce Yan Yu sucked atst night. Her face immediately flushed red and she said shyly, "She must have been bitten by a bug ¡­"


    She didn''t notice when she was about to leave, but Yan Yu didn''t remind her either!


    The spring clothes were rather thin, and didn''t cover her neck like in the winter. Fortunately, her mark wasn''t very obvious, only someone like Yan Yao''an could see her from such a close distance.


    Yan Yao''an was a youngdy who had note out of the pavilion, so she was not very familiar with such matters. She easily believed him, "You still have bugs in your house? servant is too careless, if it was me, I would definitely punish them! "


    Xie Zhen smiled awkwardly.


    *


    They stayed in Pce Zhaoyang for most of the day, and had lunch here at noon. In the afternoon, they followed Empress Wang to the Supreme Pond to admire the lotus flowers, and only when it was dusk did they head to Pce Linde to participate in the pce banquet.


    Because this time, the main purpose of the feast was for Yan Yu, Yan Yu sat on the left side of the Emperor Yuan Hui and the crown prince sat on the right side of the table. Xie Zhen and Empress Wang were sitting at the same table, and around them were his wife and his Prince''s wife. She was smiling and responding to all the people who came to offer their congrattions, making it impossible for anyone to find any ws in her every action and etiquette.


    Empress Wang watched on expressionlessly from the side, and finally smiled and nodded his head in approval.


    Xie Zhen returned to his seat and sat beside her.


    She couldn''t help but look towards Yan Yu''s table. Beside Yan Yu was Xie Rong, the two of them had just returned from Wu Jiang and it was inevitable that a lot of people would go up to toast them. However, it was understandable. After all, with so many ministers present, a toast to each of them was more than enough for them to drink.


    Xie Zhen turned her head and saw that Yan Yao''an was also staring fixedly at that direction.


    Xie Rong was dressed really handsomely today. He was dressed in a profound green embroidered gold gown, and a jade pendant hung around his waist. He was even more formal than usual. When he returned from the border trial, Xie Zhen hadn''t had the time to see him. Now that he saw him, he realized that his brother had changed greatly, and even his drinking appearance had be so calm and reserved. It was no wonder that Yan Yao''an couldn''t bear to blink.


    Xie Zhen turned his head, but had no choice but to worry for his brother.


    Xie Rong was already twenty-one this year, but she had yet to propose a marriage. She said that under her brother''s conditions, she would be able to match up to any girl. It was a pity that his eldest brother''s thoughts were unfathomable, that even his aunt did not know what kind of girl he liked. She would rather wait for another year or two than let him marry someone he did not like.


    Where''s Yan Yao''an?


    To be honest, Xie Zhen rather liked her. But she was His Majesty''s daughter and an esteemed princess. Big brother was destined for nothing good to happen to her ¡­


    Xie Zhen rested his chin on his hands, finally understanding the mncholy of his mother.


    When Emperor Yuan Hui once again spoke of bestowing sixth prince the title of An Wang at the banquet, the ministers below agreed without any objections. After all, with Yan Yu''s achievements, even if someone wanted to pick a fight with him, they would not be able to find anything wrong with him. Only the First Prince, Yan Yun, sat on his seat, with a subtle expression, he smiled and said to Yan Yu: "Congrattions Sixth Brother."


    Yan Yu replied expressionlessly: "Thank you, Big Brother."


    Just as they were about to leave, they heard Yan Yu say to Emperor Yuan Hui: "This son has something to say."


    Emperor Yuan Hui was very casual, "Go ahead."


    He spoke slowly, "Yesterday, when this son returned from the Wu Jiang, and just as he returned, he heard from the servant that Prince''s wife had met with an ident and was almost kidnapped by those people. Fortunately, this son was in time, and Prince''s wife was able to escape cmity. After that, I went back to the residence to investigate. Only then did I find out that someone had faked news and lied that Prince''s wife hade back, so I took the opportunity to ambush them on the way back. "


    For the sake of Xie Zhen''s reputation, he didn''t say that she had spent the night at the farmer''s house, but said that he had arrived in time to save her.


    With that said, all the officials present were startled, the harmonious atmosphere immediately became rowdy, everyone looked at Emperor Yuan Hui.


    Emperor Yuan Hui frowned, "Have you found out what happened?"


    Yan Yu said: "We found out that it was a fake message from a servant maids in the manor. We have captured him now."


    Emperor Yuan Hui asked: "How dare a servant maids have that much courage? Could it be someone was behind all of this? "


    Yan Yu said. He then looked in Yan Yun''s direction without leaving a trace and saw Yan Yun staring at him without moving. He said: "Right now, servant maids is in this subject''s residence. servant has already interrogated him."


    Emperor Yuan Hui mmed his hand on the table and said angrily: "Who has the guts to do this?"


    However, he said: "This son doesn''t dare to casually guess, I beg father to have someone interrogate him strictly."


    The Emperor Yuan Hui thought for a moment, then sent his guard to his residence to capture the servant maids, and bring him to the prison to be interrogated. After all, murdering Prince''s wife was not a small matter.


    After he finished speaking, Emperor Yuan Hui called Xie Zhen over and personally paid her some respects. He was worried that she would be frightened, and even got someone to gift her with a lot of good stuff. Ye Zichen took a look and saw that there were Jade Ruyi Night Illumination Pearls and Emerald Agate ¡­ She kowtowed to show her gratitude and epted the reward in front of the crowd''s envious eyes.


    When she turned her head, she coincidentally met the First Prince''s unfathomable eagle eyes. She stiffened before she stood calmly beside Yan Yu.


    After the banquet, the two of them sat in the carriage heading back to the residence and returned to the sixth prince Manor.


    On the second day, someone from the pce brought over a new signboard. It was written personally by the Emperor Yuan Hui.

 Chapter 90: Rejection

    <h4>Chapter 90: Rejection</h4>


    Sixth prince was bestowed the title of An Wang.


    Xie Rong had also been bestowed the title of vice director of the Military Department. Before Xie Liqing even returned from the Wu Jiang, the Emperor Yuan Hui had already promised to promote him to the position of the Military Department''s Left Vice Minister. The Duke Dingguo set up a feast in his mansion, arranged a banquet, and invited all of hisrades who were officials in the imperial court. He even invited the most famous opera troupe in the capital to sing for three days and three nights straight.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu proceeded to the Duke Dingguo''s Mansion together, ahead of them were the lively entertaining the guests, while the backyard had all kinds of female servants to enjoy the flowers and poems, and chat andugh.


    Princess He Yi specially came out from the pce, and gave Xie Rong a big gift in his name. It was said that it was a treasured sword that had been passed down in the pce for a long time, and on the handle of the de, there were four to five gems embedded, it was extremely dazzling. Others might not know what Yan Yao''an was thinking, but Xie Zhen knew it very well.


    If Yan Yao''an wasn''t the princess that the Emperor Yuan Hui doted on, she might really be my big brother''s good partner.


    Her gaze turned, andnded on Gu Ruyi who was beside the princess.


    Gu Ruyi was wearing a brocade dress embroidered on clothes today. As if she had sensed Xie Zhen''s gaze, her ck eyeballs rolled, and met Xie Zhen''s gaze. Immediately after, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, at the same time being amiable and reserved.


    Xie Zhen replied with a smile. His attitude was calm, and didn''t seem like he was peeping at someone who had been caught red-handed.


    The main reason for holding this feast of flowing water was to find a wife for Eldest Brother, right? Xie Zhen looked at Madam Leng who was talking to the Assistant Minister for Revenue''s wife and smiled. He seemed to understand what the Madam Leng was feeling a little. The Assistant Minister of Revenue just so happened to have a young daughter who was in her twenties. Her name was Yin QiuTang, and she was ady with a good character and character.


    Xie Zhen perked up his ears and secretly listened in on their conversation. Just as he was enjoying it, he saw from the corner of his eyes a tall figure approaching from the distance. It was Xie Rong.


    Xie Rong stopped in front of the octagonal pavilion and bowed to Madam Leng, "Mother, father sent a letter at the border."


    Madam Leng quickly looked over. Her son had returned, but her husband had not. She said in her heart that she was not missing him, but she did not want to appear too anxious in front of so many people.


    Xie Rong shook his head, and took out a letter from his chest pocket, "Father wrote two letters, one of them was given to Grandfather, this was specifically written for you."


    It had to be said that Xie Liqing and Madam Leng were full of love.


    Madam Leng was happy, but she only smiled and told the servant maids at the side to bring him back to his room, "I''ll take a look when I go backter." He then called out to Ronger and introduced him to the other wives, "You probably haven''t seen him yet, this is the wife of the Minister of Revenue''s Assistant Minister, Master Yin, Lady Gao; this is the wife of the Han Lin Institution''s Schr Shen ..."


    Xie Rong greeted them one by one, the etiquette wasplete.


    The other wives were full of praise for him, saying that he was a young genius, and that if he had a way out in the future, he would be a genius once more ... No matter which family''s mother it was that liked to hear others praise their child, the Madam Leng smiled more than usual and humbly said no matter what. Xie Rong stood at the side with a helpless smile. He bent down and said his goodbyes to the Madam Leng, "There are some things up ahead.


    The Madam Leng waved him over.


    After Xie Rong left, Yan Yao''an''s gaze followed him as well.


    She was originally sitting on the seat and couldn''t sit still, so she would nce in Xie Rong''s direction every now and then. She thought to herself, why is he so good-looking and good at everything, to the point that people couldn''t even shift their gazes when he was smiling. When Yan Yao''an saw him, her chest started to jump, as though a little deer was bumping around in her heart, causing her to feel unsettled.


    After Xie Rong walked a distance, she suddenly sat up and spoke to the pce maidservant behind her. "I''m feeling a little ufortable, help me walk around."


    The pce maidservant tensed up and asked with concern, "What''s wrong with the princess? But if the servant were to ask for a doctor, the banquet would still be a long time before it was dismissed ... Why don''t we return to the pce first? "


    She waved her hand and said tly, "It''s not a big problem. I''ll just take a walk around."


    pce maidservant supported her doubtfully.


    She then exined it to Gu Ruyi and Xie Zhen, the two of them asked for warmth, causing her to feel guilty, she only said that there were too many people here, so she decided to go somewhere else to take a breather. Seeing that she didn''t seem to be seriously ill, the two of them were at ease and let her go. They also warned her not to leave for too long and toe backter.


    Yan Yao''an finally left the backyard and stood on the other side of the Moon Cave Gate as he let out a long sigh of relief.


    pce maidservant asked: "Is the princess better now?"


    She shook her head and pointed in the direction that Xie Rong had left, "Let''s go there!"


    It was a bluestone path. On one side was the veranda that led to the front yard, while on the other was a row of trees. Spring arrived, and the flowers covered the branches, falling from the sky in a flurry, as if it were snowing. She didn''t care about the beauty of the scene. She quickened her pace, but it didn''t seem like she was feeling unwell at all.


    Not long after, he saw a familiar figure appear in front of him.


    Xie Rong was bowing his head and exining things to a young servant. His face was handsome, his eyes drooped a little, and after he finished exining, he turned around and continued walking.


    Yan Yao''an immediately walked forward, but unfortunately there was a difference in height between the two of them, and seeing that she could not catch up, an idea came to her mind, causing her body to soften as she let out an "Aiyah" sound.


    The person in front had indeed stopped.


    She lowered her head andughed. Before she could think of an excuse, pce maidservant asked anxiously: "Is the princess alright? Have you sprained your ankle? "


    He tried to pull her up from the ground.


    If Xie Rong did note, how could she stand up?


    Yan Yao''an stood halfway and sessfully fell back down. He cried out in pain, "Don''t help me ... Quickly find a doctor... "


    pce maidservant was at a loss on what to do, she did not know whether to stay behind to apany her or to look for a doctor.


    Yan Yao''an waited for a while, and then a pair of gold striped ck boots appeared in front of him. Above his head, Xie Rong''s gentle and low voice came out: "Can you stand up?"


    She raised her head, her normally domineering and arrogant face had a kind of submissive look to it, "My feet are twisted, help me up."


    Xie Rong had been out for a year, so he had some experience dealing with sudden measures like this. It was not good for him to touch her, so he let Xue Ru help him up onto a rock at the side. He squatted beside her and gently pinched her ankle. "Does it hurt?"


    Yan Yao''an grimaced, "It hurts!"


    Xie Rong did not speak.


    He pressed her ankle and asked a few more ces, and she said she was in pain all the time, nodding her head like a chick pecking at rice. After a while, Xie Rong stood up and said calmly: "Princess''s feet are fine, you can stand up and walk a few more steps."


    With that, he turned and left.


    Yan Yao''an was stunned, he left just like that? Why was it different from what she was thinking!


    He immediately jumped down from the rock and chased after him, "How do you know I''m not injured?"


    He stopped and looked at her, his eyes intriguing.


    She finally realized that she had been running so fast, it didn''t look like she had sprained her leg at all. She smiled in embarrassment, "I was in so much pain just now ..."


    Unfortunately, Xie Rong did not listen to her exnation and continued to walk forward.


    She sighed and blocked his way, raising her eyebrows in the air, "Even if I''m not injured, I''m still a princess. If I fall down, can''t you give me a hand?"


    But Xie Rong said, "The princess has so many people by her side, how can I help them?"


    Yan Yao''an thought that Yue Yang was also interested in her, and his heartbeat uncontrobly quickened, even his voice became much gentler. "If you are willing, I can only let you support me from now on."


    Then she looked at him expectantly.


    A sixteen year old girl, her eyes filled with undisguised affection, how could he not see through it?


    Xie Rong was slightly startled, but immediately replied coldly: "This humble subject doesn''t dare."


    She was in high spirits, as if she wanted to give him great privileges. "What don''t you dare to do? Even father has to listen to me, anything I say will be fine. When I said that I wanted you to help me, no one dared to say anything! "


    Xie Rong remained silent.


    Yan Yao''an thought that Yue Yang was considering, and was wholeheartedly waiting for his answer. Unexpectedly, he took a step back and said with the etiquette of a sovereign, "Your highness, this humble subject does not deserve your kindness."


    Her eyes widened in disbelief.


    He continued, "I have matters to attend to in the front courtyard, so I will take my leave first."


    With that, he turned and left.


    Yan Yao''an looked at his back from where he stood and asked flustered and exasperatedly: "Xie Rong, what do you mean by that? How dare you speak to me like that! "


    Xie Rong paused, and did not turn back, "It is exactly what Princess understands."


    Yan Yao''an watched as he walked away step by step and then disappeared from the drooping flower gate. She angrily smashed all of the in the porch''s potted nts, causing the flower pot to split into pieces. She scolded Xie Rong in her heart. She was a princess with a noble identity, it was his honor to be able to fancy him. Not only was he not grateful, he actually rejected her?


    Who did he think he was?


    "You don''t know what''s good for you!" she scolded.


    At the side, Xue Ru was feeling anxious and afraid. She wanted to advise but did not dare to. She did not know why the princess, who had just been fine, suddenly became so angry that she wanted to smash something. Xue Ru watched as Yan Yao''an smashed a few flower pots. She had a headache when she saw a tear drop from the corner of her eye, then the tears fell more and more.


    Xue Ru was at a loss on what to do. "Why is the princess crying ..." As she spoke, she took out the handkerchief to wipe her tears.


    She cried andined, "How dare he reject me ..."


    Xue Ru quickly added, "Second Young Master Xie doesn''t know what''s good for you."


    "It''s his honor for me to fall for him ..."


    Xue Ru continued to nod her head, "Yes, yes. No one would be envious of such a thing."


    But it was useless. No matter how others tried tofort her, it was useless. She still felt ufortable in her heart. It was as if there was something stuck in his chest, causing him to be unable to catch his breath. She had never liked anyone before, but the first time she saw Xie Rong, she felt that he was different from the others. He was calm, self-contained, and taciturn. However, she had hinted so clearly today that he actually said, "I dare not."


    As a princess, when did she ever lower her voice like this?


    He had gone too far!


    *


    backyard.


    When Yan Yao''an returned, her eyes were red. No matter how Xie Zhen and Gu Ruyi asked, she was not willing to tell them. In the end, pce maidservant Xue Ru stood aside to smooth things over, saying that there was a fly that had crashed into her eye on the road. The Princess felt embarrassed, so she didn''t say anything.


    Gu Ruyiughed, "What''s so shameful about that? Let me see, are the bugs still there? "


    Xue Ru said, "The servant has already been blown away by the princess."


    Yan Yao''an pursed her lips, not saying a word from beginning to end.


    Xie Zhen felt that the matter was not as simple as Xue Ru said it was. She did not know what happened either. She didn''t want to see Yan Yao''an unhappy, so she stood up and suggested: "Ah Xun just went with a few otherdies to Pickled Lotus Tree, how about we go as well? "Let''s see who can pinch more and cook the Silver Ear Lotus Seed Soup at night!"


    Yan Yao''an was in low spirits, "You guys go ahead, I will sit here for a while."


    This really wasn''t like her. She was usually the most active, and she couldn''t stay idle for even a moment. Just what was going on today? Xie Zhen and Gu Ruyi looked at each other. Gu Ruyi said: "Then I''ll go with Ah Zhen?"


    She did not seem to want to keep him here at all. She justid on the table and said listlessly, "Mhmm ..."


    Xie Zhen and Gu Ruyi could only leave together.


    The biddy found a small boat and each of them took one of them to the depths of the Lotus Pond. They each brought one Water biddy who knew the water and one servant maids who was rowing the boat. On both sides were lotus leaves, lotus leaves that reached the sky, and sunflower petals that reflected the sun. Xie Zhen brushed away the dense lotus leaves, and seeing the big lotus seed, he made the servant maids stop, and reached out to grab it. In a short while, he had picked seven or eight.


    She turned to look, she could no longer see Gu Ruyi.


    Xie Xun was also inside. She wanted to find Xie Xun, so she asked the servant maids to paddle a circle around the pond. On the way, she met a lot of girls, but Xie Xun was not there.


    biddyforted her, "Perhaps Seventh Miss has already gone ashore."


    She nodded uneasily.


    In fact, what the biddy said was right. Xie Xun had indeed reached the shore, but he was not at the side of the octagonal pavilion, but under the shade of a willow tree on the other side. The direction of the servant maids was not good, she rowed here, and had no choice but to go ashore. Seeing the grass on the shore and the willow tree covering her head, she sat down to eat a lotus flower bush first.


    She opened up the lotus seed cover, revealing the tender white lotus seed inside. After putting it into her mouth, it tasted fragrant and crisp.


    Xie Xun ate quite a few lotus seeds in a row, and even asked a servant maids beside him, "Are you going to eat them?"


    servant maids did not dare, and shook his head to reject.


    She put it in her mouth.


    Suddenly, aughing voice came from behind him, "Is it delicious?"


    Xie Xun turned his head and saw that Zhong Shang was leaning against a willow tree, wearing a set of sky green practical muslin golden clothes. He held a jug of wine in his hand as he looked at her with a crooked smile. He must have drank quite a bit, but his eyes were extremely clear.


    Xie Xun was surprised: "Big Brother Zhong Shang."


    Xie Xun and Zhong Rou were close, and would often go to the General''s Residence. Sometimes, she would meet Zhong Shang, so she was not unfamiliar with him.


    He walked over to her and leaned over to look at the lotus seed in her hand. "Is this what you''re eating?"


    Even though he had drunk a lot, his expression was still the same, and there was no sign of him getting drunk at all.


    She nodded and smiled sweetly. "Yes, it''s very sweet."


    "Let me try one."


    Therefore, Xie Xun gave him a break. He reached out to take it, threw it into his mouth, and chewed it.


    Zhong Shang took the opportunity to sit beside her and casually asked: "Why are you here alone?"


    Xie Xun pointed to servant maids at the side and spoke honestly, "Du Ruo has stopped in the wrong direction, let''s rest here for a while."


    Duro was ashamed.


    Zhong Shangughed as he tilted his head to look at the little girl who was wholeheartedly eating the lotus seeds. It was noon, and her face was flushed from the sun''s rays. However, it could not hide her original white and tenderplexion. There was a thinyer of sweat on the tip of her nose, making her look like a tofu that had just been scooped out of the water.


    Seeing that she was too focused on eating and ignored everyone, Zhong Shang couldn''t help but pass the wine pot in his hands over, wanting to tease her: "Drink a mouthful of wine, and then eat the lotus seed, it will taste even better."


    Xie Xun raised his head, his clean and clear big eyes full of trust: "Really?"


    He nodded his head with a guilty conscience.


    Xie Xun wanted to try, but he was a little hesitant, "I know I''ll get angry from drinking too much ..."


    Zhong Shang felt that he was like a big tail wolf, slowly luring the kind and ignorant little white rabbit into a trap, "If you don''t tell me, if I don''t tell you, who will know?"


    She looked at servant maids behind her.


    Zhong Shang asked them: "Turn around and leave. You did not order them not to turn back."


    servant maids looked at each other and could only turn around.


    Zhong Shang said to Xie Xun: "Then no one will know."


    Xie Xun was very moved, she moved closer and sniffed the wine pot in his hands, raised her almond eyes and said, "After finishing this, eat more lotus seeds, will it really taste better?"


    Zhong Shang looked into her eyes, and for some reason, his throat felt a little dry and astringent.


    She naively took it, and in the end could not resist the allure of the delicious taste. She poured out a little wine and quickly went over, stuck out her pink tongue and licked it. Then, she frowned, and smacked her lips. "It doesn''t taste good."


    Zhong Shang ced a lotus seed next to her mouth, "Open your mouth."


    She ate it obediently.


    While chewing, he returned the wine pot to with a hint ofint: "Big Brother Zhong Shang lied, it''s not tasty at all like this."


    Zhong Shangughed happily, he did not care that the wine pot had been licked by her before, he drank two mouthfuls, "You probably aren''t used to it yet, but after you know how to drink, you will feel that it tastes good."


    Nonsense.


    After eating an entire lotus seed, she stood up and asked: "Why is Big Brother Zhong Shang here?"


    He raised his head and looked at her. When the wind blew, it just so happened to blow up her jade chiffon dress, bringing with it a sweet and fragrant smell. "There are too many people in front of us. I''lle here quietly."


    She obediently pointed at the small boat in front of them. "I''m going back. I''ll be worried if I don''t see it."


    He nodded. "Then we''ll meet again another time."


    She got into the boat and even before she left, she didn''t forget to give him a few lotus flowers that he had pinched with his own hands. She smiled and waved at him. servant maids rowed in front as she gradually disappeared into the depths of the pond.


    Zhong Shang watched her as she left. He twirled the lotus seed in his hand with his thoughtfully and smiled.


    ...

 Chapter 91 - Annoying

    <h4>Chapter 91 - Annoying</h4>


    There were always people visiting An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    Without exception, all of them came for congratting him.


    There were important members of the imperial court, as well as royal sons. Two or three princes oftene to An Wang¡¯s Mansion, to celebrate or to scrounge food. One time, the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince came and insisted that Xie Zhen go over to apany them. Although it was a sister-inw, for the brothers was drinking wine, it was still a little inappropriate for her. Yan Yu protected her very well, and he did not even let them see her face, using the excuse that Xie Zhen was not feeling well, and only left the two of them to eat lunch, before sending them back.


    Since he hade to offer his congrattions, he could note empty-handed. There were those who offered precious antiques, as well as those who gifted rare birds and strange beasts. However, most of them were gifts to their beautiful concubines and singers.


    Without exception, Yan Yu sent all those who sent women back, to the point where he did not even let them in.


    The officials went back resentfully, somewhat puzzled.


    In the end, no one knew how it spread, but it actually spread word of the sixth prince¡¯s fear of outsiders. Themoners spread word that the An Wang was being controlled by the An Wang Fei and that they did not even dare to touch the fingers of other women. Even the women who sent them home were sent back home. Some said that the An Wang was a fearful person, and some said that the An Wang was a good man that was hard toe across in a hundred years, but without exception, they all thought that the An Wang Fei was a fierce woman.


    After Xie Zhen heard this, he became even angrier,ining to Yan Yu: ¡°How did I be a woman? How am I fierce? I am so beautiful! ¡±


    In the house, the servant maids was all holding back hisughter. He had never heard of someone praising him like this.


    Yan Yu did notugh, and earnestly nodded his head: ¡°I also feel that what they said is not true.¡±


    She sat on hisp and hugged his neck as she deliberately asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want those concubines? I took a look that day and it was pretty good. ¡±


    He allowed her to make a scene, but when he heard her words, he only frowned, ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Xie Zhen thought for a while, before confidently adding, ¡°But not as beautiful as me.¡±


    His lower his eyes looked at her, and his thin lips curved into a smile that was not a smile, and within his mischievousness, there was even a little bit of malice.


    But Xie Zhen was right.


    She already had an appearance of a natural disaster, beautiful without ws. Her eyes were especially bright, and her smile was even brighter than the sun in the sky. Furthermore, Yan Yu had just reunited with her a few days ago, and in these two days, Yan Yu had not let her go. Every night, he would catch her under his body and love her over and over again, causing her to change greatly, as if she was a lot more beautiful than before.


    Yan Yu naturally wrapped his arms around her waist and raised his eyebrows, not saying a word.


    She was unwilling to let him go, and held his face so that he could look at her. ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, do I look good?¡±


    Yan Yu met her gaze, and pursed his lips: ¡°Who could be like you ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she kissed him on the lips and asked with a smile, ¡°Am I not beautiful?¡±


    He was silent, his eyes moving.


    Since he wanted to see if she would make any further moves, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Just as expected, Xie Zhenid on his face and seriously chewed on his mouth, trying to stick her tongue in and tease him. She insisted on asking a question, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, are they beautiful or am I beautiful?¡±


    All the girls loved to ask these nonsensical questions, over and over again, never tiring.


    Yan Yu supported her head, turning the tables and tasting the taste of her mouth before he said: ¡°You look good.¡±


    She giggled and rubbed it against his neck, like a kitten.


    *


    The weather was getting hotter and hotter. It wasn¡¯t even summer yet, but one could already hear the croaking of frogs from the backyard¡¯s pond.


    Xie Zhen was so noisy that he couldn¡¯t sleep at night. The next day, Yan Yu got the servant to catch all the frogs in the pond.


    She didn¡¯t like the sticky feeling on her body. She took two baths a day, one in the morning and one in the evening.


    However, Yan Yu kept making her sticky.


    In this aspect, she could not resist at all. If she had been able to resist in the beginning, she would have beenpletely taken away by him in the end.


    Xie Zhen was very angry, thinking that he really could not control himself, and wanted to restrict the number of times he spent every night. But every time they talked well during the day, and at night he would change his mind, y the rascal, and lie to her for all sorts of reasons. Xie Zhen wanted to scratch his face, ¡°You¡¯re not keeping your promise!¡±


    Yan Yu held her hand, and stole a breath on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve stayed at the border for a year, can¡¯t Ie back and touch my own woman?¡±


    Xie Zhen fumed: ¡°But I¡¯m very tired.¡±


    He immediately put his hand on her waist. ¡°Let me massage you.¡±


    A cat crying and a mouse showing mercy!


    Bad intentions!


    In an instant, all sorts of evil words popped out from his heart. Xie Zhen pushed him away and said, ¡°No, no!¡± Who knew what would happen if he were to rub it? Thest time he had said he would rub her, he had rubbed her clothes, but they were gone, and in the end her waist ached so much that she could not even hit him, and could only stare at him with pitiful eyes.


    She wouldn¡¯t be fooled now!


    She wanted to take a bath, so Shuang Yu brought the hot water in and poured it into the tub. She dabbed at the temperature. Not too hot, not too cold. She chased Yan Yu out of the concubine and worriedly reminded him, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed toe in.¡±


    Yan Yu stood outside the door, looking at her cautious little face, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Xie Zhen had even told the two servant maids s to watch him and not let him in. Only then did he feel at ease to close the door and enter the house to take off his clothes behind the screen. Several marks on her body had yet to disappear and he had added a few more marks ¡­ In fact, Xie Zhen did not reject doing that thing. It would feel a little painful at the beginning, but once she got used to it, she would be able to experience joy from it.


    But he couldn¡¯t think about it all the time!


    He was refreshed. She was the one who suffered.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s mind raced as he sat down in the bathtub and dripped two drops of nectar, then he closed his eyes and rested. She wanted to take the opportunity to rest for a while. Since it was a hot day outside and she was covered in sweat, she might as well stay in the water for a while longer. Without realizing it, she fell asleep. She closed her eyes and dozed off.


    In her dreams, there was someone who licked her lips and even carried her in his embrace. She thought she had dreamt of that big dog again, but she didn¡¯t expect that the moment she opened her eyes, Yan Yu was already sitting opposite to her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When did hee in? She was saying why it felt like the bath barrel had be crowded¡­


    Before Xie Zhen could say anything, he leaned over to cover her mouth and swallowed all her words.


    *


    The sound of the water sshing could be heard clearly by the servant maids standing outside.


    The two servant maids s were both young servant maids s and they were around thirteen to fourteen years old.


    An hourter, An Wang Fei was carried out from An Wang and the two of them were dressed neatly. If they were not standing here, it would be impossible to guess what was going on inside.


    However, An Wang Fei¡¯s white and tender cheeks flushed red. She closed her eyes and shrank into An Wang¡¯s embrace, her long and perky eyshes trembled, looking like two small fans scratching her heart, causing one¡¯s heart to itch. After An Wang carried An Wang Fei and left, the two servant maids entered the house to pack their things. When they saw the scene inside, they were stunned.


    More than half of the water in the tub had spilled out, and the entire room was wet with it.


    It was enough to see what had just happened here.


    The two of them buried their heads into their chests, and cleaned up the mess with a blush. They thought to themselves that the An Wang and the An Wang Fei were really toocquered, and couldn¡¯t even bear to part after taking a bath for such a short amount of time ¡­


    But Xie Zhen was very angry!


    Because of this, she did not take care of Yan Yu for an entire night.


    No matter what kind words Yan Yu said, she did not believe him. This was too much. Was it over? He didn¡¯t even let her take a bath!


    During dinner, Xie Zhen hurriedly finished a bowl of Lotus Seed Eight Treasures Soup, then put down his chopsticks. He went to his room to wash up, then wrapped himself in his nket and prepared to sleep. Not long after, Yan Yu also came over, and wanted to pull away her nket to look, but who knew that this youngdy was so stubborn, and did not allow him to underestimate her.


    She shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Little Lamb?¡±


    She still did not agree.


    Yan Yu waited at the side for a long time, before he finally got rid of her clothes. Only then did he realise that she was still wearing her daytime clothes, which was so warm that her small face was covered in sweat and even her neck was wet. Yan Yu wiped the sweat off her forehead with his hand, ¡°Are you nning to sleep like this?¡±


    She turned to face him with the back of her head, determined to ignore him.


    Hey down beside her and put his arm around her. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± he asked.


    Not really¡­


    He yed with her slender and soft fingers. After thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t think of any other reason that made her angry with him. her mouth a thin line asked: ¡°You don¡¯t like me touching you?¡±


    When he thought of this reason, his expression immediately turned ugly.


    Xie Zhen moved his hand away and inched it towards the corner. Finally, he opened his mouth: ¡°It¡¯s so hot, don¡¯t stick close to me.¡±


    He had learned act shamelessly at the border, so his skin was much thicker than before. While avoiding her, she stuck close to her, ¡°Then tell me, why are you angry?¡±


    She lifted her foot and kicked him onto the ground, stopping him from moving any further. ¡°Why did youe in when I was taking a bath today?¡±


    ¡°I called you from outside, you shouldn¡¯t. I thought something had happened to you, so I went in to see you.¡±


    She had fallen asleep and hadn¡¯t heard him call her.


    Her tone rxed a little. ¡°Then why are you, why are you in the bath barrel ¡­¡± Halfway through his words, he red fiercely at him.


    Yan Yu said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    She fumed, ¡°The servant maids heard it!¡±


    Furthermore, when they went in, they would definitely see the mess inside. How could she establish her dignity outside the servant?


    So it was because of this, Yan Yu promised quickly, ¡°Then I can¡¯t let them stand outside the door next time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen had never seen such a shameless person.


    She was angry with him. She had been ready to argue with him, but he had easily cut her off and she had nowhere to vent. She pointed at the floor and said, ¡°You sleep here tonight. You¡¯re not allowed toe up!¡±


    Only then did Yan Yu realize the seriousness of the situation, and immediately assured her that he would not be intimate with her in front of others, and that no one else would listen to him either. If any ignorant servant maids were to speak out, he would punish them severely. Hearing his words, Xie Zhen was satisfied, she raised her pinky and yed with him, ¡°Can¡¯t you keep it up forever ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu hooked his fingers around her pinky and covered her pink lips before she finished speaking.


    *


    Ten days had passed since thest pce banquet.


    After returning from the pce banquet, Yan Yu had steward Zhao hand Cui Shan over to the imperial guards. The guards led Cui Shan back to the pce and imprisoned her. Cui Shan was just a small servant maids, how could he have seen such a scene? He was immediately scared silly and continuously kowtowed to Yan Yu, telling him to spare her life.


    Yan Yu remained indifferent the entire time.


    Cui Shan was brought by the guards to the prison. When she heard that someone was going to interrogate her tomorrow, she was so scared that she could only cry, and couldn¡¯t even speak properly.


    She was someone who had once met the First Prince when they were out buying vegetables. That person knew that she was from the sixth prince Pce, so he had asked if she was willing to work for the First Prince. The conditions offered by the other party were too tempting. It was enough for her to spend several generations of her marriage without having to be a servant or a servant. Thus, she agreed without much resistance. She thought that at most, they would just die if the matter was exposed, but now it seemed that even death wouldn¡¯t be that easy. There were all sorts of torture instruments hung on the wall, and there were even some leftover chunks of meat.


    She had wanted to give away the First Prince before she went up to Xing, but before she could see the next morning¡¯s sun, her tongue had been cut off at night by a knife and she could not hold on for much longer.


    The next day¡¯s inspection could also be described as biting one¡¯s tongue andmitting suicide.


    The fact that someone had died in prison was heard by the Emperor Yuan Hui. Emperor Yuan Hui sat on the dragon throne and thought for a long time.


    Actually, on the night of the pce banquet, Yan Yu had already told him that he suspected that the First Prince had done it. He never thought that someone would actually make a move that night. After killing the servant maids, they fled back to the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion and never came out again.


    Emperor Yuan Hui rubbed his be. That servant maids didn¡¯t say anything, but Boss couldn¡¯t wait to kill him. Could it be that it really had something to do with him?


    It could only be exined with guilt.


    Why did Yan Yun want to kidnap the An Wang Fei? Was it to win over Old Sixth, or to force him into a corner?


    If it was to rope him in, why would he, as the First Prince, try to rope in his younger brothers?


    His heart was unfathomable.


    The more Emperor Yuan Hui thought about it, the more he felt disheartened. He then called a few guards to continue watching the First Prince¡¯s every move.


    When the news reached Yan Yu¡¯s ears, he seemed to have already expected this to happen, and was not the least bit surprised.


    However, Xie Zhen was the one who was furious, he didn¡¯t need to think to know what had happened. ¡°It must be the First Prince who killed him, he¡¯s afraid that Cui Shan will give him up!¡±


    Yan Yu declined toment.


    Seeing that he did not react, she turned her head and asked curiously, ¡°You knew he would do this? If we have no physical evidence, then we will suffer a loss. ¡±


    Yan Yu smiled and continued to kite for her. ¡°If you can even think of the First Prince, why couldn¡¯t father think of that?¡±


    He was clear about their every move. Even though Emperor Yuan Hui was old, he could not be underestimated.


    Xie Zhen seemed to understand what she meant. She thought for a while, then sat beside him and asked: ¡°So, the First Prince is admitting it without fighting?¡±


    Yan Yu scratched her nose, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Xie Zhen bit her lips and smiled. She finally rxed.


    Right now, there was no need for them to do anything. They could just hold on and not move. The first person who would not be able to sit still would definitely be the First Prince. It would not be hard to find out that the First Prince¡¯s ambition was so strong that he did not even need to fight with the crown prince. At that time, Emperor Yuan Hui would be the first to not let him off.


    When he thought about the First Prince¡¯s actions, Yan Yu¡¯s eyes darkened.


    As soon as he lost his spirit, the bamboo shoot pierced into his finger and a bean-sized drop of blood quickly flowed out.


    Xie Zhen quickly threw the bamboo cane aside and carefully checked the wound on his hand. Luckily, the wound wasn¡¯t too deep, she subconsciously stuck his finger into her mouth and licked the blood droplets off of it. The taste was a little fishy and a little salty, it wasn¡¯t tasty at all.


    Yan Yu was startled, she only felt a warm and small tongue lick her tongue. Before he even had the chance to feel the taste, she had spit it out and used her handkerchief to wrap him up. Then she looked up at him, ¡°Why are you so careless? Will we still be flying kites today? ¡±


    A year ago, the kite he gave her had already turned into a tidal wave and it couldn¡¯t fly again. Since the two of them had nothing better to do at home, he told her that he would make her a new one.


    Yan Yu shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just a small wound, nothing serious.¡±


    Saying so, he took the kite skeleton. Since he was just short of thest bit, he would finish it today. Before the spring ended, he could take her out of the city to fly a kite.


    So he sat on one side with the kite, and she watched.


    Once in a while, when the batter touched his face, she would wipe it off with the handkerchief.


    Xie Zhen was focused on watching him paste the kite when he suddenly used his index finger to wipe her face. She immediately jumped far away, ¡°You ¡ª ¡ª¡± After speaking, she felt that her face was sticky, she wiped it with her hand, frowned her little face and said bitterly, ¡°So dirty ¡­ Big Brother Xiao Yu is so annoying! ¡±


    Yan Yu held up the kite with the picture of a big cat. The big cat¡¯s tail swayed in the wind, looking extremely energetic. He spread his hands and smiled at her. ¡°Do I hate it? ¡°Come and hug me.¡±


    She turned her head. ¡°No!¡±


    If the mountain doesn¡¯te, then so be it.


    Therefore, Yan Yu extended his arm and scooped her up into his embrace, then used his dirty hands to rub her white face, ¡°Do you still find me dirty?¡±


    She nudged him with her arms, trying to make a different tune: ¡°Dirty, dirty, dirty to death.¡±


    He said, ¡°Oh, then do you want my f * cking kite?¡±


    She said nothing.


    He raised his eyebrows and frowned, ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll have the servant take it and burn it.¡±


    She put her hand on his waist, then wrapped her arm around his strong waist and hugged him.


    ¡­

 Chapter 92 - Ah Duan

    <h4>Chapter 92 - Ah Duan</h4>


    On the festive day of March 3rd, Yan Yu brought Xie Zhen to visit the Mingqiu Lake outside the city.


    Yan Yu and Xie Xun, Xie Rong, Zhong Rou, Zhong Shang were also walking together with the group. Originally, Yan Yu did not n to bring so many people along, because it would be bad if there were more people that would be harm to the great tenderness between he and Xie Zhen. However, since Xie Zhen wanted to bring Xie Xun along, he naturally couldn¡¯t say anything else. After arriving at the Mingqiu Lake, it would be the same if he let Xie Xun go.


    It just so happened that Xie Xun was just a piece of small candy, he couldn¡¯t shake her off no matter how hard he tried.


    Wherever they went, she would follow.


    There were people everywhere, and the vicinity of Mingqiu Lake was a sea of people. Looking around, one could see beautiful girls and handsome young men. Yan Yu and Xie Rong sat under arge Tong tree. Seeing Xie Zhen and Xie Xun flying a kite in the distance, Xie Zhen was unable to release the kite no matter how hard he tried.


    Yan Yao¡¯an did note. If this were in the past, she would definitelye when she heard about Xie Rong. However, for some unknown reason, he seemed to have suffered some sort of shock recently. He ignored everyone and seemed to be listless and spiritless.


    Although Xie Zhen was not present, he could roughly guess that something happened between her and Xie Rong that day.


    Xie Zhen had asked Xie Rong before, but Xie Rong did not say anything. He only told her that the princess had sprained her leg, and he helped her take a look, that was all.


    ¡­ ¡­. Who would believe it!


    However, since Xie Rong was unwilling to say, no matter how capable he was, he was unable to pry a single word out of¡¯s mouth.


    Since she couldn¡¯t care less, she might as well leave it at that.


    Xie Zhen was lost in thought so he did not notice his feet. servant maids and Xie Xun didn¡¯t have enough time to support her, so she sat on the ground and took a deep breath. When she thought about it, she felt waves of pain from her knees. She was just about to get helped up by Shuang Yu, when she saw Yan Yu anxiously walking over from afar. He bent down and picked her up, and asked with a sullen face: ¡°Why are you so stupid?¡±


    Xie Zhen retorted unhappily, ¡°The stone is still there. I didn¡¯t see it, how can you me me?¡±


    He carried her to the carriage and stared at her without saying a word.


    Shuang Yu wanted to examine her wound. He waved for them to go down and prepare some water.


    After servant maids left, Yan Yu stared at her until he could not hold it in anymore, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Xie Zhen blinked his eyes and nodded, ¡°It hurts.¡±


    He squatted in front of her and lifted up her chiffon dress and rolled up his pants. Sure enough, he saw that her knees were red and her skin was torn. He was both pained and angry. ¡°Pain and jumping around? ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay put and wait patiently?¡±


    When Xie Zhen saw that he was obviously very worried, yet had a straight face and wanted to scold her, she suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t very painful. She giggled and pinched his face, ¡°What nonsense did Big Brother Xiao Yu say? Isn¡¯t the purpose of bringing me out today to fly a kite with me? ¡±


    Did she even know that he was the one flying the kite with her?


    From start to end, she stayed with Xie Xun and Zhong Rou, and never even nced at him.


    Shuang Yu poured a cup of water from the bamboo tube and brought it over. Yan Yu supported her leg and helped her clear the gravel on her knee. She shrank back, but he held her legs so tightly that she could not move. ¡± ¡°It hurts ¡­¡±


    After cleaning up, Yan Yu used a clean handkerchief to bandage her up, and then carried her to sit in his embrace, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    She buried her face in his neck as she sobbed, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu was fierce towards me, so I¡¯m in pain.¡±


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t do anything about her, he kissed her on the head, ¡°Am I fierce? Does it still hurt? ¡± As she spoke, she lowered her head and kissed each of her cheeks, nose and eyes. It was both gentle and coquettish.


    She shrank back and raised her face. She didn¡¯t look like she was crying at all. She shook her head slyly and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    When Yan Yu said that she was a little liar, she didn¡¯t care at all.


    ¡°Can you leave?¡±


    She stood up and jumped around twice to prove that she really was alright, ¡°It¡¯s just a small wound, how could it be this serious?¡±


    He spoke softly, as if he had forgotten who was the one crying out in pain.


    Seeing that she was really alright, Yan Yu supported her down from the carriage. Just now, the crowd had only seen her fall. They had only seen her fall heavily, and they had no idea how she was doing. When they saw that she hade out, they all went up to take care of her. She waved her hand and said that she was alright. Only then did everyone heave a sigh of relief.


    Xie Xun did not dare to fly a kite with her anymore, and turned to beg Zhong Rou.


    This was exactly what Yan Yu wanted. He got Wu Ze to bring that big cat kite over and flew it for her. Watching from the side, Xie Zhen saw that the kite was flying higher and higher, and could not help but cheer: ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu is so powerful!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but step forward. Yan Yu taught her personally, and out of all the Mingqiu Lake, the two of them were the most conspicuous.


    It was like a pair of people walking out of a painting.


    Xie Zhen looked up at the kite floating in the sky. It seemed that only she and Yan Yu¡¯s kite was flying at its highest speed. Wu Ze handed over a pair of scissors to her, ¡°Cut off the thread, we won¡¯t have any misfortune next year.¡±


    Xie Zhen took the kite and reluctantly cut the thread. Only when the kite was no longer visible did she say with regret, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve released such a high kite.¡±


    When she was a child, she had been flying kites in the yard. There were always trees blocking her path, so she had never flown once.


    She didn¡¯t care about this when she grew up, so her words weren¡¯t wrong at all.


    Yan Yu said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back in the future.¡±


    She suddenly thought of something, ¡°Then do you have to make a kite every year?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, so it could be said that he had tacitly agreed.


    Xie Zhen giggled and dragged her down the tree, ¡°In the future, Big Brother Xiao Yu will no longer be a prince, you can still live by relying on your kite skills.¡±


    Yan Yu stared at her helplessly.


    Beneath the tree, there was only Xie Rong.


    Zhong Shang was not there. He felt that it was boring here and went elsewhere to look for fun.


    He rode some distance into the woods, as if he had expected there to be someone there, and when he reached the stream he called out, ¡°How long are you going to hide?¡±


    The stream was crystal clear and gurgled. Not longter, Gao Xun rode his horse out.


    He walked downstream along the stream. ¡°I just happened to pass by.¡±


    Zhong Shang let out a light ridicule, he was not in a hurry to catch up, and was only wandering around the stream, ¡°idental passing by? ¡°How did you get here from the military camp? Why don¡¯t you teach me?¡±


    Gao Xun was thinner than before, his face was darker, the previously spirited and spirited people became silent, even in the face of Zhong Shang¡¯s obvious taunt they did not say a word.


    He came out of the army camp with Gao Xun today.


    Gao Xun said that he wanted toe to Mingqiu Lake, so he casually asked who else. After Zhong Shang told him about it, he only smiled and said nothing. But no matter how Zhong Shang invited him, he was still unwilling toe.


    What else was there to do?


    He had no hope of breaking this rtionship. If he wanted to break it off, he could only do it as soon as possible. The longer he dragged it on, the more reluctant he would be to part with it.


    There is a saying that long pain is better than short pain.


    After thinking it through, he tried really hard not to think about Xie Zhen these past few days and searched for more things for himself. At first, it was still useful, but one day, after he saw Xie Zhen¡¯s figure appear in his dreams, he suddenly realized that it was only his own mental paralysis.


    He looked at the girl who was standing in front of Yan Yu and talking sweetly, and couldn¡¯t help but be lost in thought.


    Finally, he hardened his heart and turned his gaze away.


    Zhong Shangughed at him, thinking that he was useless like this, ¡°How many girls are there in capital? With your identity, are you afraid of not being able to find him? Why must you insist on this one? ¡±


    If he could figure it out, he probably wouldn¡¯t have turned into such a situation today.


    He didn¡¯t even have the face to see Yan Yu now.


    Gao Xun slowly walked forward without saying a word.


    Zhong Shang called out to him from behind, ¡°If you really can¡¯t let him go, then go find something to do. If this goes on, then even I won¡¯t be able to watch ¡­ An Wang Fei just experienced a bit of tribtion, and reunited with An Wang after a long period of separation. There¡¯s really no room for you to intervene. ¡±


    The words were simple and crude, but they were very reasonable.


    Gao Xun suddenly stopped in her tracks, as if she had thought of something.


    Zhong Shang was baffled, ¡°What?¡±


    He seemed to have made up his mind and swung his horsewhip as he charged out. ¡°I still have matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving first!¡±


    Only Zhong Shang watched as his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.


    Zhong Shang sneered, he shook his head and prepared to return.


    After walking a few steps, he saw Xie Xun standing not far away with a rabbit in his arms.


    He stepped forward and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Xie Xun held the rabbit in his arms up, letting it see its injured leg, ¡°I just chased after a rabbit, and it¡¯s leg was injured.¡± With that, he looked in the direction that Gao Xun had left in, hisrge eyes filled with suspicion, ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang, was that person Big brother Gao Xun?¡±


    Zhong Shang grinned, ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±


    She asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    When she came over just now, she just happened to see Gao Xun leave, so she didn¡¯t hear their conversation.


    Zhong Shang jumped down from his horse and calmly lied to the little girl, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, he¡¯s just passing by. Let me ask if you and An Wang Fei are okay.¡±


    Xie Xun curved his almond eyes and smiled obediently, ¡°sis and I are very good.¡±


    Zhong Shang looked at her smiling face and felt his heart itch. He took the rabbit from her hands and asked, ¡°Where is it injured?¡±


    The rabbit¡¯s hair was grayish ck, and only its short tail was white. No wonder Xie Xun caught him eating until he was full.


    Xie Xun walked forward and pointed at one of the rabbit¡¯s hind legs, ¡°Its leg was scratched by a branch.¡±


    Not a big wound, just a little blood. Zhong Shang didn¡¯t mind as he carried the rabbit to the stream and used water to clean the area around its wounds. He tilted his head and asked Xie Xun, ¡°Do you have a handkerchief with you?¡±


    Xie Xun immediately took out a s that were embroidered with plum blossoms and asked, ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    He said yes, and quickly bandaged the rabbit¡¯s hind legs and handed them back to her. ¡°You like it? ¡°Why don¡¯t we carry him home.¡±


    After struggling for a long time, he finally shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t do it, big brother Zhong Shang should let it go.¡±


    She had even raised her hand to receive it, so why did she put it down?


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows, ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°My mom is allergic to hair,¡± she said sadly. ¡°Our family never raised these small animals.¡±


    When Xie Xun was young, she wasn¡¯t very sensible. Seeing other people raising cats and dogs, she wanted to raise him too. The little girl was born with a fondness for cute animals. Madam Leng couldn¡¯t bear to let her down, so he reluctantly agreed to let her raise a little milk cat. was extremely happy, he took the kitten to sleep with him every day, but there was one time the kitten disobeyed him and barged into Madam Leng¡¯s room. Madam Leng was not in the room at the time, and servant maids did not notice it. was so scared that he started to cry loudly. Guiltily, heid on the ground beside Madam Leng¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t die.¡±


    That day, Xie Xun forced himself not to give the kitten away.


    Since then, she had never had any more small animals.


    After Zhong Shang heard this, he revealed a ¡°so that¡¯s how it is¡± expression.


    Xie Xun thought that he would let the rabbit go, but he didn¡¯t think that he would actually retract his hands and hold the rabbit in his arms, ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll bring it back to take care of you. If you ever think about it, you can go visit the general¡¯s estate anytime you want. ¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s eyes instantly lit up, shining like the morning star. ¡°Really? ¡°Do you want to keep it?¡±


    Zhong Shang walked in front with the rabbit in one hand and the horse in the other, andughed: ¡°Really.¡±


    Xie Xun was extremely happy, just like how she kept her own small animals. She sincerely said ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang is really good¡±, listening to Zhong Shang¡¯s happy mood.


    She gave the rabbit a name on the spot. She wanted to call it Ah Duan.


    Zhong Shang asked curiously: ¡°Why do you need that name?¡±


    She said, ¡°Because it has a short tail.¡±


    The rabbit¡¯s tail was originally short. When Zhong Shang looked at it, he let out a softugh.


    She was in high spirits as she discussed with him how to raise rabbits, worried that he would not be able to raise them well. She also said that she would walk around the General¡¯s Estate often in the future so that he wouldn¡¯t raise Ah Duan to death. Zhong Shang was really the same as her. He had never raised any animals, it was already impressive that he could raise himselfpletely unharmed, let alone raising a rabbit.


    However, looking at the little girl¡¯s happy expression, he felt that he could give it a try.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t a loss.


    Returning outside, servant maids looked for her in arge circle. Only after seeing that she wasn¡¯t injured did he feel at ease.


    The mama thought that Zhong Shang had saved her and thanked him profusely, ¡°Thank you, Young Master Zhong.¡±


    Xie Xun shook his head like a rattle drum, ¡°I went to chase after a rabbit. Nothing happened.


    Xie Zhen pulled her to the side, ¡°Then why are you with him?¡±


    Xie Xun looked at Zhong Shang, and was about to say that she saw him together with Gao Xun, but suddenly saw him raise his index finger to his lips, and gesture for her to keep quiet. She didn¡¯t know how to lie, so she could only stutter for a long time before replying, ¡°We just bumped into each other ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang chuckled as he looked at her.


    Xie Zhen stroked her head and led her to another side.


    It was not Xie Zhen or, but his past reputation was really not very good.


    Before he joined the army, capital was notorious for being disrespectful, and even General Zhong could not do anything to him. Although he had gradually stepped onto the right path after joining the army, he had the aura of a scoundrel. If he was a cunning big tailed wolf, then Xie Xun would be an innocent little rabbit. Xie Zhen was afraid that he would lead Xie Xun astray, so he didn¡¯t want Xie Xun to get too close to him.


    It was gettingte, so it was time to go back.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun sat in the carriage heading back, while the An Wang¡¯s Mansion and the other servant gradually went further and further away.


    Zhong Shang handed Ah Duan to the servant in the manor and reminded him, ¡°Bring him back to me so that he can be nurtured properly.


    servant was his personal servant, his name was Li An.


    Li An was puzzled. When did the Young Master take an interest in these small animals? However, he didn¡¯t dare to ask.


    Zhong Rou looked over and asked casually: ¡°Where did these rabbitse from?¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°I picked it up.¡±


    Zhong Rou looked at the rabbit¡¯s injured hind leg and knew what kind of person his brother was. No matter what kind of creature was in his hands, they would not live past half a month. Do you want me to raise it for you? ¡±


    He actually shook his head and firmly refused, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    Zhong Rou looked at him suspiciously, and without asking further, he went back to his horse carriage.


    On the other hand, Zhong Shang was in a very good mood.


    Late night, Lord Ping¡¯s mansion.


    Recently, when Yan Yun¡¯s temper wasn¡¯t good, even the servant was trembling in fear.


    The pce had recently executed two servant s, and those two had been serving Yan Yun. They had only done a small wrong thing, and did not even have room for mercy, and died from his words. servant didn¡¯t even dare to speak anymore, afraid that doom would befall him, so he had to be even more careful.


    Ever since Yan Yun had his subordinates take care of that servant maids Cui Shan, the Emperor Yuan Hui had ordered people to keep an eye on his every move. He couldn¡¯t do anything these few days, he could only pretend to be a king with a pure heart and little desire.


    Why did the father suspect him?


    Did Sixth Brother say something?


    The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.


    He was in a bad mood, so the ones suffering were naturally the people around him.


    Princess Ping had already been taught a few times by him for no reason. Apart from the necessary contacts, she basically wouldn¡¯t provoke him, lest she angered him.


    On this day, Yan Yun was reading in his study, staying until the end of the decade.


    Seeing that it was toote, the servant advised him to go back to his room to rest.


    He stayed a quarter of an hour longer before he got up.


    The in the porch was empty, only the moon above his head was there to apany him. Tonight was no different from usual. The crickets in the corner began to chirp even louder, one after another. Annoyed by the ruckus, he was about to hurry back to his room when he heard an abnormal sound behind him.


    Something heavy seemed to havended on the ground.


    The servant holding antern paused, ¡°Can you hear anything, Your Highness?¡±


    He frowned. His voice came from under the wall in front of him. ¡°Go take a look.¡±


    servant agreed as he carefully approached with antern in hand.


    Only Yan Yun was left in the the Gallery veranda.


    servant walked to the wall and looked. He held thentern and looked around, only to realize that it was a dead cat. He cursed andined, ¡°I wonder which wicked person threw a dead cat into the courtyard. How unlucky!¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, she heard the sounds of fightinging from the in the porch.


    The servant was shocked and quickly called out ¡°Your Highness¡±.


    Yan Yun¡¯s left chest received the attack, and was in the process of fighting with the person.


    The person was dressed in ck, his face covered by a veil, but his movements were nimble and vigorous. One could tell from one look that he was a practitioner. After exchanging a dozen or so blows with, he realized that his martial arts wasn¡¯t as good as¡¯s, and his chest was injured. He only wanted to dy him, and when the guards of the mansion rush over, he could take him down.


    servant shouted anxiously: ¡°Men, assassins!¡±


    Realizing that he could not win anymore, the man did not continue fighting and kept his sword as he ran towards backyard.


    Yan Yun wanted to give chase, but the wound on his chest was not light. Supporting himself with the pir, he spat out a mouthful of blood and pointed at the direction the ck-clothed man left in: ¡°Chase after this king!¡±


    servant hurriedly came to help him.


    Very quickly, the guards of the manor rushed over, chasing after backyard.


    Unfortunately, the man had already climbed over the wall and disappeared into the night.


    Yan Yun was furious, he threatened to capture him, and even if he had to search the entire capital to find this man, he wanted to see who would have the guts to trespass into the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion tomit murder! The pce guards had received orders to search the streets of capital overnight, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t find any clues even after searching for an entire night.


    On the other hand, Yan Yun was heavily injured, and his heart meridian was almost injured. After the doctor visited, he expended a lot of effort to stop his bleeding, and even said that his mood should not fluctuate too much, and should be meditated. He also wrote down a few prescriptions so that he could take them ording to the instructions written on them.


    Even the night before, he had scolded the servant s of the manor, ¡°A bunch of trash. You don¡¯t even know that someone has barged into the manor, what use do you have!?¡±

 Chapter 93 - Poisoned

    <h4>Chapter 93 - Poisoned</h4>


    After the ck-clothed man left Lord Ping¡¯s mansion, he did not leave too far. Instead, he changed into a set of ck clothes behind the walls of the nearby provincial governor Lin¡¯s Mansion, put on his prepared clothes, and walked out calmly and unperturbed.


    The sky had turned white, and the first rays of dawn were beginning to show themselves.


    Gao Xun came to the two sides of the street and ordered a bowl of noodle soup and a pancake. He sat down at the corner with a calm expression and started eating.


    He watched the street as he ate.


    The street was bustling as usual. There were hawkers on both sides of the street. People wereing and going, and it was bustling with noise and excitement. There seemed to be many guards on this street, checking door to door. When the citizens asked them what was going on, they told them that the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion was robbed at night, and a precious treasure was stolen. The Ping Wang ordered them to capture this thief and punish him severely.


    Very quickly, they arrived in front of Gao Xun¡¯s stall.


    The guard looked around and, seeing no one suspicious, left.


    In fact, when Gao Xun fought against Yan Yun yesterday, he had actually cut open Gao Xun¡¯s chest with his personal dagger, but Yan Yun himself probably did not notice, which was why he missed out on this clue. Gao Xun was d that he covered his facest night. In addition to the darkness and the dark clouds blocking the moonlight, he couldn¡¯t see his facial features. Finding him in the capital was like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    Yan Yun¡¯s dagger was extremely sharp. One sh cut into his chest and left a small wound.


    Gao Xun only used some cloth to bandage it quickly, not enough time to treat it. He decided to apply the medicine after he returned to the army camp.


    He finished a bowl of noodle soup and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.


    He suddenly felt dizzy.


    He paused for a moment, ignoring the fact that he had to keep walking.


    After walking for some distance, he saw a clinic in front of him. He pushed open the door and entered, preparing to pack some medicine to treat his external injuries. However, because his feet were unsteady, he bumped into the person who came out.


    ¡°You ¡ª ¡ª¡± The other party was a girl wearing a Sky Blue Embroidery Shirt with tender green circumference, the chiffon dress s. They frowned in dissatisfaction as theyined and raised their head to re at him.


    He didn¡¯t look at her and lower his eyes apologized, continuing to walk inside.


    Lin Huapin pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and said unlucky thing, he did not care about it at all.


    She was here to get medicine for her father. Recently, his heart had been on fire and he was coughing violently. She was worried that he would fall ill at this rate. Thus, she decided toe to the hospital to get medicine. He didn¡¯t expect to meet a blind man ¡­ She snorted and sat in her carriage. She couldn¡¯t help but think of that person¡¯s appearance.


    He was pretty good-looking, but he was too rude.


    Gao Xun naturally did not know of Lin Huapin¡¯s evaluation of him, he grabbed some medicine from the doctor and returned to the army camp.


    Him not returning all night was a vition of the military¡¯s rules, but he was a Chiliarch, and had Zhong Shang and General Zhong protecting him, so naturally no one said anything.


    Furthermore, he was sweating profusely when he returned. Other people would think that he had secretly gone out to train and admire him.


    Returning to the tent, he took off his jacket, revealing his bare chest. He saw that the wound on his chest had turned purplish ck. The blood had soaked the bandaged cloth and had not stopped.


    The dagger was poisonous!


    He gritted his teeth. The First Prince was really shrewd, even his dagger could be poisoned. It could be seen that he was prepared to fight with others at any time. He did not even trust the people around him.


    He told the soldiers standing guard outside that no one was allowed toe in without permission, and then began to bind his wounds with difficulty.


    His top priority right now was to get rid of the poison, but he didn¡¯t know what kind of poison it was, and there was no cure for him in the barracks. He could only stop the bleeding first. He was currently sprinkling medicine on his wounds, and the tent p was lifted by someone from the outside. Zhong Shang walked in withrge strides: ¡°Where did you go yesterday?¡±


    With his back to the door, he said hoarsely, ¡°Get out.¡±


    Zhong Shang sensed that something was wrong with his voice and didn¡¯t go out. Instead, he went over to look around.


    This time, he was shocked. Zhong Shang stared at his injured chest and asked: ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He answered lightly, ¡°Poisoned.¡±


    Isn¡¯t this nonsense? Only a blind person wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that he had been poisoned!


    Zhong Shang sat opposite of him, but didn¡¯t try to help him out. He carefully looked at his wounds, they were not shallow, and also had poison in them. He revealed a rare serious look, ¡°How did you get injured? What poison did you get? Even though the poison has yet to be cleared, you intend to treat it this way? ¡±


    Gao Xun told him to go to the side and get a white muslin cloth, and wrapped it around him quickly to stop the bleeding, ¡°I still don¡¯t know what poison it is, I¡¯ll go to the street and let the doctor have a look.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t worried at all!


    If the poison was slightly stronger, he would have been killed before he could reach the infirmary. Zhong Shang suddenly stood up, pointed at him and said: ¡°Sit here and don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll get someone to get a doctor.¡±


    Gao Xun called out to me before I had even taken two steps, ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise, tell the world that I¡¯ve only caught a cold.¡±


    Although Gao Xun didn¡¯t know what was going on, he respected his opinion.


    Not long after, the doctor came over and studied his chest carefully. He said that this was a poison of the Western Yi, and the poison was not considered strong, but it was more troublesome to cure, and required several types of medicine to be consumed continuously for a month before it could bepletely removed. He could not use martial arts during this period of time. He needed a light diet to slowly recuperate.


    Zhong Shang told the doctor to prescribe the medicine and the doctor wrote a prescription for him. Zhong Shang then asked a trusted soldier to follow him and catch the medicine.


    Only Zhong Shang and Gao Xun were left in the tent. Zhong Shang crossed his arms and looked at him calmly: ¡°Where did you bring this poison from?¡±


    But he didn¡¯t say anything, and justid down on the bed, ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I want to sleep for a while. You can go out first. ¡°This month, just say that my body is not well and I won¡¯t be able to train with you guys.¡±


    Zhong Shang really wanted to kick his face.


    On ount of the fact that he didn¡¯t argue with him, he would interrogate him when he woke up. Zhong Shang opened his tent and walked out. Gao Xuny on his bed for a long time without sleeping, turning things over and over in his mind. He had a lot of things to do, one of them was Xie Zhen¡¯s smiling face, one of them was Xie Zhen¡¯s figure crying in the wilderness, the other was the scene of him fighting against Yan Yunst night. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the tent was suddenly lifted from the outside, bringing with it a scorching summer breeze.


    Zhong Shang ran over to him and picked him up from the bed. He looked into his eyes and asked: ¡°You went to assassinate the King?¡±


    His eyes were unperturbed as he calmly asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    This sentence was equivalent to tacit agreement.


    Zhong Shang did not care whether he was injured, and threw him back onto the bed, then angrily grinned, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that the Ping Wang is wantonly searching for assassins in the city?¡±


    He closed his eyes.


    Zhong Shang walked around the bed twice, recovering from the initial shock. He turned his head and looked at Gao Xun, ¡°It¡¯s really you?¡±


    He was quite magnanimous, and there was no longer a need to conceal anything. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t returnst night, and was even injured on his body. The timing was so coincidental that it was strange, so Zhong Shang¡¯s guess could not be med.


    I just didn¡¯t expect him to admit it so quickly¡­


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows, ¡°Why did you think of assassinating the Ping Wang? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will take your life? ¡±


    He smiled weakly, ¡°My life is worthless, whoever wants it can take it.¡± It even seemed like it was going to break.


    When he went to Lord Ping¡¯s mansion yesterday, he had already thought about it. If he was unlucky and got caught, no matter how the other party forced him to confess, he would insist that it was the Provincial governor Lin who ordered it. He could not create trouble for Xie Zhen, even if he were to die, he had to me it on the Provincial governor Lin, he was not afraid of death, but he would not be able to take revenge for Xie Zhen.


    It was a pity that he missed. It was a pity that he was unable to kill the First Prince with a single strike.


    Zhong Shang didn¡¯t know what kind of enmity he had with the First Prince, but he could guess about seventy to eighty percent of it. The First Prince and the Crown Prince were not on good terms. Yan Yu was a person of the Crown Prince, and Xie Zhen had married Yan Yu. It was too wishful thinking.


    Whether or not he could avoid Yan Yun was another question.


    But luckily they were in the army, so Yan Yun¡¯s men should not be able to search this ce, and even if they searched, they would not be able to search too carefully, so he might be able to retrieve his life.


    Zhong Shang sat at the side, his posture casual, ¡°You failed this time, are you still nning to go in the future?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Zhong Shang raised his eyebrows.


    However, he said, ¡°Because I found a more valuable piece of information.¡±


    ¡°What news?¡±


    He propped himself up to speak. He treated Zhong Shang as his brother, so he didn¡¯t try to hide anything. ¡°Earlier, the doctor said that I was only poisoned by the Western Yi¡¯s poison, and that we had almost cut off all contact with the Western Yi in the recent years. Shang Jia also rarely sells the things they have, let alone this kind of rare poison. But since the First Prince has it, why don¡¯t you tell me? ¡±


    Zhong Shang propped his chin up andughed sloppily: ¡°You suspect that he is in contact with the People of Western Yi?¡±


    Gao Xun nodded, ¡°That¡¯s very possible.¡±


    Although he did not know the reason behind the rtionship between the Ping Wang and the Western Yi, but if the Emperor Yuan Hui knew about this matter, it would definitely infuriate the entire Emperor Yuan Hui, and at that time, Yan Yun would not have a good ending. The Emperor Yuan Hui had been suspecting that the Ping Wang was guilty of causing trouble recently. If he added abel of colluding with other realms, his meticulously nned n for many years woulde to an end.


    Gao Xun asked Zhong Shang to prepare a letter for him. He wanted to write a letter to An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    Zhong Shang took out a pen and paper.


    He sat on the bed and began to write on the small square table. The letter did not mention anything about him assassinating Yan Yun. It only mentioned that it had seen that the First Prince was in contact with the People of Western Yi and suspected that he was colluding with him. It told Yan Yu to pay more attention to the First Prince¡¯s movements and prepare sufficient evidence to report to the Emperor Yuan Hui.


    After writing it, Gao Xun sealed it with firecquer and sent it to An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    Zhong Shang looked at him with aplicated gaze, making him puzzled. ¡°What?¡±


    After a long while, Zhong Shang finally said: ¡°Are you doing this for the An Wang, or for the An Wang Fei?¡±


    It hit the nail on the head.


    He was speechless, and his face had the look of someone who had just been exposed, ¡°¡­ They were old friends of mine when I was a child, so of course I wish them both well. ¡±


    Zhong Shangughed, ¡°I hope you really think so.¡± After which, he walked out of the tent.


    Gao Xun sat on the bed alone and thought for a long time.


    *


    When Yan Yu received the letter, two days had already passed since the news of the King Ping¡¯s assassination.


    In the assassination of the Prince, the first suspect was the Crown Prince. However, Yan Yun was unable to find any clues rted to them, and even if he wanted to frame them, he was unable to find the reason.


    However, the ck clothed man¡¯s clothes were found at the back door of Provincial governor Lin¡¯s Pce. Lin Rui knelt in the courtyard of Lord Ping¡¯s mansion for three days to prove his innocence. Even though Yan Yun knew it couldn¡¯t be him, he couldn¡¯t help but vent his anger on him. Who asked him to be so stupid? He didn¡¯t even know that he had been framed in front of his house!


    When this matter reached Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s ears, he knew that she was his own son. He assigned the three imperial physicians to treat Duke Ping¡¯s wounds and removed a portion of the people who were monitoring the Lord Ping¡¯s mansion. The Prince¡¯s mood was not as bad as it used to be.


    Yan Yu opened the letter and ced it on the table, looking at it with thoughtfully for a long time.


    When Xie Zhen arrived, he was still reading the letter.


    ¡°servant maids said that you don¡¯t want to eat. What are you looking at?¡±


    He was silent for a moment, then folded the letter and ced it in his sleeve. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    With that, she stood up and held Xie Zhen¡¯s hand, and they went to the hall for a meal.

 Chapter 94 - Canglang

    <h4>Chapter 94 - Canng</h4>


    Inside the Pce Xuanshi, Emperor Yuan Hui was seated on a dragon throne.


    The hall was deathly silent.


    The eunuchs on both sides of the Dragon Throne stood with their heads bowed, not even daring to breathe. They were afraid that they would identally enrage His Majesty.


    A long timeter, Emperor Yuan Hui finally opened his mouth: ¡°You said that Old Sixth sent people to assassinate you, do you have any evidence?¡±


    Yan Yun had someone present a treasured sword, so he said in a serious tone: ¡°This weapon was picked up from the ground the night I was assassinated. There are carvings of Qilin markings on it, only the Sixth Brother¡¯s elite soldiers wear this weapon, father, please inspect it.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui took it, and read it carefully over and over again, but did not say a word.


    Yan Yun waspletely confident so he was not in a hurry at all.


    Emperor Yuan Hui returned the sword back to its original state.


    He was puzzled, ¡°father ¡­.¡±


    Just as Emperor Yuan Hui was about to speak, a the young eunuch came in and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, this An Wang wishes to seek an audience.¡±


    What a coincidence.


    Emperor Yuan Hui announced Yan Yu as he entered.


    Before long, Yan Yu appeared at the entrance of the hall wearing an indigo persimmon robe. He walked forward with wide steps, and when he saw Yan Yun kneeling inside the hall, he was startled. His eyes darkened, and calmly went forward to kneel in front of Emperor Yuan Hui. Emperor Yuan Hui did not let any of them go, and instead asked mischievously: ¡°What, you two brothers agreed toe over together?¡±


    Yan Yun looked at Yan Yu and called him ¡°Sixth Brother¡± against his will.


    Yan Yu, however, did not reply. He retrieved an item from his sleeve and handed it over to Emperor Yuan Hui, ¡°This son has something that father can take a look at.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui indicated for the eunuch by his side to take it.


    It was a letter painted with firecquer, and it stated the time and ce Yan Yun had been in contact with the People of Western Yi the past two years. During the first year, they had not interacted much with each other. However, during the first half of this year, they had met with Western Yi¡¯s Great General Cha Ge¡¯er no less than five times.


    When Emperor Yuan Hui saw it, his expression turned ugly. He held the paper tightly and crumpled it, then threw it in front of the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet, but you guys can¡¯t sit still!¡± He was extremely furious, taking the treasured sword from the elder¡¯s hands and pointing it at the two of them, he said angrily: ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong? To expose each other? ¡°Do you really want to sit in my ce that badly?¡±


    Since the time Yan Yun came, Emperor Yuan Hui was already not in a good mood. Now that Yan Yu had added fuel to the fire, he naturally could not help but explode.


    The contents of Yan Yu¡¯s letter could not not be trusted but also believed. Whether or not Yan Yun hade into contact with the People of Western Yi, had to be investigated thoroughly.


    However, this did not mean that he could just stand by and watch them fight amongst themselves.


    Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s eyes were red, if not for his father-inw¡¯s warning, he really would have stabbed a few holes into them.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you saying a lot just now? Why are you not saying anything now?¡± Emperor Yuan Hui gasped for breath as he sat back on the dragon throne.


    He was old and tired all the time, and his health was not as good as it used to be. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, but once he got angry, he wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe.


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your Majesty, please calm your anger ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu knew that this was not the right time toe and his tone was t, he was not rmed nor afraid, ¡°Reporting to father, since you have already made second brother your king, then I will wholeheartedly support second brother. I do not dare to have any second thoughts.¡±


    Yan Yun knelt at the side and hesitated for a long time, ¡°This son also does not dare to have any second thoughts.¡±


    The Emperor Yuan Hui puffed his beard and red as he snorted coldly: ¡°Now that you¡¯ve said it in such a nice way, who knows what kind of actions you¡¯re going to take behind my back!¡±


    The two of them said nothing.


    Seeing them, Emperor Yuan Hui was annoyed, he waved his hands and ordered them to leave, ¡°These past two months, all of you have been staying in your own residences, you are not allowed to go anywhere. If anyone does not obey, we will strip them of their title as princes, and let them have a taste of beingmoners!¡±


    Yan Yu and Yan Yun answered yes in unison as they left the Pce Xuanshi.


    *


    Neither Yan Yu nor Yan Yun spoke a word first as they rode side by side on the road out of the pce.


    Yan Yu received an unsigned letter. When he saw the contents of the letter, he was shocked, hence he secretly asked Wu Ze and Wu Bin to investigate. Yan Yun had interacted with the great general of Western Yi multiple times just to meet him at the first rank city building. Yan Yu told Wu Ze to spend a lot of money to bribe the waiter of the restaurant, and he told him everything that he knew.


    He had thought that he would be able to take advantage of the recent news and hand it over to the Emperor Yuan Hui, which would be able to topple the level king in one fell swoop. Now, not only did Emperor Yuan Hui not believe either of them, he had even imprisoned them for two months.


    Just as Yan Yu was thinking this, Yan Yun, who had fallen behind, suddenly increased his speed and stood in front of him. Hawkeye stared at him, asking, ¡°Is the assassin who tried to assassinate this king really not Sixth Brother?¡±


    Yan Yu walked past him. Although normally he was quiet, but at critical moments he could make people choke their pants, ¡°Is Big Brother worth it for me to be so reckless?¡±


    Yan Yun did not get angry, butughed out loud, ¡°This king only thinks that it¡¯s rare, I never thought that Sixth Brother would actually be so tolerant. If it was me, I would surely take revenge for murdering my father and mother, no? ¡±


    Yan Yu clenched his reins tightly, his jaw bing taut.


    As if he did not realize it, he continued to provoke him, ¡°Or maybe Sixth Brother never treated them as his parents. Although they are not his own parents, they raised you for seven to eight years no matter what ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and he was biting so hard that his teeth were about to break.


    The reins were firmly in his hands, and veins popped on the back of his hands. He finally closed his eyes, and only after a long time did his heaving chest calm down. His tone was cold. ¡°Big Brother finally admits that you¡¯re the one who did it?¡±


    Yan Yun followed behind her with an extremely presumptuous smile, ¡°So what if this king admits it? Do you have any proof? For two people who are not rted in any way, how can you cut off your own brother? ¡±


    The First Prince and Second Prince were at loggerheads, so the First Prince naturally did not wish for another person to contend for the throne. That was why after he received the news, he immediately sent out guards to take Yan Yu¡¯s life outside the pce without anyone knowing.


    It was just that he did not expect Yan Yu¡¯s adoptive parents to be so persistent, even if he was going to die, he wanted to protect Yan Yu.


    The guards finally killed them both.


    Just as he was about to finish Yan Yu off, the people from Emperor Yuan Hui and the Second Prince came over.


    Unfortunately, the Madame Song and Li Xiqing had already stopped breathing.


    Yan Yu straightened his back, the scene of his parents dying once again appeared in his mind. He was no longer the young man whose mind had been muddled by hatred back then.


    At that time, he had just entered the pce and found out that it was the First Prince¡¯s men who had killed his parents. They had attempted to avenge his parents time and time again, but had almost died at the hands of the First Prince time and time again. If not for the protection of Crown Prince Yan Tao, he might not have lived past today.


    Now that his wings had grown, he slowly learned how to hide his emotions.


    Wait, wait.


    He told himself that sooner orter he would have to avenge his parents and take Yan Yun¡¯s head off.


    He waited for eight years, and very quickly, he reached the end.


    He walked in front and said in a neither humble nor haughty manner, ¡°Big Brother was born from the former Empress, and I was born from the imperial concubine Hui. You and I can¡¯t be considered our biological parents.¡±


    At this point, it wasn¡¯t a big deal to lose decorum, continuing to maintain this hypocritical brotherly rtionship instead made him feel disgusted.


    Yan Yun watched as he walked further and further away, the smile on his face slowly disappearing. In the end, he put on a gloomy face and stared at his back.


    *


    Before Yan Yu even returned to the An Wang¡¯s Mansion, it was already raining outside.


    The rain was especially heavy this summer. Every two or three days, there would be a downpour, and each time, it would stop shortly after. At first, Xie Zhen did not mind sitting in his room, but two hourster, the rain still did not stop. Furthermore, the sky outside was getting darker, and Yan Yu had not returned even after entering the pce for four to six hours.


    She could not help but worry, and walked back and forth in the house, letting Shuang Yu go to the door to see if there were any horses for Yan Yu.


    Shuang Yu returned and shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t see An Wang Lord.¡±


    Xie Zhen asked her what time it was, and she replied him: ¡°At that time.¡±


    Although it was notte, because of the rain, it was no different from the evening.


    The rain fell on the the Gallery veranda, making a loud sound, as if beads of various sizes were falling on a jade te. Xie Zhen was worried that something would happen to Yan Yu on the way, so he sent the servant s of the Pce out to look for him. servant searched along the road from the An Wang¡¯s Mansion to the pce gates, but he couldn¡¯t find Yan Yu¡¯s figure.


    Xie Zhen became more and more worried. Why was he not back yet? Where did he go?


    Since she couldn¡¯t sit still in the house, she might as well hold up her umbre and go outside to search. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan tried to persuade her again and again, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t persuade her. In the journey from the Zhanyue Court to the entrance, there was a lot of water that umted, wetting her shoes and socks.


    She walked forward a distance and suddenly saw someone riding a horse towards her. She recognized the person almost immediately and shouted happily, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu!¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s clothes were drenched from the rain, and stuck to his chest. He stopped his horse in front of her and dismounted, ¡°Why are you out here?¡±


    She raised the umbre to his head. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone so long, but you¡¯re noting back yet. I was worried that something might have happened to you ¡­¡±


    A few drops of rain dripped from her pale cheeks, her hair stuck to her cheeks, and her eyes were clear and bright as if they had been washed by the rain. At this moment, there was a smile on her face as she obediently held the umbre to protect him from the wind and the rain. Her small hand slipped into his sleeve to hold his hand. Let¡¯s hurry back. ¡±


    As soon as he finished, he was pulled into Yan Yu¡¯s embrace.


    She was startled, then turned to look at him. ¡°What happened to Big Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    Yan Yu also didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him. He just wanted to hug her so much that he could pull her small body into his arms and fill up his empty space.


    He said, ¡°Let me hold him for a while.¡±


    Xie Zhen made a sound as he found it difficult to reply, ¡°But it¡¯s raining outside ¡­.¡±


    He insisted, ¡°Just for a moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Xie Zhen held the umbre in one hand and grabbed onto the clothes on his back with the other. Not longter, he started toin, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, my hands are sore ¡­¡±


    Always so spoiled.


    Yan Yu turned his head and gently bit her face. In the end, he released her and took the umbre from her hands, returning back to An Wang¡¯s Mansion with her.


    *


    Both of their clothes were drenched, especially Yan Yu, who was so strong that his entire body was drenched.


    Shuang Yu took out some clothes from the house. Originally, he wanted to help the two of them change, but Yan Yu said that it was not necessary.


    Xie Zhen changed into a new set of clothes. Above them was a white silk dress and below it was a delicate green satin dress, making her look like a sprout that was tender and tender. She took the handkerchief from the servant maids and wiped Yan Yu¡¯s face and hands, asking, ¡°Where did you go just now?¡±


    The rain outside was still pouring down, but a gentle breeze blew the raindrops into the in the porch. The rain fell onto the in the porch, drying and leaving mottled marks.


    Yan Yu sat on the Eight Immortals¡¯ chair, his eyelids drooping slightly. After a moment of silence, he said: ¡°I went to the Mountain Qingyao outside the city.¡±


    The Mountain Qingyao was the ce where the husband and wife of the Madam Li were buried.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s movements slightly paused, he looked at his expression carefully: ¡°Why do you think you want to go there? It¡¯s raining so heavily outside, what should we do if something happens? ¡±


    He did not make a sound.


    Xie Zhen washed the towel at the side, and continued to wipe his hands, ¡°If you want to go next time, you can have me apany you.¡±


    He looked at her and grunted.


    Xie Zhen felt that he was in a bad mood, but she did not force anything out of him. When he wanted to say it himself, he would say it. His entire body was burning like a fireball, but his hands and feet were wrapped around Xie Zhen, hugging her tightly in his embrace, making her unable to even move, and he could only call servant maids for a doctor.


    After the doctor saw it, he said it was a cold that caused the wind, took a pill, and sweated it off.


    After Xie Zhen fed him the medicine, she took out two quilts and spread it on his body. She originally wanted to sleep in concubine tonight, but she didn¡¯t expect that he would hold her hand tightly and not let her go.


    Xie Zhen had no choice but to kick off his embroidered shoes and sleep on the bed with him.


    But he was too hot, and it was summer, though it had rained, and the two quilts were very hot. In a short while, Xie Zhen was sweating profusely, but on the other hand, he was sleeping soundly. He put his arms around her waist, and there was no gap between them. She moaned, ¡°It¡¯s hot, don¡¯t move.¡±


    He didn¡¯t hear it when he fell asleep.


    By the morning of the second day, Xie Zhen was awoken by the heat.


    The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with Yan Yu¡¯s pitch ck eyes.


    When did he wake up?


    Xie Zhen subconsciously touched his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°At least it¡¯s not hot anymore.¡±


    As she spoke, she got out from under the nket. She had to take a bath first ¡­ His body was covered with sweat, and he didn¡¯t know how he fell asleepst night. However, the moment she moved, she was immediately pressed down by Yan Yu. She held her breath, and even though he was a patient, he was still very heavy! She protested, ¡°Brother Xiao Yu get up, I¡¯ll get the servant maids to give you medicine.¡±


    He did not move, and instead rubbed his hands against her neck in silence, his voice hoarse. ¡°Little Lamb ¡­ Please stay with me for a while. ¡±


    Xie Zhen stuck her face to the pillow, and turned her head to look at him in puzzlement: ¡°Didn¡¯t I always apany you?¡±


    He ced his hand on her waist, stroking her smooth skin back and forth. In the future, you must also apany me. ¡±


    Xie Zhen felt that it was strange, why did he say this for no reason? But seeing that he was serious, he agreed. ¡°Okay, okay. Can you let me go first?¡±


    He held her tighter. ¡°No.¡±


    Like a grumpy child.


    Xie Zhen was both amused and helpless at the same time. His intelligent eyes moved about, ¡°Then you aren¡¯t taking any medicine today? No more beds? Are you going to hug me like this from now on? ¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°I can hug you every day for at least the next two months.¡±


    Xie Zhen sensed something strange from his words and turned around, staring straight at him. ¡°Did His Majesty say anything when you entered the pce yesterday?¡±


    He replied in an indifferent manner: ¡°father restricted my Peace King for two months.¡±


    Xie Zhen was startled, why was it rted to Ping Wang as well?


    She tilted her head. ¡°You entered the pce with the Prince?¡±


    He said no, so he told her everything that happened after they entered Pce Xuanshi yesterday. It was only then that she suddenly realized. If you enter the pce together with the Peace King, he will inevitably believe either of you. ¡± Pausing, sheforted him: ¡°What¡¯s there to be sad about? If you¡¯re grounded for two months, you¡¯ll be on leave. ¡±


    She watched very openly, Yan Yuughed because of her rxed tone.


    He leaned against her cheek and whispered in her ear, ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    After pausing for a long while, Yan Yu finally told her the whole story, ¡°Do you remember when we were killed in Puning Temple?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought for a long time before he finally remembered.


    At that time, the Xie n, Li n and Gao n went to the Puning Temple together to burn incense while Xie Zhen and Yan Yu were kidnapped by the ck-clothed man. At that time, the two of them were only seven years old. She had forgotten how they had escaped, only that they hade to a house and been taken in for the night by a kind couple.


    Xie Zhen said: ¡°I remember.¡±


    Among the two men in ck, one of them was Yan Tao.


    The other was the older brother of the former Queen, Ji Ming.


    At that time, Empress Ji had not yet passed away, but her life was not long. She was afraid that after she died, the Emperor Yuan Hui would establish the imperial concubine Hui and take Yan Yu back as Crown Prince.


    Not only that, even the matter of Yan Yu and Yan Yao¡¯an stealing dragons for phoenixes was done by Empress Ji.


    At that time, the Crown Prince was the First Prince, Yan Yun.


    Yan Tao needed a person to link their hands together to stop the First Prince, which was why he could save Yan Yu from Ji Ming.


    After Empress Ji passed away, the Emperor Yuan Hui found out where Yan Yu was.


    That was why Yan Yun wanted to kill him.


    It was just that he did not expect the Madam Li Couple to protect him at all costs.


    Even if Yan Yu found out afterwards, Yan Yun still wouldn¡¯t mind. He could easily lie to everyone, and say that Madam Li and his wife disagreed with him bringing Yan Yu back to the pce.


    Yan Yun only needed to punish the guard who attacked him.


    Xie Zhen finally understood how Auntie Song died after listening to his exnation of all these ¡­ She blinked, trying to blink away the bitterness in her eyes. In the end, both her eyes were red.


    She hugged Yan Yu¡¯s neck and thought about it for a long time, but didn¡¯t know how tofort him. Finally, she rubbed against his chest and said softly, ¡°Can I sing a song for you?¡±


    He touched her head. ¡°Sing what?¡±


    She could sing a lot of songs and y the flute, but she hadn¡¯t had a chance to be married to him for so long. And he loved it when she sang that nursery rhyme, so she sang it to him every time.


    Xie Zhen thought for a while, then cupped his hands in his embrace and cleared his throat as he started to sing, ¡°Canng¡¯s water is clear and beautiful, you can tame me ¡­¡±


    The melodious melody of the song came out from his arms.


    It was originally a grand and magnificent song, but now she began to sing it in a melodious and melodious manner.


    Her voice was long and soft, pleasant and pleasant to the ear. ¡°Waves of turbid water, can make my feet ¡­¡±


    After a while, when she heard no response, she looked up and asked, ¡°Did you hear it?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you praise me?¡±


    All of his worries were swept away as all he could think of was her singing. He leaned over and looked at her round eyes: ¡°Little Lamb, are you my Canng Water?¡±


    She giggled, neither admitting nor denying.


    ¡­


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 Chapter 95 - Bully

    <h4>Chapter 95 - Bully</h4>


    Being grounded for two months by Emperor Yuan Hui, Yan Yu was a little depressed at first, but he finally thought it through, and became satisfied with it.


    He was rolling in ease. Every day, he would apany Xie Zhen through the long day in summer.


    The one who should be worried was Ping Wang.


    Emperor Yuan Hui had recently begun to entrust matters of the imperial court to the crown prince, and would often have the crown prince stay in the imperial study to review and approve the reports. The officials were all guessing if His Majesty was going to abdicate and allow the crown prince to take over ¡­ It would most likely happen the next year or two.


    The temper of the Ping Wang became more and more irascible, and if he didn¡¯t take it out on the servant at the same time, all of the servant were trembling with fear. They were lucky to be able to hide away for even a day.


    In addition, Lin Rui¡¯s corruption and bribery had been exposed, which happened to fall into the hands of the crown prince. The crown prince was kind and did not take his life, but only changed his position, relegating him to the status of an official. As a mere official of the ninth rank, he wouldn¡¯t be able to cause a ruckus. On the contrary, he would be grateful to the Crown Prince¡¯s kindness.


    Yan Tao¡¯s thoughts were right, from then on, Lin Rui was extremely cautious in government affairs, although his nature was the same, but he became much more obedient.


    When Yan Yun found out that Yan Tao had so tantly bribed the Ping Wang, he became extremely angry. He did not have much time to wait, and if he were to drag this on any longer, sooner orter, he would give this mountain and river away to someone else.


    The title of Crown Prince had always belonged to him ¡­


    Thinking of this, Yan Yun tightened his grip on the cloud pattern armrest.


    How could he be willing?


    If his mother had not died too early and he was alone, how could he have ended up like this?


    Yan Tao¡¯s luck was just better than his.


    His personality was gentle and not decisive enough. He was simply not a material for bing a duke, and only he was the most suitable person.


    Thinking about it, Yan Yun stood up, and let his personal attendants deliver a letter to the ministers who were still with him, as he nned his future ns, so that no one would find any clues.


    He had already known a few days ago that the Emperor Yuan Hui had ordered people to monitor him from outside the pce. What he needed to do now was to behave and be his Prince Ping.


    Unfortunately, this was not what he wanted.


    Compared to when Yan Yun was preparing for a bloody battle, An Wang¡¯s Mansion seemed to be much happier.


    It was too hot in the sky, so Yan Yu had his men set up a grape arbour at backyard. There was a short bed under the grape arbour, and the bed was covered with bamboo. After the hottest part of the afternoon, Xie Zhen liked to take a nap under the grape arbor. However, she would only eat the grapes that Shuang Yu had washed and read the book at the same time.


    The bed could just amodate two people, and Yan Yu would asionally squeeze in, she felt that it was too hot, and wanted to chase him out, but ended up being carried by him in the end. When he woke up, the sun had already set in the west. Yan Yu wrapped her around his arm and casually looked at the book in her hand.


    Xie Zhen yawned and said in a sleepy voice, ¡°Just some small stories ¡­ They talked about a girl who grew up together with her childhood sweetheart. When the two of them reached the age of marriage, they also had simr feelings for each other. Just as they were about to talk about marriage, that girl was suddenly selected by a bully and married into their family as a wife. ¡± After she finished saying all this, her mind became much clearer. She sat up and continued to speak with relish, ¡°Ever since Miss married the bully, she has been living a depressed life every day. However, her childhood sweetheart has never married, waiting foolishly for her ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he saw that Yan Yu¡¯s face was not well: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You don¡¯t like this story? ¡±


    He threw the book to the side and said in a stiff tone: ¡°Nonsense, what¡¯s the meaning of this!¡±


    Xie Zhen disagreed, and said while smiling, ¡°I think it¡¯s quite nice to watch, that girl¡¯s bamboo stallion is really a deep lover ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu did not speak.


    Because he thought of Xie Zhen and Gao Xun. If the two of them could be considered childhood friends, then wouldn¡¯t he be the bully within the book?


    He coldly snorted. So what if you¡¯re a bully? It¡¯s fine as long as you can get your wife in your hands. As for what path you¡¯re using, it¡¯spletely important.


    After thinking it through, he grabbed Xie Zhen¡¯s hand and pressed her onto the bed. He then pulled out a grape from the te on the square table and fed it to her.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t eat it, and let him skin her before feeding it to her, ¡°He¡¯s waited for that girl for many years, now there¡¯s no one who is so infatuated!¡±


    Eating grapes was already such a big deal. Although Yan Yu said that she was troubled, he obediently peeled her skin and fed it into her mouth, ¡°How many years?¡±


    Xie Zhen raised three of his fingers, ¡°Three years!¡±


    He snorted, ¡°Three years is nothing.¡±


    He had waited for her for seven years, from eight to fifteen.


    It was a pity that he didn¡¯t have the nerve to say it.


    It was even harder for him to admit that he had been fond of her since he was a child. In fact, when he was seven or eight years old, his emotions were all muddled. He didn¡¯t know what it meant to be a man and a woman. He only had a good impression and liked to y with this person. Yan Yu didn¡¯t know when he fell for her, but when he was very tired at the pce, he would always think of Xie Zhen¡¯s smiling face. She was always smiling so brightly, as if nothing in the world could defeat her.


    He missed her, so every time he spent time with her, he kept repeating it in his head so many times that he couldn¡¯t forget it even if he wanted to.


    However, when he appeared before her, she actually walked past him without looking at him.


    Back then, he was both furious and resentful. He wished that he could directly ask her if she had really forgotten about him.


    And he did.


    In a sh, a year and a half had passed.


    Xie Zhen pushed his head to get him up. The sun was about to set and the courtyard wasn¡¯t that hot either, she wanted to walk around outside the grape arbour.


    Yan Yu did not move. When he lowered his head, he saw that her hair was loose and her eyes had a look of displeasure, he could not help but think of something. He went close to her ear and asked: ¡°Do you still want to eat grapes?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head, ¡°Not eating, I ate a bit too much today.¡±


    Shuang Yu had washed two grapes, and she herself had almost finished them all. For this reason, she didn¡¯t even have an appetite for lunch. Just as he finished speaking, Yan Yu grabbed another grape from the side, and said meaningfully: ¡°Let¡¯s try out another method to eat today?¡±


    Xie Zhen was not interested in the beginning, but after hearing what he said, she blinked her eyes and asked: ¡°What method of eating in exchange?¡±


    He smiled, his thin lips sliding down her cheek to hers, and kissed the scream that came out of her mouth.


    Beneath the grape arbor, there was only a mewling sound that sounded like the cry of a cat. Unfortunately, it was blocked by the cab with virid yarns, making it impossible to see the interior. Xie Zhen¡¯s voice was thin and soft, as though she was crying, but also sounded like she was begging for forgiveness. ¡°Don¡¯t put it in there¡­¡±


    Fortunately, there were no servant moving around in the backyard. Furthermore, it was getting dark, so everyone was busy preparing dinner in the front courtyard.


    Otherwise, if they were to be overheard, it would not only be a matter of losing face.


    An hourter, Xie Zhenid in Yan Yu¡¯s embrace weakly, raising his hands to pinch his waist in anger, ¡°You won¡¯t listen to me!¡±


    Unfortunately, her hand was weak and didn¡¯t hurt at all when she twisted it. It was more like a kitten scratching its itch.


    Yan Yu pressed his chin against her forehead, and smiled, ¡°Why am I not obedient?¡±


    Her cheeks bulged. ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to eat ¡­¡±


    Halfway through his words, his face turned red.


    Yan Yu gave a low ¡°oh¡±. It was unknown if he had thickened his skin or what, but he actually said in a sparse and ordinary tone, ¡°But I like eating. Little Lamb, can we also eat grapes like this next time? ¡±


    As he said this, he tied on a belt and helped her up. After tidying up her hair, he looked around and was finally satisfied.


    Xie Zhen shook his head like a rattle drum, and quickly refused. I don¡¯t like it! ¡±


    After this experience, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t even dare to stay under the grape arbour to cool down, afraid that he would suddenly have another chance to try again one day. But it was hot, and she had nowhere to go but there, or she was hiding in the house, and in a few days she was bored to death.


    After hearing that the mountain was cool, Yan Yu got someone to buy a courtyard at the foot of Changyu Mountain outside the city. It was located on the shady side of the mountain and blocked by trees. It was a pity that Yan Yu was currently in a forbidden state and couldn¡¯t go out at will. Otherwise, he could bring her along to take shelter for the summer.


    Xie Zhen felt very regretful. After making Yan Yu repeatedly promise not to force her to eat the grapes again, she was willing to lie down under the grape arbor. One side was ake and the other was a willow tree. This summer was quite fast.


    *


    In the barracks.


    Half of the poison in Gao Xun¡¯s body had been cleared, while the other half needed to be treated every day at the clinic by acupuncture to force the poison out of his body.


    Zhong Shang wanted to invite the doctor to the army camp so that they wouldn¡¯t have to travel to different ces every day. However, Gao Xun rejected it. Leaving the doctor in the army camp would only raise more suspicions, so it would be better for him to head there every day.


    On this day, when Gao Xun left the infirmary, seeing that it was still early, he went to the restaurant at the side and asked for a jug of wine.


    He did not return to the barracks. Instead, he sat by the window and drank.


    The wound on his chest was almost healed, and the doctor said it would be all right to have a drink. However, as he continued to drink, he continued to drink, one cup after another. As he drank, everything before him started to blur. He drank a few more sses until he had finished thest of the wine in the jug before he stood up and went to the counter to pay the bill.


    Walking out of the restaurant, he found that the streets were bustling with people. Every face was unfamiliar to him. He looked around, but he couldn¡¯t find the person he wanted to see.


    He walked on shakily, as if he had run into a few people. He only nodded in apology, but they didn¡¯t bother with him when they saw his drunkenness. It was only when he bumped into a girl wearing a red dress that the girl frowned and asked, ¡°Why is it you again?¡±


    He squinted his eyes. He remembered that Xie Zhen also had a piece of cloth like that, and blurted out: ¡°Ah Zhen ¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he fell straight towards the side of the road.


    Lin Huapin was shocked, he asked the servant maids to look under his nose, and only after realizing that he was still alive, did he heave a sigh of relief.


    Recalling the two words that came out of his mouth before he fainted, Lin Huapin couldn¡¯t help but look at him a couple of times. Seeing his mouth open and close as if he was mumbling something, Lin Huapin squatted down to his mouth to listen.


    ¡°Ah Zhen¡­ Ah Zhen. ¡±


    This was the only word that came and went.


    She patted his face, ¡°Which Ah Zhen? Who is Ah Zhen? ¡±


    He scrunched his eyebrows, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lin Huapin¡¯s eyes lit up, and she quickly calmed down. She turned to the two biddies behind her and said, ¡°Carry him to the carriage and send him to the nearest inn. If anyone else asks, just say that he is my Elder Cousin Roundhouse. ¡±


    Although the biddy was puzzled, he still followed her orders.


    Her father had just been stripped of his position, so his sry naturally fell by leaps and bounds. The days at home were not asfortable as it used to be. Thest time they had met in the infirmary, he had also rudely hit her, but she had not expected him to act like this today. He had drank a lot and even called out Xie Zhen¡¯s name. What was his rtionship with Xie Zhen?


    Lin Huapin revealed interest.


    The biddy brought Gao Xun to an inn and gave him a room. Hey on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Without saying anything else, he slept all the way until the next morning.


    When he woke up the next morning, he found himself in a strange room.


    He sat up with a splitting headache. He recalled that he had left the tavern, but he couldn¡¯t remember what had happened after that. He shifted his gaze and saw the girl standing by the round table in the room. He was slightly stunned. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lin Huapin walked in front of him, her clear and elegant face revealed a hint of a smile, and she walked to the side of the bed saying with concern: ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, you suddenly fainted on the street yesterday, and I thought something happened to you.¡±


    Gao Xun rubbed his be, ¡°You were the one who brought me here?¡±


    She smiled and nodded.


    There were two servant maids s in the room, and Lin Huapin saw that it gave him a headache. He had servant maids bring out the soup that he had prepared earlier, ¡°Drink this bowl of soup first, it should be morefortable.¡±


    Gao Xun was alert and strong. Even though he said ¡°thank you¡±, he did not say anything.


    Lin Huapin sat on the embroidered pier opposite him, and asked while looking at him: ¡°Do you know Ah Zhen?¡±


    Gao Xun looked at her and frowned.


    As long as it was something rted to Xie Zhen, he would be very cautious of it. Therefore, when Lin Huapin asked him this question, he subconsciously chose not to answer.


    Lin Huapin seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and smiled lightly: ¡°I am the daughter of the Main Affairs Pce¡¯s Lin Tong who abandoned his wife, Lin Huapin. Before Ah Zhen marries, let us keep up our rtionship. You called out Ah Zhen¡¯s name when you were unconsciousst night, so I guessed that you two should know each other ¡­ ¡°Now it seems like I was right?¡±


    Gao Xun looked at her: ¡°Did I call her by her name?¡±


    This sentence was no different from tacit agreement.


    Lin Huapin smiled and said in an extremely considerate tone, ¡°I only called out once. Yesterday, I sent someone to ask Ah Zhen and she said that you all did know each other. ¡°Since we know each other, it wouldn¡¯t be too much to call out your name after getting drunk.¡±


    She was trying to smooth things over for Gao Xun.


    Anyone who didn¡¯t know would probably be fooled by her smile, mistaking her for a considerate and gentle girl. They did not know that she had never gone to look for Xie Zhen before, and was not familiar with him either.


    Seeing that he still did not believe her, Lin Huapin took out a hairpin from her bosom. ¡°This is Ah Zhen¡¯s hairpin, if you do not believe it, you can take it to see.¡± With that, he paused and looked at him with a hesitant look. His expression revealed that he was hesitating to speak: ¡°Ah Zhen found out that you were drunk and was worried that something might have happened to you. He wanted toe over to see you ¡­ I wanted to stop her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to me and woulde no matter what. She should be on her way by now. ¡±


    That hairpin was the Golden Jade Jade hairpin, Gao Xun had seen it before on Xie Zhen¡¯s head.


    He took the hairpin and asked after a while, ¡°Is sheing over?¡±


    Lin Huapin nodded, ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡±


    His arms trembled as he held the hairpin. The light hairpin seemed to be weighing a thousand kilograms.


    Lin Huapin thought that he was just agitated. While he was not paying attention, he smiled, got up and walked out of the room, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look outside, if Ah Zhenes, I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    After which, he walked out of the guest room.


    In the guest room at in the porch, Lin Huapin saw that there was no one around and said to the servant maids behind him: ¡°Go and send a letter to An Wang¡¯s Mansion, tell him that Gao Xun is at Qing Ping Inn, and ask the An Wang Fei toe over immediately. If she does note, then she will not make it in time to see Gao Xun onest time. ¡±


    The servant maids did not understand, ¡°So what if the An Wang Feies?¡±


    Lin Huapin smiled weirdly, ¡°She is a dignified An Wang Fei, if someone were to see her being in the same room as other men and receive their gifts privately, there¡¯s no need for us to say anything, her reputation would be ruined. When that timees, I want to see how An Wang will treat an unfaithful woman. ¡±


    Then he smiled and walked down the stairs.


    As for that hairpin, it actually wasn¡¯t Xie Zhen¡¯s.


    It was just that Lin Huapin had seen Xie Zhen wearing it before, so she was able to create an identical set. It was a pity that she was not as beautiful as Xie Zhen, and from then on, she hid the hairpin in her dowry and did not take it out very often. She was in a great mood. Her family wasn¡¯t well, and she wouldn¡¯t let the Xie family be better off.


    *


    When Xie Zhen received the servant maids¡¯s order, she was watching Shuang Yu catching dragonflies in the courtyard.


    Yan Yu was sleeping in the house.


    servant maids from the front courtyard came to backyard and whispered a few words into her ear. The fan in her hand fell to the ground and she asked in disbelief: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The servant maids repeated again, ¡°Young Noble Gao is about to die at the Clear Peace Inn.¡±

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96</h4>


    He¡¯s going to die?


    Going to die?


    Xie Zhen remembered thest time they met, at the farmhouse in the mountains. He was still fine at that time. How long had it been? Why was he going to die?


    She stood up suddenly, barely able to calm her mind, and asked the servant maid who sent the message: ¡°Who told you this? Where did you get the information from, and where is that person? ¡±


    Gao Xun hade to the manor a few times because the servant maid recognized Gao Xun. At this moment, her reply was also trembling as she said, ¡°I heard it from the people at the Clear Peace Inn ¡­ They said that Young Master Gao was unconscious in the tavern, and the shopkeeper could not find his family, so he asked about the sixth prince Pce from him.¡±


    Xie Zhen felt his vision blur, and he almost lost his bnce. ¡°You, bring me over to take a look.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe that this was true, that Gao Xun was still alive and kicking a few days ago, so how was he going to die? Since young, his body had always been the strongest. She was prone to sickness, and every time she became sick, Gao Xun would jump onto her bedside to show her his healthy body after practicing martial arts. He even earnestly and earnestly told her that eating more would prevent him from getting sick.


    He, what had happened to him ¡­ That¡¯s why it¡¯s so serious?


    servant maids led the way, ¡°Empress, follow your servant.¡±


    He had only walked a few steps when he heard a questioning from behind him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Xie Zhen suddenly stopped and turned around to look back.


    Just as Yan Yu woke up, and heard movement outside the house, he put on his shoes and socks and walked to in the porch, only to see her walking frantically towards the exit. He was curious for a moment and called her to stop. He was wearing the Raven Green Precious Flower robe, standing straight at the door. When he saw Xie Zhen¡¯s face, he was immediately stunned.


    He walked up to her and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°What are you crying for?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t even know that she was crying. She raised her hand to feel it and sure enough, her face was wet. She sniffed and spoke with bloodshot eyes: ¡°Gao Xun is going to die ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu froze.


    Xie Zhen repeated everything that she had heard from the servant maids. Although she had no feelings for Gao Xun, she was still a friend who had grown up together with him. If she could only watch as Gao Xun died, she would definitely not be able to do it.


    After listening to what she had to say, Yan Yu frowned and asked, ¡°How did the people at the inn know that Gao Xun knows us?¡±


    Xie Zhen exined: ¡°I heard that the shopkeeper asked him before.¡±


    As he spoke, he realized that something was wrong.


    If the shopkeeper had asked Gao Xun and his parents were not in the capital, he would have said camp first and Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion next. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t say the word ¡°An Wang¡¯s Mansion¡±.


    He wouldn¡¯t give her any trouble.


    Xie Zhen understood Gao Xun very well, Gao Xun had never wanted her to worry, so even if there was something he did not want to trouble her with.


    Then this was ¡­


    Xie Zhen thought left and right, clearly knowing that something was wrong, yet unable to think of a reasonable exnation. She would only know what was going on if she saw it with her own eyes.


    The carriage was already prepared outside the door. She looked at Yan Yu and hesitated: ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu ¡­¡±


    Although Yan Yu also felt that there was a problem, he had no choice but to go. What if something really happened to Gao Xun? After all, they were old friends from a young age. No matter how much conflict and disagreement there was, he could not abandon him.


    Instead, Yan Yu held her hand and led her outside withrge strides: ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Xie Zhen nkly sighed, and called out to him: ¡°But weren¡¯t you grounded? How can I get out? ¡±


    He had been confined within the Emperor Yuan Hui for two months, and it had only been a little more than a month. If he were to leave just like that and spread the news to His Majesty¡¯s ears, what would happen to His Majesty? Moreover, there were guards at the front door, so even if he wanted to leave, he wouldn¡¯t be able to. It was not that Xie Zhen didn¡¯t want to go with him, but Xie Zhen had to give up after realizing that there was no other way.


    Yan Yu paused, he thought for a moment, then brought her to the other side: ¡°Let¡¯s go through the back door.¡±


    The backdoor that Yan Yu had mentioned was not the one that servant had gone out from, but a separate side door that had been opened on his own. Behind the door was a small river, on both sides of the river bank were nted willow trees, and it was a good ce to stay in during the summer. Yan Yu had previously nned toe here with Xie Zhen to enjoy the cool, but he never thought that it would actually have other uses today. He brought her out of the door, and before long, the carriage from the mansion arrived. The two of them got on the carriage and headed towards the Clear Peace Inn.


    *


    At the Clear Peace Inn, Lin Huapin sat in an inconspicuous corner on the first floor.


    She waited for an hour before she finally saw An Wang¡¯s Mansion¡¯s carriage through the window.


    servant maids helped Xie Zhen down from the horse carriage, she smiled, and made a posture of watching a good show.


    She was the only one out of the carriage, it seemed like she had left without knowing anything about Yan Yu.


    There was an endless stream of guests at the Clear Peace Inn, which was why Xie Zhen could not see her table. She saw Xie Zhen ask the shopkeeper something, and the shopkeeper pointed in the direction of a room on the east side of the tower. She thanked him and went upstairs.


    Lin Huapin purposely waited downstairs for a while before going up.


    She estimated that it was about time, and brought servant maids up to the second floor. Gao Xun¡¯s room was at the easternmost area of the corridor, making it extremely recognizable. When she walked over, the door was tightly shut, and she could not see what was inside. She lit a incense in the room, the spices contained a aphrodisiac element, as long as Xie Zhen walked into the room, she would not have a pure reputation.


    As long as she opened this door, she would no longer be able to be the lofty An Wang Fei ¡­


    Lin Huapin¡¯s heart was filled with hatred and envy, to the point that her face was twisted slightly. She almost could not hold back herughter as she reached out her hand to push open the door.


    The door was silent. Only the fragrance lingered in the air.


    She stopped smiling and felt that something was wrong. Subconsciously, she walked inside. But she had only taken two steps when the door mmed behind her with a bang.


    Startled, she hurried to the door and pushed it open. ¡°Who¡¯s outside? Open the door and let me out! ¡±


    There was no response from outside the door, only the clear sound of a lock falling.


    Her heart turned cold.


    What was going on? Why was it different from what she had imagined?


    Lin Huapin was panicking so much that the door creaked open, but no one came to open the door for her. She gradually lost control of her emotions and raised her voice. ¡°Open the door! Open the door! ¡±


    The incense on the table wafted into her nose, and by the time she realized it, it was toote.


    As her head began to grow dizzy and her hands and feet became uncontroble, she continued to shout frantically, ¡°Open the door for me! ¡°Open the door¡­¡±


    She slid down the door, feeling her body grow weirder and weirder.


    She felt very itchy. As for where it was itchy, she could not tell.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a person walking out. She squinted, but she couldn¡¯t see his features clearly. He walked up to her, picked her up, and carried her inside.


    Lin Huapin continued to struggle, but she seemed to be extremely weak, and the person still ced her on the bed.


    In the end, her consciousness was in chaos.


    His body felt like it was being controlled by someone else. It was both painful and hot, and waves of intense feelings were surging up to the top of his head. She was crying and struggling to beg for mercy, but the person on her body acted as if she didn¡¯t hear it. Time after time, he pushed her to the peak.


    She bit her lip and her throat was hoarse, but still no one came to her rescue.


    *


    Actually, after Xie Zhen went upstairs, he did not enter Gao Xun¡¯s room, but instead stopped outside the door. Just as he was about to let servant maids go in and take a look, he was carried by a hand to the room next door.


    Shuang Yu followed her up. He originally wanted to shout out loud, but when he saw the owner of the hands, he called out in surprise, ¡°Young Master Gao?¡±


    Gao Xun released Xie Zhen and said with embarrassment: ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    He did not expect Xie Zhen to reallye back.


    From the moment he woke up and saw Lin Huapin, he felt that something was amiss. It was only when Lin Huapin said that she had been good friends with Xie Zhen for many years, that he was able to confirm that Lin Huapin was just spouting nonsense. Xie Zhen had onlye to capital at the beginning ofst year, she had always been there. How could she have known Xie Zhen for so long?


    Therefore, when Lin Huapin said that Xie Zhen wanted toe, he became cautious.


    He asked Xie Zhen: ¡°Why are you here? Do you really know Lin Huapin? ¡±


    Xie Zhen did not understand what rtion she had with Lin Huapin. She sized him up and upon seeing that he was alright, she then said, ¡°Someone sent me a letter. They said that you were almost done for, so how could I note?¡±


    Gao Xun¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You care about me?¡±


    She tilted her head, not wanting to give him any unnecessary hope, and pulled away, ¡°It was Big Brother Xiao Yu who brought me here. Since it¡¯s inconvenient for him toe out, he decided to let me take a look ¡­ ¡± Then, he suddenly thought of something and raised his head to ask, ¡°If you are fine, then why did you falsify the information?¡±


    Gao Xun smiled, pointed at the wall and said to her: ¡°I woke up in the room next door, and when I woke up, there was a girl called Lin Huapin. She said that she had a good rtionship with you ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen frowned and interrupted his words: ¡°I have never had a rtionship with her before.¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. It looked like Gao Xun was right.


    He was relieved and told her the whole story. She probably wanted to lure you over, then light incense in the house to frame the two of us. ¡°Just ept it.¡±


    Gao Xun originally wanted to say adulterous, butter on, he changed his way of speaking to euphemism because he was afraid that the word would frighten Xie Zhen.


    But Xie Zhen was still shocked.


    This Lin Huapin¡­ What a vicious snake¡¯s heart!


    Her father had already been reduced to a ninth rank official, yet she was still so restless. Wasn¡¯t it more important for her family to be at a loss for what to do?


    Xie Zhen frowned, ¡°Is she in this inn? ¡°How did she know you had something to do with me?¡±


    Gao Xun could not say that he had called her by her name when he was drunk, he coughed, and was about to exin himself when he heard the voices of a man and a womaning from the room next door. He had never heard the man¡¯s voice before, the woman¡¯s cry ¡­ Xie Zhen heard it and quickly recognized it was Lin Huapin¡¯s voice. She opened her mouth wide: ¡°This is ¡­.¡±


    Gao Xun turned his head, and didn¡¯t dare meet her gaze. ¡°What she nned to do to you ¡­ I¡¯m just returning it to her. ¡±


    The sound continued toe from the other side of the wall. Xie Zhen understood and for some reason, his ears turned red as he stood far away from the wall, ¡°Then ¡­ ¡°And the man in the house is?¡±


    Gao Xun said: ¡°The shop assistant at the inn.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    If Lin Huapin woke up, he didn¡¯t know how vexed he would be.


    They were obviously scheming against Xie Zhen, but who would have thought that they would be tricked instead!


    Furthermore, all of this was nned by her. Even if she wanted to find someone to make the decision, it would be difficult to say. Just why would she appear in the tavern? Why did she appear in Gao Xun¡¯s room? Why is there a scent in this room? Even if she had a long mouth, she wouldn¡¯t be able to say it clearly.


    *


    Yan Yu waited in the carriage for a moment, and when he did not see Xie Zhening out, he took the risk of being severely punished by the Emperor Yuan Hui and left the carriage.


    He walked up to the second floor and saw two guards dressed in their usual attire standing in front of Gao Xun¡¯s room.


    These two were his subordinates. Just now, when Xie Zhen went upstairs, Yan Yu asked the two to follow him. If Xie Zhen was in danger, they could block the way and protect her.


    They were standing straight in the doorway.


    Just now, Xie Zhen had brought Xie Zhen into the room, the two of them originally wanted to go against him, but stopped after knowing that he and Xie Zhen knew each other. And after Lin Huapin entered the room, it was the two of them who locked the door.


    If it were not for them, Lin Huapin would have already escaped from inside.


    Yan Yu went forward to understand the whole situation, turned his head to look at the door, and just happened to hear a sharp wail from inside.


    He frowned and walked toward the room next door with turn around his body.


    Xie Zhen and Gao Xun were in the middle of an awkward situation when they heard the door being pushed open. They looked over at the same time and saw Yan Yu standing at the entrance with a serious face.

 Chapter 97 - Next Time

    <h4>Chapter 97 - Next Time</h4>


    At first, no one in the room was able to realize what was going on.


    But when she heard the heartbreaking, blushing gasps from the next door, Xie Zhen¡¯s entire body froze. Although she had done nothing with Gao Xun, for some reason, she had the illusion that she was being caught in a scoundrel¡¯s bed.


    She twitched the corner of her mouth, just as she was hesitating on whether or not she should exin the whole thing, Yan Yu had already walked in front of her withrge strides, grabbing onto her hands without even turning back.


    She called out, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, aren¡¯t you going to talk to Gao Xun?¡±


    From her angle, she could only see Yan Yu¡¯s handsome profile and tall nose. She could feel his unhappiness, and she also knew where this unhappiness came from. However, she did not wish for him and Gao Xun to continue on like this. She was afraid that he would regret it in the future.


    Yan Yu lowered his voice and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to say. He should not have appeared here. If he knew his own limits, he should have left as soon as possible. ¡±


    Xie Zhen choked, thinking that this person still felt ufortable for many years.


    If he didn¡¯t care about Gao Xun at all, then why did hee here with him without hesitation when he found out that Gao Xun was going to die?


    Words are not true!


    Just as he was about to continue walking, Gao Xun called out to him, ¡°Ah Yu.¡±


    He stopped and stood by the door, waiting for him to speak.


    Gao Xun¡¯s lips carried a bitter smile, and she said somewhat helplessly, ¡°The one who set this up was the daughter of the one who made the arrangements for the House of Zhan, Lin Huapin.¡± His finish talking froze, looking at this perfect couple in front of him. It was unknown if he was purposefully provoking them, or if he was speaking with another deeper meaning, ¡°After Ah Zhen marries you, he has suffered setbacks often. Honestly speaking, I am not at ease.¡±


    His eyes darkened as he said emotionlessly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it. How can you not be worried?¡±


    Gao Xun pretended not to hear his words, and continued to ask: ¡°Last time, when Lingyin Temple was assassinated, this time, Lin Huapin set a trap, and you really protected Ah Zhen perfectly?¡±


    The way he spoke was overbearing to begin with. Even if he was the sibling of Xie Zhen¡¯s father and mother, he shouldn¡¯t have doubted the abilities of a prince with such a doubtful tone. Unexpectedly, he would say such words, and anxiously advised: ¡°Why isn¡¯t Big Brother Gao Xun in the army camp right now? ¡°You¡¯ve been out for too long, shouldn¡¯t you go back?¡±


    Gao Xun chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve been out sincest night, so I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡±


    Each one was more stubborn than thest!


    Then, he looked at Yan Yu with an expressionless face. He slowly opened his mouth and asked word by word: ¡°I cannot protect her, who can? ¡°You?¡±


    Gao Xunughed but did not say a word. If it was not for the fact that they were both of them, he might have even said the word ¡°yes¡±.


    It was this attitude that angered Yan Yu. He called for the guard at the door and instructed him coldly: ¡°Chiliarch Gao has left his duty without a care for the military rules. Immediately return him to the army camp and hand him over to General of Agile Cavalry for punishment.¡±


    The guard entered from the door, grabbed Gao Xun¡¯s arms from the left and right, and dragged him out.


    One of the guards did not know that he was injured and did not have any sword wounds on his chest, but he heard him groan with a frown that was extremely light. If not for Xie Zhen constantly paying attention to their expressions, he probably would not have noticed.


    Xie Zhen told the two guards to stop and asked uncertainly, ¡°You ¡­ Are you hurt? ¡±


    She recalled that it was impossible for Lin Huapin to spread false information for no reason at all. She quickly begged Yan Yu for mercy, shaking his arm, and raising her beautiful almond eyes: ¡°Gao Xun left him here to help me, if not for him, I¡¯m afraid I would have ¡­ ¡­¡± I¡¯m afraid that one of the protagonists in the next room is her. She steadied her heart and continued, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu just need to let him go back, don¡¯t punish him ¡­ ¡°Okay?¡±


    Yan Yu lifted his hand to caress her eyes, wanting to say something bad, he lightly pursed his lips and did not say a word.


    He was obviously unhappy.


    Xie Zhen and him looked at each other, neither of them willing to take a step back. Seeing that his aura was bing more and more unstable, as if it was about to explode, Gao Xun, who was being escorted by the guards, spoke out: ¡°Ah Zhen doesn¡¯t need to plead for me. I¡¯ve vited the military rules, I¡¯ll be punished if I go back.¡±


    Xie Zhen really wanted him to shut up.


    Why not sit down and talk calmly?


    After a while, Yan Yu ordered the guards to go down. The coldness between his brows became slightly weaker, but his tone was still as cold as ever: ¡°Why are you injured?¡±


    Gao Xun was stunned, obviously not expecting him to ask this, as his aura became chaotic for a moment.


    Yan Yu asked again, his tone this time was even more confident thanst time, ¡°Is the assassination of the King rted to you?¡±


    These words were like a p of thunder, exploding Xie Zhen¡¯s ears. She had guessed at the possibility of many people making their move against the King, but never at Gao Xun¡¯s level.


    Was it really him? Why did he do this?


    Xie Zhen¡¯s gaze that was filled with suspicionnded on Gao Xun¡¯s face. Gao Xun recovered from his shock, and suddenlyughed. He was clearly exposed but he did not panic at all. Instead, he spoke in an open and upright manner, ¡°Ah Yu, why didn¡¯t you directly ask if that person was me?¡±


    Yan Yu did not say a word.


    He was rather honest, ¡°That¡¯s right, it was me who assassinated the King. The injuries on my body was also caused by him.¡±


    Yan Yu asked in confusion: ¡°You also gave me that letter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    It really was him ¡­ He knew what he was doing this for, even without asking. He and Yan Yun had no enmity with each other, the only thing that was implicated was thatst time Xie Zhen was killed in Lingyin Temple, he had saved her.


    Did he want to kill the Ping Wang to take revenge for Xie Zhen?


    Yan Yu looked at him with shining eyes and ridiculed: ¡°Have you ever thought about the consequences of acting so recklessly? If you didn¡¯t escape that night and were caught by the Ping Wang, with his abilities, how would he be unable to find out the rtionship between you and the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion? At that time, the entire Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion will suffer a cmity alongside you! ¡±


    These words were not serious at all, Yan Yun couldpletely make use of this opportunity to show that the Gao and Xie Families were very close with each other in the Qing Zhou, and it was not impossible for Gao Xun to be ordered by the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to kill Gao Xun. At that time, it would not be as simple as Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion or even the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce would not be able to escape death.


    He was too impulsive.


    Gao Xun lower his eyesughed at himself for a long while: ¡°When I went there, did you not think about the consequences? If I am truly captured, before Yan Yun can question me, I will end my own life. ¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s almond eyes opened wide as she eximed, ¡°Gao Xun!¡±


    He raised his eyes, looked at Yan Yu, and said with an almost gentle tone of voice. ¡°Ah Yu, I¡¯m smarter than you think.¡±


    Yan Yu choked, held onto Xie Zhen¡¯s hand, then left, ¡°You better behave!¡±


    He suddenly thought of something and stopped by the door: ¡°You must never meet An Wang Fei in private again. If I find out again, I won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    With that, he left decisively, leaving behind only a view of his back and a clear warning.


    The room was full of people earlier, but now he was the only one left. He supported the round table with his hands and sat on the embroidered pier, holding onto his chest as he hissed. Although the wound on his chest had more or less healed, there was still some poison that was unclear. Just now, the fire had attacked his heart, and after smelling the incense in the room next door, he was momentarily stifled, almost unable to breathe.


    He rested for a while, then waited until his mind was clear before he left the room.


    When he passed by Lin Huapin¡¯s room, he casually picked the lock on the door. The room had already calmed down, so even if Lin Huapin woke up tomorrow, he was not worried that she woulde to the tavern to make a ruckus. How important was the reputation of a girl? When ordinary people encountered this kind of thing, they would think of ways to conceal it and not openly proim it.


    He went downstairs, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, and ced it in the shopkeeper¡¯s hand without leaving a trace. He nodded his head in thanks, and then calmly walked into the endless streets and alleyways.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have a trace of sympathy for the other girls, but if he wanted to choose between Lin Huapin and Xie Zhen, he would undoubtedly stand by Xie Zhen¡¯s side.


    He could only me it on¡­ Lin Huapin was seen through.


    After finishing the medicine he tookst time, he went to the infirmary to pack another medicine, and was on his way back to the barracks. The streets were crowded. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped and took out the hairpin that Lin Huapin had given him.


    The jade hairpin with gold iy shone under the setting sun. It was exquisite and dazzling.


    Lin Huapin said that this was Xie Zhen¡¯s hairpin. He did not know how this hairpin came to be in Lin Huapin¡¯s possession, so he guessed that Xie Zhen had identally lost something because she had picked it up. He forgot to return it to her when he was at the inn, but now that An Wang¡¯s Mansion¡¯s carriage was far away, he couldn¡¯t even catch up to her.


    After thinking about it, he slowly walked forward and once again pushed the hairpin back into his clothes.


    I should find a chance to return it to her next time ¡­ Next time, next time.


    *


    That night, Lin Huapin did not return. The Lin Family searched for her for an entire day and night, but to no avail.


    Madam Lin¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying. She thought that her precious daughter was in danger if she ran into such an evil person.


    But the next morning, Lin Huapin came back by himself.


    That¡¯s right, she was not apanied by servant maids, nor was she escorted by carriage, she was the only one who walked in unsteadily from the outside.


    The two servant maids s that had been serving her the previous day had noticed that something was amiss. One of them had already fled, while the other did not dare return to the Lin n Residence. When Madam Lin heard servant¡¯s message to wee her, she immediately pulled her into her embrace and said with tears flowing down her face: ¡°How could my son end up like this!¡±


    She did not say anything as she continued to cry in Madam Lin¡¯s embrace. The nightmarish memories of the previous night flooded her mind, and she did not even know who that man was ¡­ When she woke up this morning, her whole body was aching. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at the man before she hurriedly ran back from the inn. She didn¡¯t dare think about it. She cried and cried until she fainted in Madam Lin¡¯s arms.


    Since then, Lin Huapin rarely went out.


    The Lin Family dered that Lin Huapin had contracted a serious illness and needed to recuperate in the Pce for a period of time, so it was inconvenient for them to entertain guests.


    However, those who were familiar with the inside information all knew that Lin Huapin was sick, and yet it was a kind of crazy disease. She stayed indoors all day, often shouting at the empty ces, crying, shaking and wrapping herself up in the quilt. Madam Lin had sought out many doctors for her, but none of them were able to do anything as they all shook their heads.


    Mrs. Lin had asked her what had happened and she had refused to tell her, but when she changed her clothes that day, it was inevitable that she would see the marks on her body.


    The servant maids was shocked and quickly reported it to his wife.


    When Lady Lin heard this, her eyes darkened and she fainted.


    Lin Huapin did not say the truth, but she could only guess that her daughter had been tainted by the criminal. As for who that was ¡­ It would be easy to find out with a little investigation.


    It was impossible for the Lin n to allow their daughter to marry a person who had no future. They secretly ordered people to beat that person up until he was half dead, and they said that he was buried alive on the mountain. As for that inn ¡­ The manager had fled a long time ago, and had now closed the door and left the room.


    The entire Lin n kept this matter a secret. Lin Rui had personally given the order to keep quiet, and if anyone dared to speak of it, they would end up like the shop assistant.


    Unfortunately, even so, Lin Huapin still did not return to normal, causing the two old men from the Lin Family to turn pale from worry.


    In the main house, Madam Lin sat on the bed and cried, ¡°The painting screen is only fourteen ¡­ It¡¯s the age of marriage, what should we do in the future ¡­ ¡±


    Lin Rui paced back and forth in the room, irritated by her crying, and shook his sleeves fiercely, ¡°Just pretend nothing happened! The screen was still young, so he would tell her about the marriage after two years had passed from this matter. As for the wedding night ¡­ ¡°I should just think of a way to deceive him!¡±


    Madam Lin¡¯s tears flowed freely. These past few days, her eyes had almost been filled with tears. ¡°My poor daughter ¡­¡±


    Now that Lin Rui had been stripped of his position, how could he be willing to leave the job as a ninth rank official? He had originally ced great hopes on his two daughters. Whether it was their talents or looks, they were both in the upper echelons. Even if they could not be concubines for the princes, they could still marry into the imperial court. Jin Ping was already sixteen. He couldn¡¯t drag it out any longer. He should get married in these two years ¡­ The age of the painting was just right. Even if he had to wait for another two years, it would be fine. However, he did not expect something like this to happen.


    *


    When the matter of Yan Yu going out out on his own was found out by the Emperor Yuan Hui, naturally, he had cruelly restricted for another two months.


    Rather than saying that it was forbidden ¡­ It would be better to prevent him from participating in certain things.


    The conflict between the crown prince and the king became more and more intense. The crown prince had secretly emptied a portion of the officials of the king, leaving them with no right to participate in any discussions. He was calm on the surface, not in a hurry or in a hurry, but he had secretly asked Wei Tieduo, who was inmand of the Capital, to privately recruit troops and strengthen his army. He also trained a group of elite soldiers, who were supposed to follow Yan Yu¡¯s example, for a total of three thousand people, each of whom had their own merits. He was currently in close contact with the Western Yi, waiting for the right time to give the crown prince a heavy blow.


    The weirdness in the pce seemed to have nothing to do with the An Wang¡¯s Mansion, as Yan Yu and Xie Zhen¡¯s days were peaceful and happy. Since the Emperor Yuan Hui didn¡¯t want him to interfere in this matter, he would do as he said and be a good son.


    Ever since he returned from the previous inn, Yan Yu had silently returned to his residence, obviously still holding back.


    Xie Zhen said a lot of good words to pacify him. He was very stingy and explicitly forbade Xie Zhen frommunicating with him in the future. If Xie Zhen did not agree at the beginning, then how could their rtionship be broken so easily? Moreover, there was nothing between them, so why did he like to eat dry vinegar?


    However, the reason that Xie Zhen didn¡¯t agree to it was because he had been tormenting her on the bed for a long time that night. He bit her sensitive left ear and said, ¡°Little Lamb ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him¡­¡±


    He did not let her go until the east was white.


    Xie Zheny on the bed for an entire day and night. If it wasn¡¯t for his weak body, he really wanted to kick him to the ground.


    She was too delicate. How could she defend against his tormenting? The red marks on her body didn¡¯t disappear for three days.


    He felt guilty afterwards and carefully smeared the ointment on her body. As he smeared the ointment, he cautiously asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Xie Zhen turned his head, purposely making him feel guilty. ¡°It¡¯s so painful ¡­ It¡¯s painful here and there too, it¡¯s all because of big brother Xiao Yu. ¡±


    As expected, his heart ached. He kissed and licked her cheeks, tasting her taste with extreme gentleness on his lips. ¡°I won¡¯t in the future ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen nced at him with her ck eyes, ¡°What if big brother Gao Xun appears again?¡±


    He nibbled at her lower lip, not wanting to hear the name from her mouth.


    It seemed like this person would forever be a sore spot in his heart. Every time he thought of it, he would feel unhappy.


    Xie Zhen sighed in his heart, he really was adding fuel to the fire. His heart is so small, why does he keep insisting on this matter?


    Two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, Xie Liqing just happened to be returning from Wu Jiang, and the entire residence weed him with a weing reception. He was someone that the Emperor Yuan Hui had set his eyes on, and it was a different time from the past. Everyone in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion had high opinions of him, and he was no longer as ridiculing and ridiculing as he was in the past.


    Xie Zhen could not refuse to go to such a big event, he had specifically written a letter to the Emperor Yuan Hui, and after the Emperor Yuan Hui read it, he was specifically allowed to lift his ban early so that he could visit his father-inw in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    To agree so quickly made people suspect that Emperor Yuan Hui had actually wanted to release him a long time ago. It was just for fun to keep him locked up.


    Xie Zhen did not care about these details, and returned to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion the next day with servant maids and the rest.


    In just a year, Xie Liqing had be skinnier and skinnier at the border, but he had be even more spirited and energetic. Even though her face was weathered, it could not conceal the heroic spirit hidden within her bones. Instead, it added to her aged charm.


    Xie Zhen walked past the Wall of Shadows and called out to his father happily from afar.


    Only after waiting for people toe over did Xie Liqing scold them: ¡°You are already married, how can you still have such no rules? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the An Wang making fun of you?¡±


    Even though he said that, the benevolent smile on his face could not be hidden.


    In front of his parents, Xie Zhen always acted like a tender little girl, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Ah Pa for a year, what¡¯s wrong with being happy? If you¡¯re not unhappy, that¡¯s a problem! ¡±


    Xie Liqing was unable to win against him, she looked towards Yan Yu at the side, cupped her fist and bowed: ¡°I am the one teaching the girl Wu Fang, the An Wang isughing at me ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu supported him, ¡°Father-inw is serious.¡± finish talking nced at the smiling Xie Zhen, and a rare smile appeared on his lips, ¡°She just misses you too much.¡±


    His tone was helpless, but it was also tinged with a little bit of indulgence.


    Xie Liqing could immediately tell that the two of them were on good terms, and it did not seem like the marriage ceremony had reached a standstill. Heughed from the bottom of his heart: ¡°How could I not know my daughter¡¯s character? An Wang, please do not avenge her. ¡±


    Xie Zhen puffed out her cheeks and pouted, ¡°Father ¡­¡±


    Xie Liqing was the kind of person who liked to criticize his own child in front of others. She and Ah Xun had been scolded before, so they thought that it would be better after marriage. Amongst the three siblings, only Xie Rong had not been brought out by Xie Liqing to be criticized. It was not because he was biased, but because Xie Rong truly did not have any shorings, even if he wanted to pick out the wrong one, he would not be able to. If you want to talk about the only w ¡­ It was probably because his character was too dull and too quiet.


    The group of people were conversing with Yue Yang in the central room. Even the normally stern the Old Lady revealed a smile and praised Xie Liqing a few words.


    Xie Liqing didn¡¯t appear to be ttered, but smiled and said that his mother had ttered him too much, humble and gentle.


    When they were eating, Xie Zhen looked around, but did not see Xie Xun. He whispered to Madam Leng: ¡°Mother, why are you not seeing Ah Zhen?¡±


    Madam Leng put down her teacup and said: ¡°She was summoned by Miss Zhong Si to the general¡¯s mansion early in the morning. ording to the calctions, she should be back soon.¡± After he finished speaking, he let servant maids go to the door to see if Xie Xun had returned.


    servant maids left as he stood at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a while.


    Before long, he saw the mansion¡¯s carriage rush over and stop steadily at the entrance. Just as he was about to step forward to receive it, he saw Xie Xun wearing a moon-white brocade gown and six dresses walking out of the carriage while crying and crying. Xie Xun was even carrying a half dead rabbit in her arms.


    The servant maids was called Yu Qing, and was one of the Madam Leng¡¯s personal servant maids. Yu Qing stepped forward and asked with concern, ¡°Why is Seventh Miss crying?¡±


    Xie Xun showed the rabbit in her arms to her. She cried all the way, her eyes red. Big Sister Yu Qing, can you help me call a doctor to have him take a look? ¡±


    Ahhh¡­ Was it the rabbit¡¯s name?


    But howe I¡¯ve never heard her say it before? Picked it up on the way?


    She was puzzled when she caught sight of someone chasing after her on a horse. It was only then that she saw that it was the only son of the General¡¯s House, Young Master Zhong. Zhong Shang wore a blue lotus robe. At this moment, he was arrogantly handsome, but he could not care about his image. He jumped down from the horse and walked in front of Xie Xun: ¡°Little Sister Ah Xun, I haven¡¯t finished speaking, why did you suddenly run away?¡±


    Xie Xun persisted with a rare rare look: ¡°Ah Shou is going to die, I want to save him!¡±


    Zhong Shang was about to take the rabbit from her arms, but she hid behind him instead, as if she was extremely cautious. He was troubled and had a headache, ¡°I will definitely find someone to cure it ¡­ Give it to me, and I¡¯ll take it to the infirmary. ¡±


    Xie Xun shook her head, the almond eyes that had just cried were as bright as if they had been washed by water. She sniffed: ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang almost raised it to death this time, I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    No matter what Zhong Shang said, she just kept shaking her head.


    This was the first time Zhong Shang was so helpless facing a girl, and he didn¡¯t know how to coax her ¡­ However, when he saw her tten her cherry lips, and the pitiful look on her face, he felt his heart clench. He liked her soft smile when she spoke to him, rather than being so full of caution as she was now.


    Today, when Xie Xun went to the General¡¯s Manor, she went to see Ah Shou together with Zhong Rou in his courtyard. It just so happened that she saw Ah Shou lying lifelessly in in the porch, not eating anything he fed him. When she asked the servant, she found out that Ah Shou hadn¡¯t eaten in three days. She became anxious and was about to walk out with the rabbit in her arms.


    Zhong Shang came out of the house and called for her. She didn¡¯t say anything, just sat in her carriage and left.


    Zhong Shang had never raised a rabbit before, how could he know how to raise it? During these few days, Ah Shou didn¡¯t eat anything. He was very busy in the army camp and couldn¡¯t care about it, so he let the servant take care of it.


    It was toote for him to say anything now ¡­ Xie Xun no longer believed in him and was unwilling to give Ah Shou to him.


    Seeing the two of them talking at the door, Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether she should invite Zhong Shang in or not.


    Right after he said that, Zhong Shang snatched the rabbit away and deliberately said to Xie Xun in a frightening tone: ¡°Since you gave it to me, it is mine, I can do whatever I want with it.¡±


    Xie Xun thought that he was going to throw Ah Shou away, and tears once again flowed out of his eyes. Big Brother Zhong Shang give it back to me¡­ ¡±


    She cried as she tugged at his sleeve. Unfortunately, there was a difference in their height. She had just reached his chest and couldn¡¯t reach it even after jumping for half a day.


    She sobbed miserably.


    Zhong Shang felt a little guilty for bullying a little girl, but he still asked with a resolute heart, ¡°Then will you still be able to run in the future?¡±


    At this moment, she was very smart. She knew that he was the one who wanted her back, so she shook her head and choked on her sobs.


    Zhong Shang returned the rabbit to her.


    She hugged the rabbit and retreated half a step. As she wiped her tears, she said seriously, ¡°I hate Big Brother Zhong Shang ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang felt guilty in his heart, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    She raised her eyes and looked at him with her sparkling eyes, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang has bullied me, I won¡¯t forgive you! I hate you! ¡±


    She mustered up all her courage and turned to run into the manor, leaving him with a smaller and smaller shadow.


    Yu Qing opened her mouth but in the end, she did not say anything and followed Xie Xun back to the Manor.


    Only then did Gao Xun realize that he had messed up. He stood at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for a long time, then jumped onto his horse and galloped away. There was a turbid feeling in his heart that couldn¡¯t be vented out. He didn¡¯t know what it felt like, so he strolled around the streets before stopping in front of a restaurant.

 Chapter 98 - Arranging Xie Xun’s Marriage

    <h4>Chapter 98 - Arranging Xie Xun¡¯s Marriage</h4>


    Xie Xun did not dare to go to the central room. She knew that there were a lot of her family members, and that both her older sister and her husband hade today. Moreover, her mother was afraid of these furry little animals. She thought for a while, and secretly went back to her room and let servant maids make a temporary nest for Ah Duan with a nket, and then she carefully put it inside


    The doctor that Yu Qing invited still hadn¡¯t arrived. She wiped away her tears, looking at Ah Duanas she sobbed softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll let you go when you recover from your illness.¡± She spoke to the rabbit in a tone of consultation, and the little creature crouched on the ground, gently toying with its ears.


    But Ah Duan did not move. It still looked listless.


    Not long after, the doctor finally arrived. However, he was only treating people, and not good at dealing with animals. He sat down and looked around. Under Xie Xun¡¯s nervous gaze, he slowly asked, ¡°What did Seventh Miss feed it a few days ago?¡±


    Xie Xun blinked her eyes, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ah Duan had always been fed by Zhong Shang, so she often went over to take a look. She would asionally feed it some vegetables and leaves, and to ask him what it had been feeding it ¡­ She really didn¡¯t know.


    The doctor replied: ¡°If I¡¯m right, then it¡¯s probably because it ate too much a few days ago, causing the food to precipitate and be indigestible in my stomach, that¡¯s why its appetite doesn¡¯t rise anymore.¡±


    As he spoke, he rubbed Ah Duan¡¯s stomach. Indeed, there was a bulging area.


    The doctor felt relieved, and went to the side to write down the prescription. ¡°I will prescribe a few herbs, and the youngdy will let the servant mash them into juice and pour it into its water, letting it drink with me to see if it is effective.¡±


    Xie Xun nodded his head. After the doctor finishes writing the prescription, she would have Yu Qing pay the consultation fee to the doctor.


    The servant brought the medicine back, and after Xie Xun mashed it into the juice, she personally watched Ah Duan drink. Ah Duan was simply too weak, and even looked listless while drinking the water. Xie Xun looked at it, and suddenly remembered the scene of Zhong Shang bullying her at the door. She puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang is such a bad guy ¡­¡±


    Just as she finished speaking, a clear and loud voice came out from behind: ¡°Ah Xun, when did youe back?¡±


    She hastily turned her head. Xie Zhen, wearing a blue jumpsuit with Du Ruwen as her head was pierced by a golden hairpin that was embedded with clouds, and like a clear spring, she crashed into her line of sight without any forewarning. ¡°sis. ¡± After shouting, she suddenly felt a little guilty and moved to the side, trying to cover the rabbit behind her.


    Unfortunately, Xie Zhen still saw it. She walked in her direction, ¡°What are you hiding behind?¡±


    Xie Xun shook her head like a rattle, ¡°Nothing at all!¡±


    Nonsense, her face clearly said, ¡°I¡¯m hiding something, don¡¯te over.¡±


    If one were to say that Xie Zhen was a liar, then Xie Xun would be the one who would never lie. So Xie Zhen only made an ¡°oh¡± sound, and took the chance to circle behind her when she was caught off guard. She stared at the rabbit who waszily lying on the nket in the cluster of flowers, her face full of astonishment. ¡°Howe the rabbit?¡±


    She would not be able to hide it now¡­


    She guiltily lowered her head and looked left and right: ¡°Un ¡­Big Sister Zhong Rou gave it to me. ¡±


    Xie Zhen obviously did not believe her. Did Zhong Rou look like someone who knew how to raise rabbits? There had to be more to it. Thus, she rolled her eyes and turned around to leave. ¡°If you¡¯re not telling the truth, I¡¯ll go and tell Mother!¡±


    Xie Xun hurriedly pulled on her sleeves, begging her anxiously and pitifully, ¡°sis, don¡¯t go, please don¡¯t tell Mother ¡­ I said, I said. ¡±


    Thus, she told the story of how she saved a rabbit on the day Mingqiu Lake kited and gave it to Zhong Shang to raise. After Xie Zhen heard this, she fell silent for a moment, then asked a irrelevant question: ¡°Do you and Zhong Shang see each other often?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded her head and answered sincerely: ¡°When I want to see Ah Duan, I will go to his courtyard with Big Sister Zhong Rou.¡±


    With that, she noticed that Xie Zhen¡¯s face did not look good and nervously asked: ¡°sis?¡±


    Xie Zhen waved away all the servant maids s in the room, and the Five Breaking Light embroidered pier sitting opposite of him spoke with a serious tone: ¡°Ah Xun, don¡¯t get too close to Young Master Zhong.¡±


    Although Xie Xun was angry at her, that was her reason. Now that Xie Zhen said it, she was still a little confused: ¡°Why?¡±


    Xie Zhen muttered to himself, ¡°¡­ ¡°Now that you¡¯re fourteen, and about to get married, you can¡¯t always hang out with other men. This is bad for your reputation.¡±


    In fact, she wanted to say that Zhong Shang had a bad reputation, it would be better to avoid contact with him. However, she was worried that Ah Xun would be embarrassed if she spoke too directly, so she changed to a more tactful way of speaking.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s former reputation as a loose man was still there. Although he had restrained himself a lot after joining the army, who knew what his private thoughts were? Giving Xie Xun to him, Xie Zhen really couldn¡¯t be at ease. Her little sister was like Bai Jasmine in the courtyard, clean and white, like Zhong Shang who was a very shrewd and cynical young master, who didn¡¯t suit her at all.


    Who knew what kind of idea he had towards Ah Xun. Ah Xun was different from him, but he could not bear the damage.


    Therefore, Xie Zhen would definitely not allow this to happen.


    Xie Xun obediently nodded his head, ¡°I will be less in contact with Big Brother Zhong Shang in the future.¡±


    Anyway, they had a fight. she thought guiltily.


    Seeing her like that, Xie Zhen heaved a sigh of relief, rubbed her head and looked at the rabbit on the ground, ¡°After it is done, what do you n to do with it?¡±


    On the way back, Xie Xun thought of something, ¡°I will hide it in my room for the next few days. When Ah Duan¡¯s sickness recovers in a few days, I will send him away or return him back to the Mingqiu Lake¡¯s woods. ¡±


    Xie Zhen agreed to take her to the front courtyard to have lunch with everyone.


    *


    That night, Zhong Shang drank at a restaurant veryte, drinking one cup after another. In the end, he simply couldn¡¯t wait and allowed the waiter to pour the ancient wine from the altar into his mouth. He drank very grandly, the wine sliding down his smooth chin to his neck, wetting his clothes on his chest, and sticking to his chest, revealing his muscr chest.


    He drank the whole jar in one gulp, then threw it on the floor. The wine jar shattered with a crack, and pieces of porcin scattered across the floor.


    ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang bullied me, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡±


    A voice from the angrily sounded beside his ear.


    Then one after another, all of them were the same voice. Some were timid, some were soft, and some were sweet.


    ¡°Mother knows that I will get angry if I drink alcohol ¡­¡±


    ¡°Does big brother Zhong Shang want to raise it?¡±


    ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang is so good!¡±


    His head was aching, and his head was filled with her voice. If she said he was fine, he thought, then why was he so angry today?


    Wasn¡¯t it just a rabbit?


    After thinking for a long time, Zhang Xuan still couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Instead, his head hurt even more. He stood up to pay the bill and walked slowly back to the general¡¯s mansion. It was already dark, the moon was melting in the sky, and the evening wind blew through the inner square, but it did not dispel the frustration in his heart. He walked back to the general¡¯s mansion, where the servant s all greeted him and served him. He walked back to the house in a bored manner, without even bothering to clean himself, he fell asleep on his bed.


    When he woke up the next day, he felt much better.


    He changed out of yesterday¡¯s clothes, showered and changed his clothes. After washing his face and rinsing his mouth, he first made a trip to the army camp. When she came back, she was already at the end of the line. She initially wanted to go to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to apologize to little miss Xie, but then she thought that her anger should still be lingering.


    It dragged on for three days. He thought that she should calm down and let the servant send a message in Zhong Rou¡¯s name inviting her to meet him at the Full Moon Restaurant in the city.


    Zhong Shang waited inside the building for 4 hours, but Xie Xun did note.


    He asked the servant if he had delivered the letter, and the servant promised repeatedly that she had received it personally by Xie Xun¡¯s side.


    Since she had already delivered it, why didn¡¯t shee?


    There was only one answer. She didn¡¯t want to see him.


    Zhong Shang waited for another hour, and watched as the sun set and the sky darken. There were less and less people on the main street of capital, and he was still the only one left on the top floor of the Full Moon Tower. His mood gradually sunk and his expression became as calm as water. In the end, he finished the cup of tea in one gulp, stood up and said to servant, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    They did not meet again for the next half month.


    As Ah Duan¡¯s sickness gradually recovered, Xie Xun handed him over to Lu mama who was in the house. Lu mama had a seven-year-old granddaughter who was meticulously thinking of raising small animals, so giving it to her was just the right choice. After sending Ah Duan away, Xie Xun told servant maids to open the door wide and clean all the traces Ah Duan left behind, so as to prevent Mother from getting a rash after entering.


    Although the letters were delivered in the name of Big Sister Zhong Rou, Zhong Rou would never invite her to a ce like the Full Moon Restaurant, so with one look, one could tell that it was Zhong Shang¡¯s idea. However, she had just promised sis that she would not interact with Zhong Shang too much and that she would not go back on her words.


    On the afternoon of the next day, Xie Xun learned how to make dumplings from nanny Lu. After cooking them, she nned to send them to Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. Just as she was about to push the door open and enter, the voice of the Madam Leng came out. ¡°Ah Xun is still young, isn¡¯t it too early to say all this?¡±


    Something to do with her?


    She stopped and instinctively did not knock on the door. Instead, she gestured to the servant maids behind her to keep quiet, hiding under the window to eavesdrop.


    As if he was in a good mood, Xie Liqing smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s settle the engagement first, there¡¯s no need to worry about it in the future ¡­ Ah Xun is still a child right now, if we were to arrange a marriage ceremony for her, perhaps she might grow up a little. ¡±


    Madam Leng did not say anything. It was unknown if she was moved.


    Xie Liqing then continued: ¡°I have observed before, the young master of the Grand Secretariat Gu family has yet to get married. He is a knowledgeable and handsome man, so he is very a good match to Ah Xun.¡±


    Madam Leng slowly said: ¡°Are you talking about Gu Yi, who was kicked out of high school at the age of eighteen?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    After a long while, Madam Leng slowly said: ¡°She is indeed a good candidate ¡­ However, if you need to ask Ah Xun for her opinion, she is still young, so there is no need for her to be so anxious. ¡±


    Xie Liqing smiled as she agreed.


    The topic of conversation inside gradually changed to another direction, but Xie Xun stood outside in a daze.


    Father, Mother, you want to propose marriage for me?


    She panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do. When she looked up and saw several pairs of eyes looking at her, she felt embarrassed and suddenly blushed. She passed the dumplings to Senior Servant Lu, ¡°Senior Servant, help me deliver it in ¡­¡± I, I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll head back first. ¡±


    Nanny Lu tactfully didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    She turned and ran silently.

 Chapter 99 - The Painting

    <h4>Chapter 99 - The Painting</h4>


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing had thought that Gu Yi was a talented young man with a bright future. Adding to that, his father was the Grand Secretariat to the current head of the Cab, so if the two families could get married, that would be for the best.


    It was just that they did not know how Xie Xun thought about it.


    Although the marriage needed the parents¡¯ orders and the matchmaker¡¯s words, both of them hoped for the happiness of their children. Therefore, they respected the views of their children more in matters of marriage, unlike the other families. Once, Madam Leng called Xie Xun into the house and asked indirectly, ¡°Are you on good terms with Grand Secretariat Gu¡¯s daughter, Gu Ruyi?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded without thinking, ¡°Sister Gu treats me very well.¡±


    Madam Leng made an ¡°oh¡± sound, then turned and asked: ¡°You have been to Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion a few times, have you seen her brothers and sisters?¡±


    Xie Xun heard her talking to Xie Liqing a few days ago and immediately guessed what she wanted to ask. Xie Xun lowered his head and stared at the Begonia Silk Embroidered Shoes at his feet, and stammered, ¡°No ¡­ ¡°Never seen him before.¡±


    Unfortunately, her tone was too guilty, Madam Leng could tell that she was lying immediately.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    She thought about it, shook her head, then nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen Sister Gu¡¯s two younger sisters ¡­¡±


    had indeed only seen Gu Ruyi¡¯s sister, and had never seen Gu Yi before. The reason she felt guilty was because of that ¡­ It was because she suddenly remembered that Gu Ruyi had asked Gu Yi to draw a picture of her. The color of the bamboo was evergreen and it was hung around her room as a decoration.


    She was afraid that after Madam Leng found out about this, she would be even moremitted to bringing her and Gu Yi together.


    She wasn¡¯t prepared at all ¡­


    Madam Leng touched her head and suddenly asked: ¡°Did you hear what I said to your fatherst time?¡±


    Xie Xun was stunned, she raised her head and asked hesitantly, ¡°How do I know?¡±


    Originally, Madam Leng was only guessing, but her performance was so obvious, which further confirmed Madam Leng¡¯s thoughts. Madam Leng¡¯s lips curled up into a smile, as if she was an obedient daughter. ¡°That day, Senior Servant Lu came to the main house to deliver the dumplings, saying that you were the one who had personally wrapped them. I thought that if you did it personally, you would definitely have brought it here personally ¡­ But you weren¡¯t there. I asked Lu mama and she said you left early. This is the only reason why Mother thinks so much. ¡±


    Xie Xun bit her lips and did not say a word.


    ¡°You¡¯re not satisfied with Eldest Young Master Gu?¡± Madam Leng said gently.


    She shook her head, ¡°No¡­ I just don¡¯t know what kind of person he is. ¡± Pausing, she said listlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with my mother and father.¡±


    The Madam Leng smiled, ¡°Do you think this mother can bear to part with you? Your sis has only just married someone, if you were to marry someone else, there wouldn¡¯t even be someone by my side who would be able to talk to me. ¡±


    She told her that she was only going to choose a good marriage for her. As for when she would get married ¡­ He definitely had to wait for her at her fifteenth birthday.


    She calmed down.


    The Madam Leng also talked about how great Young Master Gu was. He was a talented man, and there were many girls in the capital who secretly admired him. He also said that this person was humble and gentle, warm as jade, how good was that? was a little curious about this person, and did not reject him as much as before.


    Under Madam Leng¡¯s words, Xie Xun obediently mentioned that Gu Yi had asked her to draw for her. Until now, he had not taken back that painting.


    Madam Leng did not think for nothing the entire night, she immediately said to her: ¡°Tomorrow, Ronger will go to Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion to pay respects to Young Master Gu, and bring the painting back for you.¡±


    Although he said that he wanted Xie Rong to take the painting, there was actually another important reason. That was to let Xie Rong see this person¡¯s personal character and character, and whether or not he was truly as perfect as the rumors said.


    Xie Xun went out very early in the morning.


    Xie Rong did not bring many people with him, but brought two servants with him, riding on horses to the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion. After informing servant of his purpose at the door, he went in to report and quickly returned to invite him in.


    Gu Yi lived in a courtyard in the southwest side of Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion. Outside of the pavilion, there was a patch of bamboo. The wind blew through the bamboo forest, causing the leaves to rustle. Xie Rong was not very familiar with this ce. He had met Gu Yi a few times before, but they had never gotten to know each other well.


    servant led him through the bamboo forest, and indicated to the inside: ¡°My young master is inside. Thank you young master.¡±


    Xie Rong took two steps forward, and saw a figure under the tree in front of him. He had his back to him and was dressed in a moon-white gand of lotus flowers. There was a jade guqin in front of him and his fingers were ced on the strings. Slowly, a melodious melody flowed out. Xie Rong, who was standing behind Gu Yi and listening to his melody, walked forward and said, ¡°After reaching the level of proficiency in literature, your zither arts are also excellent.¡±


    He stood up and looked behind him, meeting Xie Rong¡¯s pair of eyes that were as calm as water, and said with a smile: ¡°So it¡¯s Yongchang, I didn¡¯t know you wereing to visit me, I didn¡¯t wee you from afar, didn¡¯t wee you from afar.¡±


    With that, he hurriedly invited servant to pour some tea and invited Xie Rong to sit behind the square table in front of him.


    Gu Yi was indeed as rumored, elegant, gentle, and without any airs. He sat across from Xie Rong and personally poured a cup of tea for him. ¡°I was just excited, so I casually yed a song and made youugh.¡± The tea broth flowed out from the spout of the pot, and the aroma of the tea assaulted his nostrils.


    Although the two of them did not have much to do with each other, they could still exchange a few words. Gu Yi¡¯s personality was theplete opposite of Xie Rong. He had a easy-going personality and was able to speak a few words to anyone, whereas Xie Rong rarely spoke, and rarely took the initiative to speak with him. Two equally handsome and elegant young masters were sitting under a tree. One of them was smiling while the other was silent. If a chessboard was ced in the middle of the two, it would give them a sense of beauty.


    Xie Rong did not forget what the Madam Leng had told him. After speaking for a while, he asked, ¡°My sister said that you drew a Bamboo Cloud Evergreen Map for her. She asked me to take it back for her. ¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t said it, Gu Yi would have forgotten.


    He had finishedpleting the painting, but no one came to retrieve it. He gradually forgot that if it wasn¡¯t for Xie Rong¡¯s visit today, it would probably still be in his study. Gu Yi sent servant to the study room to retrieve the painting, and said humbly, ¡°There are some ws in the painting, I hope your sister won¡¯t be offended by it.¡±


    Xie Rong smiled and said that he wouldn¡¯t.


    Not long after, the servant returned with a troubled expression and said, ¡°Young Master ¡­ This little one found it ording to what you said, but was unable to find it. ¡±


    Gu Yi frowned slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t find the wrong ce?¡±


    servant was unsure, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be ¡­¡±


    Why should I?


    Gu Yi could not exin the situation to him, so she got up and followed him to the study room. She got up and apologized to Xie Rong, ¡°I will have to trouble you to wait here for a while, Yongchang.¡±


    After Gu Yi left, Xie Rong sat down beside the tree.


    He poured another cup and was about to drink it when someone tapped on his shoulder from behind and said with a smile, ¡°Big brother is once againzy and doesn¡¯t want to read. Be careful, I might go tell Abba and have him punish you with three articles!¡±


    When he put down the cup and turned around, the person behind him suddenly froze.


    Gu Ruyi originally came to find Gu Yi, it was not an urgent matter, she just wanted to borrow a few books from him. He had a lot of books here, and many of them were solo books that could not be found by themon folk. She would usually borrow any book she wanted to read from him. Today, as soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw a person sitting under a tree. She could only see the figure of a person sitting under a tree, and her eyes could only see the figure of a person sitting under a tree, and could only see a person sitting under a tree, and could only see a person sitting under a tree. When she put her hand on his shoulder and waited for a response, she knew something was wrong.


    Sure enough, he slowly turned his head, revealing a side face as cold as jade. Behind him was a lush wutong tree and a heptachord, it should have been a gentle and lovable picture scroll, but it was forcefully forced back by his elegant and cold bearing, turning into a scene separated by a mountain and a river.


    He turned his head and his eyes fell on her unstoppable smile. ¡°Brother?¡±


    Gu Ruyi stiffly retracted his hand, and retracted the smile, ¡°So it¡¯s Young Master Xie ¡­ I thought you were my big brother, don¡¯t take offense to your actions. ¡±


    She quickly returned to her usual state, returning to the graceful and graceful Lady Gu in front of her. Her smile was just right on the corner of her lips, but when her eyes met his, they shifted away in embarrassment. She had the servant maids behind her bring her a veil and put it on right in front of his face to hide half of his face and also the birthmark under his eyes.


    Xie Rong didn¡¯t say anything when he saw her actions, and calmly waited for Gu Yi to return.


    The two of them did not speak, and it was very quiet for a moment.


    As the host, Gu Ruyi naturally had to act as the host. He hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Thank you, young master, foring to find my brother?¡±


    Xie Rong nodded his head, ¡°Since the day before yesterday, Zhan Zi had given him a painting as a gift, and then went to the study to retrieve it.¡±


    Gu Ruyi immediately understood which painting it was and she was the one who asked for it for Xie Xun. had nevere to take it since a while ago and she thought that they would not want it.


    She also wanted to go to the study, but if she left, he would be the only one left. But she stayed behind. She didn¡¯t know what to say, so when she talked to Xie Rong, although he would answer her, he couldn¡¯t finish her words. Seeing that the tea in the pot was gone, she got servant maids to boil a fresh pot of tea, and also asked Xie Rong: ¡°Thank you, Young Noble, why did youe here to pick up the painting today?¡±


    He said, ¡°My mother told me toe.¡±


    ¡°Do you like painting too?¡±


    ¡°Not too bad.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to find an opportunity to thank Young Master Xie for what happenedst time¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you ¡­¡± She was referring to the night before the Chinese New Year when she was taken lightly by the drunkards.


    Xie Rong¡¯s lower his eyes, was still the same calm and indifferent tone: ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter, not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The conversation could not go on, just as Gu Ruyi could not take it anymore and wanted to escape halfway, Gu Yi finally returned from the study. In his hand was a long box, he walked to Xie Rong and took out a scroll painting and slowly opened it, ¡°I¡¯ve finally found it, thank you young master for taking a look.¡±


    The green bamboo in the painting slowly appeared in front of his eyes. It was like a pearl swaying in the wind, bent by the wind, only leaving behind the rustling of the leaves. Separated by the painting, one could almost hear the rustling of bamboo leaves. It was vivid and lifelike, causing one to exim in admiration.

 Chapter 100 - About The Child

    <h4>Chapter 100 - About The Child</h4>


    Xie Rong took over the scroll, thanked Gu Yi, and left a few more words before he left.


    After he left, only the Gu siblings were left under the tree. Gu Yi turned his head to look at Gu Ruyi, and his clear eyes were filled with a helpless smile: ¡°Why are you still hiding your face at home? Didn¡¯t I say that it¡¯s not scary? ¡±


    Gu Ruyi slowly took off her veil. A strand of hair as ck as silk slipped to the side of her cheek, and with her in hands behind her ears, she said a little destely: ¡°The reason why Big Brother doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s scary is because Big Brother is used to looking at it ¡­ I don¡¯t want to scare people. ¡±


    Gu Yi¡¯s eyes showed his tender affection as she sighed. He didn¡¯t know how tofort her.


    Sixteen years ago, when his mother gave birth to Ruyi, he was only two or three years old. However, Ru Yi had a birthmark on her face when she was born. At first, it wasn¡¯t obvious, but at the age of four or five, it became darker and darker. It was imprinted on her palm-sized face, affecting her beauty. There were a lot of children in the mansion, and all of them were ignorant. Some of them liked to talk about things with her face, saying that she was ugly in front of her. He remembered that Ru Yi used to love smiling. Gradually, the smile on her face faded, and the light in her eyes dimmed. When she was seven or eight years old, she went out and wore a veil. Gu Yi had taught her bullies a lesson, but she still couldn¡¯t get rid of her inferiorityplex. Even now, she still thought of herself as an ugly bastard.


    Actually, she wasn¡¯t ugly at all. If she didn¡¯t have that birthmark, she would definitely be a very beautiful girl.


    Gu Yi had said these words to her many times, but she had never believed them.


    She had visited famous doctors at home and tried every possible way to cure the birthmark on her face, but she had tried many different methods, but none of them had the slightest effect.


    Gu Ruyi had already started to give up. Since she hade here for so many years, she might as well not marry and stay at home for the rest of her life. As long as her father and mother did not mind, she would apany them for life.


    However, the Grand Secretariat Gu Couple couldn¡¯t really let her not marry for her entire life.


    They wouldn¡¯t give up even if there was a tiny way.


    So did Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi apanied her to the study room to choose a few books. Aftering out from the study room, he told servant to bring a bottle of green zed lotus flower pattern inside the room and handed it over to Gu Ruyi, ¡°This is a good medicine that I got someone to bring back from Jiang-Nan vige. It is said that it is a medicine concocted using ancestral medicine by an almond Lin and warm doctor.


    It wasn¡¯t good for Gu Ruyi to spoil his mood, she received the ointment but she couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Big Brother doesn¡¯t need to look for these for me in the future ¡­ ¡­ I¡¯ve tried so many different kinds of medicines, but none of them are of any use, so this shouldn¡¯t be an exception. ¡±


    Gu Yi didn¡¯t agree with her, ¡°How can you know if it¡¯s going to work if you haven¡¯t tried it? I went through a lot of trouble to get this back, so you have to be more careful. ¡±


    After which, he straightened his face and put on a serious expression.


    Gu Ruyi giggled, and waved the medicine bottle in his hand, ¡°Alright, I understand, how can I let down big brother¡¯s good intentions?¡±


    Her smile was very pretty. The dark red birthmark had turned into the character of a butterfly, as if it wanted to p its wings and fly away. Even the redness had be delicate. It was a pity that she did notugh often, a smile that came from the bottom of her heart that she had not seen once for a long time. It was only because once, when she smiled, the daughter of her uncle¡¯s family said in disgust, ¡°You look even uglier when you smile.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t confident to begin with, and after hearing this, she didn¡¯t dare tough.


    Gu Yi felt both heartache and helplessness. The only thing he could do was find a way to make her happy.


    On the way back, Gu Ruyi coincidentally met the Fourth Miss, Gu Youxiang, and the the fifth girl, Gu Jin Xiu, both of whom were born to Second and Third Aunt respectively. The two of them walked in front of Gu Ruyi, bowing and calling out ¡°third sister¡±. On the surface, they had a respectful and respectful attitude, but a smile that was not a smile appeared on their lips, it was a smile filled with ridicule.


    Gu Ruyi had seen this gaze too many times, she didn¡¯t want to argue with them, so she was about to leave when she heard Gu Jinxiu call out to her, ¡°Did third sistere from a cultivation garden?¡±


    She nced back at him. ¡°So what if I went to visit you?¡±


    Gu Jin Xiu was fourteen this year and spoke timidly: ¡°I heard that the eldest young master of the Xie family came to visit elder brother just now. Did third sister meet him?¡±


    Gu Ruyi declined toment.


    ¡°I saw General Zhong from afar during his birthday banquet. He is truly a handsome man, I wonder if it is possible for the third sister to tell me about him?¡± Gu Jin Xiu looked at her expectantly.


    Her eyes moved slightly as she smiled gently, ¡°Sister the fifth sister wants to know?¡±


    Gu Jinxiu nodded shyly and timidly.


    She calmly said, ¡°Thank you young master, you have not gone far. I, the fifth sister, will still be able to see him onest time when I go to the entrance of the mansion.¡±


    She was obviously warm-hearted in giving suggestions, but she choked on Gu Jin Xiu¡¯s advice until she had nothing to say. They couldn¡¯t really chase him to the door, could they? What a drop.


    Seeing that she did not answer, Gu Ruyi said that he had other things to do so he left first.


    Watching her leave, Gu Jin Xiu snorted at Gu Laixiang: ¡°Isn¡¯t it just seeing you one more time than us? What¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± She¡¯s so ugly, Young Master Xie wouldn¡¯t fall for her! ¡±


    Gu Jixiang stood off to the side and agreed. ¡°Maybe Young Master Xie was scared away by her!¡±


    Just as they were about to turn around and leave, they were startled by Gu Yi, who had suddenly appeared in the corner.


    Gu Jiaxiang and Gu Jinxiang looked at Gu Yi, whose expression was as dark as water, and felt weak in their hearts. They retreated half a step and said in unison, ¡°Big brother ¡­¡±


    Gu Yi stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the two of them. ¡°Is this how Second Madame and Third Madame usually teach you guys etiquette?¡±


    When it came to their biological mother, both of them were a little timid. They lowered their heads and said, ¡°We were the ones who lost our minds. Please forgive us, Big Brother.¡±


    Gu Yi walked past them, lookingpletely selfless. ¡°I¡¯ll report this to Father and ask him to find a master to teach you guys. Second Madame and Third Madame must have misguided him.¡±


    With that, he left, ignoring the two¡¯s pleas for him.


    Grand Secretariat Gu paid the most attention to etiquette and justice, and believed that a woman should obey a woman¡¯s virtue. Not to mention that the Daoist people behind her were talking nonsense, even she should be respectful and respectful to her elder sister. If he told the Grand Secretariat Gu that their mother had been scolded, they would also be forced to learn etiquette. The masters Grand Secretariat Gu had invited were all very strict, there was no need to bezy at all.


    Returning to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Xie Rong brought the Bamboo Cloud map to Xie Xun¡¯s room and helped her hang it on the wall.


    Xie Xun used to think that it was just a painting, but now that he found out what his mother was thinking, there were some words hanging in the room that Gu Yi said. She wanted Xie Rong to take off the painting, but he touched her head and said: ¡°I¡¯ve specially made a trip for you, at least you have to hang on for a few days to be able to live up to your brother¡¯s feelings, right?¡±


    Xie Xun thought about it and agreed, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    She reluctantly agreed.


    Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and Xie Liqing only had this n, and no one knew who leaked it, but when the news spread out, some of the more reputable officials in capital knew about it. Everyone knew about it, but no one intentionally pointed it out.


    When the news reached the general¡¯s manor, Zhong Shang was in the midst of sparring with a guard within the manor.


    He stopped and kept his snake spear, turned to servant and asked: ¡°Say it again?¡±


    The other guard couldn¡¯t react in time. He frowned as he saw the stick was about to hit his shoulder. He waved the gun to the side and said in an impatient tone: ¡°Scram!¡±


    The guard did not dare to provoke him and stood up to one side.


    The messenger, servant, vigntly repeated, ¡°I heard that the Xie Family¡¯s Seven Young Miss is going to be engaged to Gu Yi ¡­¡±


    In the past few days, even though Zhong Shang did not go find Xie Xun, he had the servant wait outside the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. In the past few days, Xie Xun did not leave the pce. He thought that she would obediently stay in the mansion.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s mind was in a mess, he threw the snake spear back to the weapon rack and knocked over a row of weapons. He paced back and forth in the courtyard twice, and the more he walked, the uglier his expression got. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s true?¡±


    servant hurriedly nodded, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true!¡±


    How many days has it been?


    Then Xiao Budian is going to be engaged?


    How old is she!


    Zhong Shang frowned, he did not know where this depression came from, but it was like a wildfire, engulfing himpletely.


    That night, after Xie Xun finished showering, half of her dry hair fell behind her back and covered her slender shoulders. She was wearing only a thin woolen sweater, and was currently sitting at the head of her bed, reading through the gossip of the people while drinking rose almond porridge. She was halfway through drinking the porridge and felt that the porridge was not sweet enough. She was just about to ask Shuang Que to add more sugar when she suddenly saw a tall and straight figure jump in from outside as the half-opened window was pushed open.


    His back was against the light, and his expression was dark and unfathomable.


    Xie Xun was startled, the porridge bowl dropping to the ground, he opened his mouth to call for someone: ¡°Shua!¡±


    However, that person arrived in front of her even faster and covered her mouth, then came close to her and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t scream!¡±


    The bowl of congee just happened to fall on the ground, the thick nket alleviated the impact ofnding on the ground, the congee scattered on the ground, but the bowl rolled on the ground and only made a small muffled sound.


    Xie Xun opened his eyes wide, just by looking at the moonlight, he was able to see the person in front of him, with his sharp eyebrows and clear starry eyes. Wasn¡¯t that Zhong Shang?


    She was shocked, ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang ¡­.¡±


    How did he get to her house?


    No one noticed?


    Zhong Shang slowly let go of her, stood up straight, and went straight to the point, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re engaged to Gu Yi?¡±


    Xie Xun was suspicious, how did he know? Did hee here just to ask that?


    Without waiting for her reply, Zhong Shang raised his head and just happened to see a painting on the opposite wall. If it was some other painting, then it would be fine, but the words at the bottom of the painting said ¡ª Spread out.


    It was Gu Yi¡¯s handwriting.


    The expression on his face, which had just eased up after seeing her, instantly turned ugly.


    Xie Zhen did not know about what happened in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion in the past few days, because something even bigger happened in the imperial court.


    Yan Yu never avoided her when she was talking to the guards, so she had a rough understanding of the situation.


    Some of the Ping Wang¡¯s subordinates had been taken advantage of by the crown prince, some had been impeached by officials, and all sorts of crimes had been prosecuted. Even more than half of the food aid that the imperial court sentst year had been taken away by the Ping Wang¡¯s men. After the Emperor Yuan Hui found out, he flew into a rage and took off the ck muslin hats of more than 120 officials. Among them, 100 were the Ping Wang fans.


    The Ping Wang power was greatly reduced. Originally, he wanted to stay at home to recuperate and gather his strength, but then something big happened.


    Recently, Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s body was getting worse every day, and he would asionally cough due tock of Qi, causing doctors to be unable to diagnose him. The illness had dragged on for half a month, and Emperor Yuan Hui was getting weaker and weaker, not even having the strength to get out of bed. At the same time, rumors suddenly began to spread that His Majesty was about to ascend to the pinnacle of happiness. The Crown Prince was gentle, and was not the best candidate to be the crown prince.


    Unknowingly, the words had reached Emperor Yuan Hui and he had sent his guards to Lord Ping¡¯s mansion to search for it. Unexpectedly, he found a little person wrapped in paper under his bed. Not only that, they even found a gown embroidered with a golden dragon pattern in Yan Yun¡¯s study. The size of the robe was exactly simr to Yan Yun¡¯s.


    When the guards brought all of these things back to the pce, Emperor Yuan Hui was immediately angered to the point of spitting out a mouthful of blood, as he fell into aa.


    After waking up, the first thing Emperor Yuan Hui did was to summon Duke Ping into the pce and ask him what was going on. The Emperor Yuan Hui waspletely disappointed by him, and did not have the mood to fight with him for a long time. He sent out the decree to seize his prince¡¯s position, changed the title of Gao Yang, and left for Gao Yang in three days. In this life, he was not allowed to step even half a step into the capital.


    Today was the day Yan Yun was leaving the capital, so Xie Zhen and Yan Yu sat together on in the porch. servant maids carried two cups of cold jujube juice, which was used to relieve the summer heat.


    Xie Zhen was about to raise her cup to drink, but Yan Yu stopped her, asking servant maids to change a cup of warm tea.


    She protested, ¡°I¡¯m going to burn my tea on such a hot day.¡±


    Yan Yu looked at her stomach, ¡°Weren¡¯t you screaming in pain yesterday? It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore today? ¡±


    She had juste in the previous month and was lying in his arms, hugging her belly and humming and talking a lot of nonsense. Her stomach would hurt every few days, and sometimes the pain was so intense that she couldn¡¯t even get out of bed. The mama had instructed her not to eat cold, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the heart to remember anything, and had to be under Yan Yu¡¯s supervision every day.


    Xie Zhen was speechless, ¡°Alright then ¡­ Let¡¯s drink hot tea. ¡±


    She moved closer to Yan Yu, holding his hand and cing it on her stomach, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu can give me some light air?¡±


    At this time, it was no longer hot.


    Yan Yu¡¯s hand was ced on her t stomach, and with his other hand, he used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off her forehead.


    Xie Zhen looked up at him and couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand to smooth the crease on his forehead. ¡°Why do you keep frowning? Is there something bothering you? ¡±


    Yan Yu grabbed her hand, and after a moment of silence, he nodded his head.


    She immediately sat up with an expression of interest. ¡°What is it? The First Prince went to Gao Yang. Could it be that it¡¯s because of him? ¡±


    He shook his head, looked at her and asked seriously: ¡°Little Lamb, when will you give me a child?¡±


    He worked hard day and night. It had been two or three months, yet he still couldn¡¯t get her pregnant?


    I don¡¯t know how good it would be if she were pregnant with their child.


    Xie Zhen was startled, her face slightly flushed, ¡°How would I know? Again ¡­ It¡¯s not like I can control it. ¡±


    He chuckled and thought about it, ¡°¡­ I can handle it. ¡±


    Xie Zhen red at him, raising his hand to cover¡¯s mouth, telling him not to say anymore.

 Chapter 101 - Imperial Decree

    <h4>Chapter 101 - Imperial Decree</h4>


    Yan Yu thought about it seriously. He felt that one children was not enough, so he needed to have at least three or four children.


    When he told Xie Zhen his idea, Xie Zhen was quiet for a while.


    Without waiting for her reply, he changed his words and said, ¡°No ¡­ Five. ¡±


    Three boys and two girls were just perfect. Their daughters should be all like her. Their sons could be taught slowly, one to take the pen, one to take the sword, and one to be doted on by them as they grew up freely. His thoughts were perfect, but Xie Zhen¡¯s face waspletely reddened, and she pushed him away: Who wants to give birth to so many children for you? You wish!¡±


    Yan Yu was standing at the edge of the corridor, shaken by her push, and was about to fall down.


    Xie Zhen subconsciously held onto his hand, but how could her strength exceed his? He pulled her gently into his arms and they fell to the ground together.


    Xie Zhen did not feel much pain, because she waspletely protected by Yan Yu.


    She looked up and saw his thin, smiling lips. ¡°You did it on purpose!¡±


    He intentionally pulled her down to see her make a fool of herself.


    Yan Yu straightened his back and sat on the ground, not caring about how dirty the ground was. It was a good thing that all the surrounding servant maids were scattered by them, if not they would be seen by others, would they not be made a joke by others? Xie Zhen thought absentmindedly. He gently bit her and pressed his lips to her face and asked: ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    A crafty look shed across Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, did big brother Xiao Yu eat fennel at noon?¡±


    Yan Yu paused for a moment, then released her. His brows knitted together as he looked at her in silence.


    ¡­ ¡­. Did he lose his pride?


    Xie Zhen giggled, and took the initiative to kiss his mouth, ¡°Did you forget that I was eating too? ¡°It¡¯s not like I hate you.¡±


    He did not say a word with his her mouth a thin line, and stared fixedly at her with a pair of pitch-ck eyes.


    Xie Zhen thought that he was really angry, and bit and bit on his lips. Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly wrapped around her like a big dog and fiercely kissed her once before stopping. Xie Zhen¡¯s mouth was swollen, he really did not know whether he was a close rtive or an enemy, ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little lighter?¡±


    Yan Yu carried her and sat her down, cing her behind the in the porch. He raised his hand and caressed her lips, ¡°So it won¡¯t swell just because it¡¯s light?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    Just as she fell to the ground, she was once again pressed by him to kiss her. The cor of her clothes was ajar, revealing the smooth skin of her neck. He felt a sudden thirst in his throat. It was not like he had never seen one before, but every time he saw one, his mouth would go dry because he knew how lovely and delicate his skin was under the cloth.


    His eyes were burning hot, to the point that Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t ignore them. She took a step back and looked at him warily, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Yan Yu looked away, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. Who would believe it!


    In broad daylight, Xie Zhen didn¡¯t want to start a fight with him here. She hurriedly got up, and was prepared to go back and change into a new set of clothes. However, he was too anxious when he got up. His left foot stepped on the hem of his skirt. He leaned his body forward and threw himself forward. Yan Yu was sitting right in front of her, and she was lying on top of him, snuggling close to his chest.


    Yan Yu took the opportunity and hugged her waist, lowering his head to whisper into her ear and sighed: ¡°So soft.¡±


    Knowing what he was referring to, Xie Zhen burned his face from the back of his ears.


    Her breasts were full, and she couldn¡¯t hold one hand, but they were just fine for him. Especially after the two of them had made a full marriage, he would y with her every night, making her too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye.


    What¡¯s there to look at! she thought weakly, but he was never tired of it.


    Xie Zhen propped him up by his chest, then pouted and scolded: ¡°You are shameless!¡±


    He was bing more and more shameless. Not only did he not refute her words, he even carried her in his arms and walked into the house, intending to shamelessly beat her up.


    Ever since Xie Rong had received Gu Yi¡¯s painting, he had gone to the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion twice. For example, the two liked to y chess. If they could just sit under the tree for a whole day, they would have forgotten to even eat lunch.


    They had never known each other before, but they never expected that their personalities would be sopatible.


    After Xie Rong and Gu Yi finished theirst game of chess, Hei Zi was forced into a dead end by Bai Zi. There was no chance of survival. Xie Rong prepared to leave the house, but on the way he passed by a courtyard. The sound of a zither could be heard from the courtyard, it was unlike the gentle worries of a normal girl, it was actually a type of open-minded and rxed tune. Xie Rong stopped outside the courtyard for a moment. From the sound of the zither, he could hear the zither yer¡¯s rxed state of mind. He could not help but pick up a bamboo leaf beside him, and put it between his lips and started ying.


    For a moment, two voices resounded in the air above the courtyard. Their coordination was extremely ingenious.


    Xie Rong only blew for a while before giving up. He retrieved the bamboo leaves and continued to walk with a normal expression.


    Just now was just a whim. He felt that the other party¡¯s melody was pleasing to the ear and wanted to chime in a few times. He didn¡¯t want trouble.


    After a dozen or so steps, he arrived at the entrance of the same courtyard as before.


    He walked past the door and sensed a gazending on his body. He turned his head to see that Gu Ruyi was sitting in the courtyard with a guqin in front of him. She gave him a polite smile and didn¡¯t ask or say much, like two people meeting by chance and nodding at each other.


    Xie Rong replied with a smile and left with big strides.


    After that, when he came to the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion again, he would asionally meet Gu Ruyi. Gu Ruyi knew that he was proficient in music, and once, when he was ying the zither, he encountered a few notes that he didn¡¯t understand well, so he took the opportunity of Gu Yi¡¯s presence to consult him. He answered for her, Gu Yi smiled and said, ¡°I can¡¯t really say anything like this, so why don¡¯t you demonstrate it to Yongchang on purpose?¡±


    Xie Rong had learned zither music when he was thirteen or fourteen years old, at that time, Xie Liqing had specially invited him to be Mr. Instrument so that he could soften his ying and not keep a cold face. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be of much use.


    Xie Rong sat behind the zither, his long and resolute hand on the zither, not appearing too out of nowhere. He yed a few notes without exining anything, and then directly yed an entire ¡°Grand Dominance Melody¡±.


    During this time, Gu Yi¡¯s servant came over and told him that the Grand Secretariat Gu had something to talk to him about and told him to leave.


    Only Xie Rong and Gu Ruyi were left.


    After Xie Rong finished ying, he asked: ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Gu Ruyi shook his head, ¡°I still don¡¯t quite understand ¡­. For example, just now, this ce ¡­ ¡±


    She pointed to a spot on the zither music sheet, and her long ck hair slid down her shoulders, bringing with it a faint fragrance. Before she could finish her words, she heard a question from in front of her, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Xie Rong and Gu Ruyi raised their heads, only to see Princess He Yi and two pce maidservant s standing at the entrance of the courtyard, staring at them without blinking.


    Gu Ruyi took half a step back, ¡°Yao An ¡­¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an red at them fiercely, he never thought that she would see this kind of scene. When she came to the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion on a whim today, she even took the imperial snacks to have a taste with Yan Yao¡¯an. But she never thought that she would be together with Xie Rong, moreover ¡­ And they were so close!


    Her eyes slowly turned red as she angrily rebuked, ¡°You all, you all went too far!¡±


    With that, she took the sandalwood box from pce maidservant¡¯s hands and ruthlessly threw it on the ground, smashing the pastries and dried fruits on the ground. She turned around and ran out of the courtyard, never wanting to see the two of them again.


    Gu Ruyi¡¯s face turned anxious, although he did not know why she was angry, he had to exin his rtionship with Xie Rong. Thus, she ignored Xie Rong and chased after him.


    ¡°Yaan!¡±


    Xie Rong sat under the tree without moving until Gu Yi came back. Seeing that he was the only one there, he asked in bewilderment, ¡°Where¡¯s Ru Yi?¡±


    He stood up, but didn¡¯t exin anything. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first. I¡¯ll follow you, we¡¯ll meet again another day.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the courtyard.


    Although Gu Yi was puzzled, he didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    He thought that this was just a small episode, but who would have thought that ten dayster, the people of the Rites Department and Eunuch Gao came to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion with their imperial edict.


    Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was shocked, what was going on this time?


    The people of the Residence of Yun knelt in front of the imperial edict. The first son of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Xie Rong, was known as Yongchang, well-versed in literature, was known as Liu Tao, was rich in knowledge, and was a brave fighter ¡­ She was beautiful and dignified, and had specially bestowed the Princess He Yi with the title of Prince Consort. ¡°I am very pleased that the main wedding ceremony will be held one day ¡­¡±


    However, half of them didn¡¯t hear what was said after that.


    When Eunuch Gao finished announcing the imperial edict, everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards the kneeling Xie Rong. His head was slightly bowed, and his expression could not be seen.


    Eunuch Gao said with a smile, ¡°Thank you young master, please ept the decree.¡±


    After waiting for a while, there was no sign of him.


    The smile on Eunuch Gao¡¯s face could not bear it.


    He kowtowed and said firmly, ¡°I beg your pardon.¡±


    Eunuch Gao¡¯s face stiffened, his eyebrows creasing as well. ¡°What do you mean? Could it be that Young Master Xie wants to disrespect the edict? ¡± When he said thatst sentence, his tone was already a bit more severe.


    Xie Liqing and Madam Leng did not know why, but they looked at their son worriedly.


    Xie Rong hardened his heart, ¡°This subject cannot ¡­¡±


    ¡°Evil creature!¡± The old mistress suddenly scolded and turned to smile apologetically at Eunuch Gao. ¡°This child was just muddle-headed for a moment and said some nonsense. I hope Eunuch Gao will not take offense ¡­¡± You can leave this imperial edict behind, I will convince him to agree. ¡± With that, he called for someone to escort Eunuch Gao out of the manor.


    After Eunuch Gao left, Xie Liqing helped the Madam Leng up from the ground, and asked in panic: ¡°Ronger, what exactly happened?¡±


    Xie Rong frowned, thinking back to the day when he ran away from Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion while crying. That was thest time they would meet, and he did not say anything back then, nor did he give her any illusions.


    He calmed his mind, picked up the imperial edict on top of the square table, and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the pce to see His Majesty.¡±


    The madame called out to him in exasperation, ¡°Come back here!¡±


    As if he didn¡¯t hear her, he strode out.

 Chapter 102 - Punishment of Flogging

    <h4>Chapter 102 - Punishment of Flogging</h4>


    Inside the Pce Xuanshi, Emperor Yuan Hui was seated on a gold dragon throne, quietly observing the handsome young man kneeling below.


    He was the assistant director of Military Department. He had a promising future and his own unique views. There was bound to be a lot of room for growth in his career in the future. If he were to marry the most favored Princess He Yi, it would be equivalent to giving himself a better trump card. So why did he refuse it?


    Xie Rong knelt for less than an hour, and Emperor Yuan Hui didn¡¯t say a single word the entire time.


    It had been so long that even Eunuch Gao, who was standing at the side, felt uneasy.


    Xie Rong¡¯s back was ramrod straight, and his eyes quietly stared at the flight of steps below the Dragon Throne, not moving an inch. He had already made up his mind, with no signs of wavering on his face. The zing sun was projected behind his tall and straight figure, making him look like a tall andnky figure in the hall, stopping right under the Dragon Throne.


    The Emperor Yuan Hui finally spoke out: ¡°You are a precious princess, how could you not be worthy of a Minister for Foreign Affairs?¡±


    Xie Rong said sincerely: ¡°It is this subject who is unworthy of the princess.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve decreed that you should be bestowed a marriage, it means that I¡¯ve taken a fancy to you. It is because I think you¡¯re worthy!¡± Emperor Yuan Hui was truly angered. He threw the imperial report onto the table and red at him.


    During this period of time, the Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s health was not good, it was probably rted to the deposed Ping Wang. After lying in bed for a period of time, he had finally recovered.


    He gave a start, but continued to insist, ¡°This subject has taken on His Majesty¡¯s kindness. Please forgive this subject for not agreeing to this marriage.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui frowned, ¡°Are you sure you want to reject the marriage?¡±


    He ced his hands on the ground and bowed deeply. ¡°I am serious.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good!¡± Emperor Yuan Hui red at him fiercely and ordered the guards outside to take him down. ¡°Xie Rong, you disobeyed the sacred will. Aren¡¯t you afraid that we will take your life?¡±


    Xie Rong was quiet for a moment, then stood up straight. His lonely figure actually carried a bit of determination as he said, ¡°If Your Majesty can take back the marriage edict, then this subject will be willing to ept the punishment.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°I only hope that Your Majesty doesn¡¯t anger this subject¡¯s family. This subject will decide on his own, it has nothing to do with them.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Huiughed coldly, there was no point in speaking any further. ¡°Take him away and beat him up into a pulp for us!¡±


    Initially, disobeying the Sacred Will was a huge crime that he had to face, let alone refusing the emperor granting the marriage. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the Emperor Yuan Hui had some feelings for him, and was worried about killing him, how could it simply be beating him to death? His chest heaved with anger and he could not calm down for a long time.


    A few days ago, He Yi ran to the imperial study in tears, begging him to give her and Xie Rong a marriage. However, in order to force him to agree, the Princess He Yi actually thought of using hunger strike to threaten him. In these three days, she weakly fainted in the pce. Although he wasn¡¯t satisfied, he could only agree. After all, although Xie Rong¡¯s official rank was low, he still had a bright future. With his literary skills, he would definitely be able to aplish a lot in the future. But who would have thought that after the imperial edict went down, he would actually be unable to differentiate good from bad ande to Pce Xuanshi to refuse the marriage the same day?


    The more Emperor Yuan Hui thought about it, the more furious he became. That was why he didn¡¯t let the guards be courteous and actually beat the crap out of him.


    Even the strong and strong people with martial arts wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it, let alone a refined person like Xie Rong.


    But against Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s expectations, even after fifty tes, he was still able to hold on and stand in front of him, kowtowing as he kowtowed. ¡°Please retract your orders, Your Majesty.¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui was furious, ¡°Fight another thirty times!¡±


    The guard epted the order and brought him back down.


    The clothes on his back were soaked with blood, but he tightly clenched his teeth and did not utter a sound of begging for mercy. Only until blood seeped out from the corner of his lips. His Adam¡¯s apple moved, and he forcefully swallowed a mouthful of blood.


    The nk fell on his back one by one, and even the eunuch outside could not bear to look.


    ¡°Pa ~ ~¡±


    ¡°Pa ~ ~¡±


    Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the back of the hall, angrily shouting, ¡°Stop, all of you stop!¡±


    The guard didn¡¯t dare stop without His Majesty¡¯s order. She rushed forward and personally blocked the guard¡¯s wooden board. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to hit me anymore. I said you¡¯re not allowed to hit me! Did you hear me?¡±


    The guard took two steps back and knelt down in salute, ¡°We pay our respects to the princess ¡­¡±


    She stood in front of Xie Rong, and looking at his injured back, she hesitated and hesitated, not knowing whether she should go forward or not. Tears welled in her eyes as she bit her lip and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry me that much?¡±


    Would he rather be beaten to such a state, willing to risk his life just to refuse the marriage? Why didn¡¯t he marry her? Why couldn¡¯t he just look at her one more time?


    Xie Rong closed his eyes, his handsome face paled, and his voice became hoarse: ¡°I don¡¯t care about the princess, if you marry me, you will only feel wronged ¡­¡±


    This was the first time he had clearly stated his position, but on such an asion ¡­ Yan Yao¡¯an felt bitterness in her heart. She squatted in front of him and tried to use her bare hands to caress his face. As if he had sensed something, he tilted his head away, causing her to stand up in embarrassment, ¡°Then who are you interested in? ¡°ruyi?¡±


    This question had been in her mind for a long time. She could not eat or sleep, and her mind was filled with scenes of him and Ru Yi sitting under a tree and ying a zither. She admitted that she was jealous. Why did he treat her so badly, yet show such a gentle expression to Ru Yi?


    Xie Rong¡¯s body sank, and he fell down from the bench. Heid on the ground, pressed onto the wound on his back and frowned deeply, ¡°It has nothing to do with her.¡±


    He stopped talking.


    Yan Yao¡¯an called out to him twice, but he didn¡¯t agree. She thought he was dead, so she called for the imperial physician in a hurry, ¡°Quickly, look at what happened to him!¡±


    The imperial physician reached out to check his breath, then pinched his pulse, telling Yan Yao¡¯an, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s only unconscious.¡±


    Only then did she heave a sigh of relief.


    She hated him, hated him, but she didn¡¯t want him to die.


    Yan Yao¡¯an looked up. Emperor Yuan Hui was standing on top of His Highness Pill Emperor. Someone, wake him up and finish the thirty boards! ¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an kneeled down, and shook his head anxiously, ¡°father, stop hitting him, I beg you, stop hitting him!¡±


    The Emperor Yuan Hui said softly, ¡°If we don¡¯t teach her a lesson if she doesn¡¯t agree to our marriage, how can we face the Imperial Family?¡±


    She shook her head while crying, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t agree, how can the father beat him to death?¡± He wiped his tears as he spoke, seeming to have made a huge decision. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, then so be it. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s the only young genius in capital ¡­¡±


    Emperor Yuan Hui didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. His gaze fell on her body and he meaningfully sighed before returning to the hall with turn around his body.


    ¡°Servants, send Minister Xie back home!¡±


    When Xie Rong was sent home, he was covered in blood, which scared Madam Leng so much that his face turned white, and he almost fainted.


    She hurried him back to the house. ¡°Go get a doctor, get a doctor!¡±


    If she knew that he entered the pce with such an oue, she would have stopped him no matter what! Why did he only have half a life left when he entered the pce safely? His clothes and flesh were stuck together, and when he was taking off his clothes, Madam Leng¡¯s hands were trembling. Looking at the streaks of blood on his back, Madam Leng¡¯s teary eyes personally wrung the towel to wipe the wounds on his back. What¡¯s wrong with marrying a princess? Why do you have to refuse it! ¡±


    As he said this, he cried, ¡°Look at the ce on your back! Ronger, have you considered how your father and I would feel? ¡±


    Xie Rong opened his eyes, held onto Madam Leng¡¯s other hand, and said with difficulty, word by word: ¡°It¡¯s my unfilial act ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng doted on him and told him not to talk for now.


    Xie Xun and Xie Liqing stood at the side. Xie Xun had never seen her brother being so weak before, so in her memory, her brother was strong and reliable enough to hold up a whole sky with one hand. She looked at Xie Rong without blinking, her lips moving, but she did not know how to open her mouth.


    Soon, the doctor came and checked his wounds. He wrote a prescription for healing the wounds, and even left a bottle of ointment for external use. One day, three days, he also warned, ¡°Do not go overboard for the next half month, do not stimte food with spices. Eat lightly.¡±


    Madam Leng immediately wrote it down, told Yu Qing to pay the doctor¡¯s fee and sent him away.


    ¡°After the doctor left, she carefully applied the medicine on Xie Rong, causing servant maids to bring the decocted soup up. He half sat on the bed and drank a few mouthfuls. Mother, please go back. I¡¯m fine now. ¡±


    Madam Leng had always wanted to ask, ¡°What did His Majesty say?¡±


    His restrain eyesign: ¡°Then let¡¯s forget about this marriage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met Princess He Yi a few times. Other than her somewhat arrogant and despotic personality, she¡¯s a pretty gooddy. Why did you reject the marriage?¡±


    He said nothing.


    Madam Leng asked again, ¡°You are almost twenty-two now. Your Abba and I have never forced you to respect your opinion. I just don¡¯t know what kind of girl you like. ¡±


    He couldn¡¯t answer it himself, but he felt that it shouldn¡¯t be like the Princess He Yi. If he were to be Prince Consort, there would definitely be many restrictions on his path. When he rejected the marriage, he did not think too much about it, firstly, because of him, and secondly, because he did not want to waste Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s life.


    He thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Mother, please give me some more time.¡±


    The Madam Leng was helpless as he could not bear to disturb his rest. He had no choice but to swallow his words, ¡°Then we will go out first, lie down and rest for a while.¡±


    Saying that, she followed Xie Liqing and Xie Xun out of the house, and before she left, she looked back with worry.


    An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    When Xie Zhen heard the news that Xie Rong had rejected the marriage and that he had been beaten up by the Emperor Yuan Hui, he immediately sat up on the Arhat Bed. Why would brother do such an impulsive thing? ¡±


    Yan Yu had just returned from the pce and sat opposite of her, ¡°He refused to marry Yaoyan. father was furious, he ordered people to beat him eighty times.¡±


    His tone was calm, and there wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of sympathy in it.


    It was said that Yan Yao¡¯an cried for a long time on that day, and his eyes were still swollen.


    Xie Zhen anxiously walked out, ¡°I want to go back and take a look.¡±


    Yan Yu pulled his hand, thought for a while and said: ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    The two of them returned to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion together. Xie Rong¡¯s injuries after two days were no longer as serious as they were at the start, but he still sat on the bed and could not get off the bed. Xie Zhen brought many precious supplements, and cooked all of them for Xie Rong to eat. Heughed involuntarily, ¡°Do you think I have an incurable disease?¡±


    Xie Zhen stood by the bedside, ¡°I think brother is quite sick.¡±


    These words had two meanings, secretly mocking him for refusing such a good marriage.


    Xie Rong understood, but did not exin anything.


    The majority of the people thought the same as Xie Zhen and Madam Leng, they thought that he shouldn¡¯t, but only he knew what he wanted. So he smiled and pretended that he didn¡¯t understand and let the misunderstanding continue.


    Xie Zhen had seen Xie Rong before, so he talked with his parents in the hall for a while before returning to An Wang¡¯s Mansion with Yan Yu.


    On the way back, Xie Zhen asked: ¡°Is Yao An alright?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded, ¡°After crying, I will see.¡±


    Xie Zhen heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She was really worried that Yan Yao¡¯an would be injured from this, and would not be able to recover from his injuries even after a short period of time.


    Not long after the disagreement over the marriage ended, the people of capital did not even have the time to discuss about it, when they were attracted by another piece of shocking news.


    The First Prince, Yan Yun, had rebelled at Gao Yang, killed most of the officials in the city, and breached two of the surrounding cities. Now, he was nning to attack Lin Yi and Kai Yang.

 Chapter 103 - Be Safe

    <h4>Chapter 103 - Be Safe</h4>


    With unstoppable speed, the First Prince¡¯s army quickly took two cities. They were so fast that the Emperor Yuan Hui did not even have time to react.


    Yan Yun had been recruiting and preparing for the army for a long time. He had three thousand picked troops as well as two hundred thousand soldiers. Gao Yang¡¯s citizens were in a state of panic. When the news reached capital, the officials who had were in the imperial court for a long time were all terrified and shocked. They all suggested that the Emperor Yuan Hui send someone to war with the First Prince.


    Emperor Yuan Hui felt under the weather, and now he was angered by the First Prince so much that heid on the bed, cursing about the ¡°unfilial son¡±.


    When he punished Yan Yun, he had cared about the bond between a father and son, so the punishment on Yan Yun was not too much. He expected that this son would thoroughly reform himself when he thought about it in the future. What was unexpected was that he still did not understand this son. Yan Yun¡¯s wolf ambitions were already made clear, but he had extravagantly hoped that a wolf could turn break away from evil ways and return to the orthodox path. Now, he was bitten back by his son, causing the entire Da Jing to fall into a state of panic.


    He gritted his teeth and called the crown prince over along with General of Agile Cavalry, ¡°Immediately dispatch a hundred thousand soldiers to Gao Yang to capture this traitor, regardless of his life or death!¡±


    Yan Tao and Zhong Kai knelt on the ground and solemnly epted the order: ¡°I will listen to the imperial edict!¡±


    In Gao Yang, on the other hand, Yan Yun did not know what the Emperor Yuan Hui was thinking.


    He believed that the throne should have belonged to him, and now he was just taking back what he owned. What was wrong with that? ¡± His army had just taken down Linyi, so the next step was Lan Ling. Sooner orter, he would attack the capital and upy the pce. He was ambitious, and he and his subordinates deployed a thorough n tounch an attack on Lanling the next day.


    Lan Ling was an important ce in the Da Jing. It connected in all directions and was extremely prosperous with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed here. If they could take down this ce, it would be equivalent to having seeded in half. Yan Yun valued this battle greatly, he wanted his men to capture this town within three months. If anyone seeded, they would be bestowed the title of the Great General of the Kingdom in the future.


    When these words were spoken, everyone was encouraged.


    However, in Orchid Fragrance City, City Lord Gao Yuan and General Lee Thorn had guarded the city gate with their lives, leading their troops to set up bows and boulders at the city walls, firmly defending Yan Yun¡¯s army outside of the city gates. In just 10 short days, Yan Yun had lost more than a thousand soldiers.


    In Orchid Ridge City, themoners all knew that the First Prince was about to rebel. All of them were terrified and uneasy. Fortunately, Gao Yuan had his men personally go and pacify the civilians, telling them to stay in the city temporarily and not panic. Only then did everyone finally manage to calm down.


    By the time the crown prince and the General of Agile Cavalry had led a hundred thousand troops to Orchid Mountain City, Gao Yuan and Richard had already guarded the city with their lives for a month.


    Fortunately, he had managed to get them toe.


    In addition to the 100,000 soldiers, the Crown Prince had also brought food and supplies, enough for everyone to stay in the city for another month. Gao Yuan and Li Sheng solemnly received them. They analyzed the current situation to the two of them, pointed at the tiger skin map on the table and said, ¡°Yan Yun¡¯s army is stationed on a hillside five kilometers away, led by General Dingyuan Xu Jin. He did everything he could to achieve his goal, and previously, in order to break the city wall, he sent one soldier after another to their deaths ¡­¡±


    Now that Yan Yun had be the leader of the rebel army, it disrupted the citizens¡¯ livelihood. The people of Da Jing hated him to the bones, and never respected him again as the First Prince.


    After the Crown Prince heard this, he pondered for a moment. The four of them sat together and discussed their ns for the future.


    In the capital, although Yan Yu did not head towards the Lanling Mountains, he was busy night and day. He would either enter the pce to discuss tactics with the various ministers, or go to the barracks, and would only return veryte every day. There were several times that he came back and Xie Zhen had already fallen asleep. He couldn¡¯t bear to disturb her, so after washing his face and rinsing his mouth, he slept beside her quietly and took her into his arms.


    Although his movements were light, Xie Zhen was still unavoidably woken up. She didn¡¯t even open her eyes, and subconsciously burrowed into his embrace, extending her arms to hug his neck, ¡°Why is Big Brother Xiao Yu back sote again?¡±


    Yan Yu patted her back, letting her continue sleeping, ¡°There are a lot of things going on in the pce.


    She was very clear about what had happened in the past few days. Although Yan Yu did not tell her, but the news had spread very fast. The First Prince was rebelling at Gao Yang and had recently sent troops to attack Lanling. Not only was the people of Orchid Fragrance City suffering, even the citizens of the capital were anxious, afraid that one day disaster would befall them. The crown prince and the General of Agile Cavalry had already headed to Orchid Tomb and had ordered to capture Yan Yun. They did not know what the situation was like and were afraid that it would not be that simple.


    If Lan Ling City were to seed, then the entire Da Jing would fall into a state of panic.


    At that time, the capital would no longer be peaceful.


    Xie Zhen opened his tired eyes, which were clouded with ayer of mist. He asked in a sleepy voice, ¡°Were you angered by the First Prince? How¡¯s the situation at Lan Ling? Do you want to go as well? ¡±


    This was what she was most worried about. If the crown prince and the General of Agile Cavalry could not defend it, would she still send Yan Yu there?


    She knew it was inevitable, but she still didn¡¯t want him to go.


    Yan Yu lowered his head and met her eyes, gently stroking her eyes with his hands. In the silent night, his voice had a heavy and gentle tone, ¡°He was established as a king in Gao Yang, and when father mentioned him, he got angry. He had to use medicine every day to sleep. If second brother is unable to protect Lan Ling, sooner orter, I will have to go. ¡±


    Look, she was right.


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t speak for a long time, he kept his head buried in Yun Che¡¯s chest for a long time before finally clenching his teeth and saying, ¡°Yan Yun is really crazy ¡­ Even if he were to rely on this method to ascend to the throne, does he think that the people of the world would submit to him? ¡± After she said that, she raised her wet eyes and said pitifully, ¡°I don¡¯t want Big Brother Xiao Yu to go to Lanling.¡±


    It was too dangerous. She was afraid something might happen to him. The previous two times he went to the border trials, he had narrowly escaped death and returned safely. The situation this time was different, his hands and feet were maimed, what if he was unable to bear it and got ambushed by Yan Yun?


    Being stared by such a pair of eyes caused Yan Yu¡¯s heart to soften. He consoled her, ¡°Everything has not been settled yet.


    Actually he still hadn¡¯t said the first half of the sentence, but Yan Yun had indeed gone mad. For the sake of the throne, he had already entered a trance-like state, and his entire being had be delirious. It was easy for such a person to have weaknesses. If the crown prince could grasp at his weaknesses, then defeating him wouldn¡¯t be a difficult task.


    Yan Yu believed in Yan Tao¡¯s ability.


    Although Yan Tao was warm, he was not a simple person at all. He was not as calm as he looked, otherwise he would not have been sitting in the crown prince¡¯s position the entire time. He had his own methods and opinions. He was a person that could not be underestimated.


    After Xie Zhen heard this, he lowered his eyes, ¡°What if the crown prince can¡¯t protect it?¡±


    Yan Yu smoothed out the wrinkles on her forehead, ¡°Then I can only ept your challenge. Rest assured, I will send you to a safe ce, and this time there will be no more idents. ¡±


    Xie Zhen pinched the flesh on his waist, ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant! ¡±


    She was worried about him, he knew.


    He endured the pain andughed, saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just hide you in my sleeve and bring you to the battlefield with me.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes lit up, even though he knew it was impossible, he still raised up his pinky finger and held it in front of him, ¡°Then let¡¯s pull the hook, is the one who lied little dog?¡±


    Yan Yu hesitated for a while, then reached out his pinky to pull the hook with her, and lightly sealed it.


    Xie Zhen was relieved, and went back to his arms to sleep.

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104</h4>


    After a long moment, he didn¡¯t hear any sound from his chest.


    Zhong Shang released Xie Xun and looked down at the little girl¡¯s beautiful and tender face. His heart seemed to have been hollowed out, as if he wanted to squeeze her into his heart to fill the hole. He had never seriously thought about what kind of feelings he had for her. At the beginning, he thought that it was all fun and was attracted by her gluttony. He felt that this was just a greedy little cat that he could tempt her with good food. She was both obedient and sensible. The more deeply they touched each other, the more he wanted to take the flower home and keep it in a vase, watering her every day to make her more attractive.


    He wanted to see her blossom and bear fruit with his own eyes. He wanted to let herpletely belong to him.


    It wasn¡¯t that he had never had a woman before, but it was that he had never been in a rtionship with anyone, that he had never had any true love, and that he had never been so interested in a woman.


    Did he really have feelings for her? To such a young girl who hadn¡¯t grown up yet?


    Zhong Shang¡¯s hand on her back gradually moved down,nding on her soft waist, which could be held with one hand, soft and delicate as if he could break her with a little force. But how could he bear it? It was toote for him to love her.


    It¡¯s just that her skin is so good. White, almost transparent under the sun, he couldn¡¯t help but want to lower his head and have a taste of her face. What kind of smell was it, was it sweet or not? It had actually tempted him for such a long time.


    While Zhong Shang was still indulging in his fantasies, Xie Xun was already struggling in his embrace. After all, they were still at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡¯s side door. Why did I wait for you? When will Big Brother Zhong Shang return? ¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say for sure, but how could he be sure about something like fighting? The day that they would return was also the day that the troops that had managed to repel the First Prince would return. A while ago, her parents had arranged for her to get married, but the other party was the eldest son of Grand Secretariat Gu. What if they really got engaged when he went to Lan Ling? Thinking about it this way, Zhong Shang had no choice but to take it seriously, ¡°Either half a year or one or two years.¡± He paused, a hand holding onto the back of Xie Xun¡¯s head, he bent down to look her in the eye, and smirked, ¡°During the time I¡¯m gone, you must not get engaged to anyone else.¡±


    Xie Xun tilted her head. She had always treated Zhong Shang as her big brother, just like Xie Rong, who had never thought much about the rtionship between a man and a woman.


    Zhong Shang had never seen such an unenlightened girl, if a normal girl heard this, they would all be blushing red, only she blinked her eyes as if she understood what he meant. However, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. The more he didn¡¯t open his eyes, the better. This way, when he wasn¡¯t around, at least she wouldn¡¯t be tempted by others. If you are engaged, then you are the future wife of someone else. Naturally, you cannot be in contact with me again. ¡°I heard that Lan Ling region is prosperous and has special snacks. After the war ends, I¡¯ll bring some snacks back to the capital for you to eat. Wouldn¡¯t that mean I can¡¯t give them to you?¡±


    This is a serious problem.


    Xie Xun hurriedly nodded, and agreed without even thinking, ¡°Rest assured, Big Brother Zhong Shang, I won¡¯t be betrothed to anyone!¡±


    The corner of Zhong Shang¡¯s mouth raised into a smile. She initially did not want to smile so openly, but she could not hold back the happiness in her heart. The corners of her mouth curled up, matching with his soul attracting peach blossom eyes, making her look both evil and spirited. What if your parents force you? ¡±


    She pouted. ¡°I want some delicious snacks.¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. He just wanted to eat.


    Zhong Shang stroked the bun on her head as he moved down along her face. He pinched her ears and quickly took off the earring, his voice low and gentle: ¡°If your parents force you, you can say that you have someone you like. His name is Zhong Shang.¡±


    These words were too obvious, even if Xie Xun was a big idiot, he would definitely understand now.


    And she¡¯s fourteen, Chun. At such an age, she would asionally talk about the girl¡¯s private matters with Xie Zhen or her little friend, and knew about matters rted to love and love. Now that Zhong Shang had spoken so inly ¡­ She stared at Zhong Shang in a daze as she licked her lips. She wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. He was flustered and helpless.


    She subconsciously took half a step back, pretending that she didn¡¯t understand, ¡°I ¡­ ¡°I ¡­¡± After stuttering for a long time, he was finally able to utter aplete sentence. ¡°But Big Brother Zhong Shang is not my person of choice ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s eyes turned deep, ¡°Then who is the person you like?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t answer and was so anxious that she almost cried. She reached out her hand to change the topic, ¡°Why are you using my earrings? ¡°Give it back to me.¡±


    Zhong Shang stretched out his arms but did not give it to her. After leaving for so long, he had to at least take some of her things to think about, right? He smirked, but his eyes were very gentle. ¡°Don¡¯t you want some snacks? I¡¯ll use this as my reward. ¡±


    She wasn¡¯t so stupid as to sell herself for a few snacks. She tugged on his sleeve, desperately trying to snatch back what she had given him, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang, give it back to me! I, I¡¯m going to get angry! ¡±


    He chuckled softly, feeling that she was so cute. He really wanted to hug her and rub her.


    The little girl¡¯s cheeks were puffed up with anger, her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, and she was angry and delicate.


    She suddenly jumped as her finger identally drew a line on the silver hook on her earpiece. The silver hook pierced through her finger and a droplet of blood the size of a mung bean instantly appeared. When he heard her hiss, he grabbed her hand, bent his head, took her slender white forefinger, and sucked away the blood, afraid that she would hurt him, and licked it lightly.


    Xie Xun¡¯s finger went numb, and hurriedly took it out of his mouth as she said with a red face: ¡°¡­ Give me back my earrings, will you? ¡±


    Zhong Shang looked into her eyes, ¡°Then tell me, who is your lover?¡±


    She shook her head and honestly said no.


    Zhong Shang was a little d but also a little disappointed. He quickly adjusted his mood, and gently helped her put on the earrings once more. ¡°When I return from Lan Ling, Little Sister Ah Xun will give me these earrings.¡±


    Xie Xun waited until he had put it on before covering his ears and taking two steps back. His eyes were red like a frightened rabbit, ¡°I don¡¯t want to ¡­ This is the earring that my mom gave me. I really like it. ¡±


    Zhong Shang wanted to continue speaking when suddenly a servant maids wearing green clothes ran over, looking flustered, ¡°Miss, the Madam is here to see you ¡­¡±


    Surprised, she opened her mouth but didn¡¯t say anything. She turned and ran inside with a guilty conscience.


    Zhong Shang grabbed her fingertips, ¡°Remember my words ¡­¡±


    Xie Xun anxiously struggled free from his grasp, her heart thumping loudly. She quickly ordered the servant maids to close the door.


    Just as he closed the door, Xie Xun stared at the door in a daze, while the Madam Leng walked over personally from afar. Seeing her staring nkly at the door, Madam Leng could not help but ask: ¡°Wutu, why are you here?¡±


    She came back to her senses and her fingertips trembled. She turned her head and softly called out, ¡°Mother!¡±


    Zhong Shang stood outside the door for a while, thinking that this girl had dodged really fast ¡­ Heughed, hopped on his horse, and rode slowly out.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Tomorrow morning, the thirty thousand strong army would depart for the Lanling Mountains.


    In the evening, the clouds turned bright and the red clouds dyed half of the sky red. The sky was even more gorgeous than before.


    Gao Xun lied on a patch of grass behind the army field with his hands behind his head, quietly observing the clouds above him. There was a de of grass in his mouth, something he had learned from Zhong Shang. His eyes were unmoving, and it was unknown what he was thinking. Only after a long while did he suddenly jump up from the grass when the sun was slowly setting in the west mountains. He pulled the grass out of his mouth and casually threw it away.


    The direction he was heading towards was towards the An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    This time, he did not wait at the door but openly paid a visit. A servant weed him into the central room and made him sit on a chair to wait.


    Not long after, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu walked over from the backyard. Before they even got close, they could hear Xie Zhen¡¯s sweet and crisp voice, ¡°Big Brother Gao Xun is here!¡±


    Yan Yu said something in a low voice, and she deliberately said, ¡°¡­ ¡°You are petty.¡±


    While they were talking, the two of them had already walked to the door.


    Xie Zhen entertained Gao Xun like before, but being close to him didn¡¯t seem to be out of condition, so people couldn¡¯t find any fault with it. servant maids carried the tea up and took a sip, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, why did youe over at this time?¡±


    Gao Xun also drank a mouthful of tea, and after brewing for a while, he said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m going to Lan Ling tomorrow.¡±


    Xie Zhen was startled, and even forgot to drink his tea.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lan Ling was a bad ce, but that it had been too chaotic recently ¡­ He was from Chiliarch, and since he was going, he must be leading the troops to war. Xie Zhen remained silent for a while and just when she was about to remind him to be careful of everything, Yan Yu had already opened her mouth to ask, ¡°You came just to say these words?¡±


    Gao Xun nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He tilted his head, obviously disdaining this.


    Xie Zhen could only me his bad attitude. She pursed her her mouth a thin line and red at him. He turned to Gao Xun and said, ¡°Big Brother Gao Xun, be careful. I heard that the First Prince is very crafty, so you shouldn¡¯t fall for his trap. ¡°You have to measure your strength. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Your body is the most important¡­¡±


    Gao Xun responded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Actually, he didn¡¯t have much to say. After a few words, he became silent. Mainly because Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were burning hot, and because Xie Zhen knew how Gao Xun felt about her, their conversation wasn¡¯t asfortable as before.


    Just as she was considering whether she should leave Gao Xun alone for dinner, Gao Xun had already said to Yan Yu: ¡°Can I have a few words with Ah Zhen alone?¡±


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t even think about it, and looked at him, ¡°No, if there¡¯s anything you want to say, say it here.¡±


    His lips curled up helplessly, ¡°Ah Yu ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s thin lips curled into a line, and stubbornly said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it here.¡±


    He had no other choice but to look at Xie Zhen again.


    After thinking for a while, he mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been guing his mind for a long time, ¡°Ah Zhen, if you don¡¯t have Ah Yu ¡­ Will you marry me? ¡±


    Yan Yu suddenly red at him.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t even need to turn his head to feel the raging fury of the people around him. She thought about this question seriously and nodded her head. I think so. ¡±


    Yan Yu tightened his grip on the armrest, blue veins popping out from the back of his hand.


    She continued while looking at Gao Xun with her her mouth a thin line: ¡°But Big Brother Gao Xun, this hypothesis was not true in the first ce. I knew Big Brother Xiao Yu earlier than you, if not for Big Brother Xiao Yu, I wouldn¡¯t have known you too. ¡± She already knew that there would be a day when she would open the topic, so she didn¡¯t panic at all. ¡°We were so close when we were young, you always made meugh and y with me. I treated you as my best brother. If I don¡¯t marry Big Brother Xiao Yu, I might really marry you ¡­ But that¡¯s because my father and mother like you, not because I like you ¡­ How could I like my brother? ¡±


    After she finished speaking in a single breath, she practically did not dare look at Yan Yu¡¯s face. Her face was slightly red, and Shui Yingying looked at Gao Xun with watery eyes, ¡°But big brother Xiao Yu is different ¡­ I was willing to marry him. ¡± After saying that, she bit her pink lips. She was a little embarrassed, ¡°Big Brother Gao Xun, don¡¯t keep thinking about the past. There are actually many beautiful and skilled girls in capital, you ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he heard the sound of porcin breaking.


    She raised her head and saw that Gao Xun¡¯s face was pale white, the cup in her hand sliding to the ground.

 Chapter 105 - Great Love

    <h4>Chapter 105 - Great Love</h4>


    The room was silent.


    Yan Yu expressionlessly called servant maids in, and had them gather all the broken pieces of porcin on the ground before saying to Gao Xun: ¡°It¡¯ste, you should go back to the army camp.¡±


    Gao Xun stood up in a daze. The words Xie Zhen had said just now still reverberating in his mind.


    She said that even without Yan Yu, it would be impossible for her to marry him. She only treated him as her good brother and didn¡¯t like him. The person she liked was Yan Yu. She even told him to find a good girl in the capital and be a good husband ¡­ Gao Xun was speechless. His right hand, which had held onto the cup before, trembled uncontrobly as he used his left hand to support it. ¡°Just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything, and pretend I never came tonight. ¡±


    With that, he turned and walked out of the central room.


    Xie Zhen wanted to go up and send him off, but she was pulled back by Yan Yu, who said, ¡°Let him go back by himself.¡±


    Xie Zhen was not at ease, she kept having the feeling that something would happen to him while he was on the street, but then she thought for a moment, if she sent him off again, it would be to give him hope. If she gave him hope over and over again, he might as well let her see it for him and let it go for good. After she thought it through, she called over one of the more astute servant s from the Pce, ¡°Follow Gao Xun, don¡¯t let him find your whereabouts. Wait until he safely returns to the army camp, thene back.¡±


    servant answered and turned to follow.


    Yan Yu pulled her back to the Zhanyue Court. His expression was never too good, his thin lips tightly pursed, his handsome face showing a stern and stern expression.


    He did not speak, and neither did Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen had made it very clear that she had hurt Gao Xun¡¯s heart and she was still ming herself a little.


    If she had been pretending to be stupid, perhaps they could still maintain a pure friendship. Now that she had spoken, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t even be a friend in the future. But if he did not speak of it openly, it would instead cause Gao Xun to hold onto an extravagant hope that was close to being unreal. This way of treating him was truly unfair, and would also cause trouble for her and Yan Yu.


    Therefore, even if she med herself, she wouldn¡¯t regret it.


    When they were almost to the Zhanyue Court, Yan Yu stopped at thest part of the hand roaming corridor. Borrowing thest bit of the dim yellow light in the west, he turned his head and stared at her charming face, ¡°What you said just now ¡­ Is that true? ¡±


    He finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.


    All along the way, Xie Zhen had been guessing when he would ask her this question, but she didn¡¯t expect him to endure for so long, so she thought he would ask her whenever he was at central room. I just said so much, what do you mean? ¡±


    She feigned ignorance, blinking her big watery eyes at him.


    Yan Yu paused, the corner of his mouth curled, and pulled out an unnatural curve, ¡°You said that you were willing to marry me, that phrase ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen put his hands behind his back, and gave a long ¡®oh¡¯. She winked at him, looking strange and sly, and walked slowly around him, ¡°Of course it¡¯s fake. At that time, Big Brother Xiao Yu was so bad to me, why would I want to marry you? I said that on purpose for Big Brother Gao Xun to hear, and only then will he give up. ¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, Yan Yu held onto his shoulders tightly, and rubbed against his chest.


    Xie Zhen staggered, her back pressed tightly against his chest, the corners of her lips curled up into an evil smile.


    She knew what he wanted to hear, but she didn¡¯t want him to do as he wished ¡­ It was as if she cared a lot about him. Although this was the truth, it was still impossible to guess the thoughts of a girl who loved to take dainties.


    Yan Yu¡¯s chin was pressed against her shoulder sockets, and when he turned his head, he could see that she was smiling like a little fox. He bit into her tiny earlobe and asked with a straight face, ¡°What about now?¡±


    She shrank away from him, but no matter where she went, she could not escape his embrace. She was tickled by his licking.


    Yan Yu hugged her tightly, he hated that he couldn¡¯t not keep her in his body, ¡°Now, you want to marry me?¡±


    Herughter was crisp and pleasing to the ears, but the words she said were a little repulsive. ¡°Has Big Brother Xiao Yu be an idiot? What¡¯s the use of thinking about it now, I¡¯m already married to you anyway ¡­ ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do even if I don¡¯t want to ¡­¡±


    As he said that, he raised his hand to pry away the iron-like shoulder, and used his hand to fend off his face. ¡°Let go of me, I want servant to see what a terrible appearance you have!¡±


    He could only me her for being so eloquent that he could not refute her. He could only gnash his teeth and stare at her, loving and hating her. In the end, love was more than hate. Finally, she lightly kissed the back of her hand and lovinglyined, ¡°Little bastard.¡±


    Xie Zhen retorted in his arms, ¡°I¡¯m not a little scoundrel¡±.


    Probably because she thought his attitude was good, she came out from his arms and stood on the railing by the side of the corridor. She opened her arms and smiled: ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, hug me.¡±


    She was now half a head taller than him, and he usually looked down on her. It was a rare asion that he was able to raise his head and look at her. Yan Yu walked up to her and obediently opened his arms. ¡°Come down, don¡¯t fall down.¡±


    Without any warning, she jumped andnded steadily in his embrace. She subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, sticking close to his ear as if she was whispering, deliberately lowering her voice. ¡°If I were to marry you now, I would definitely be willing ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu suddenly froze as he lowered his head to look at the delicate little girl in his arms.


    Before she finished speaking, she slowly enunciated each word. ¡°Because, I like Big Brother Xiao Yu.¡±


    Unknowingly, the corner of Yan Yu¡¯s lips rose, the haze on his face was reced by a smile, all that was left was a gentle and loving smile.


    He held her cheek against her forehead, eyes to eyes, nose to nose. ¡°How much?¡±


    Her cunning Wu Tong blinked and replied smartly: ¡°Like how Big Brother Xiao Yu likes me.¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. He really didn¡¯t want to lose anything.


    But this time, Yan Yu did not keep silent, a low ¡°En¡± came out of his throat. He kissed her pink lips, tossed and turned until her tongue hurt, then asked, ¡°How do you know how much I like you?¡±


    She opened her arms and gestured. ¡°That much?¡±


    He looked at her and shook his head.


    Pointing from one end of the veranda to the other, she turned her head and asked curiously, ¡°So many?¡±


    He still shook his head.


    Xie Zhen was discouraged. He put his thumb and forefinger together topare the size of a grain of rice, ¡°It can¡¯t be this much, right?¡±


    Laughing lightly, he took her hand and ced it on his chest, letting her feel the thump of his chest. He asked her if she heard him, and she nodded and said she did, and he told her honestly, ¡°There¡¯s so much of a heart.¡±


    Xie Zhen was startled, and raised his head to look at his serious eyes.


    As expected, his next sentence was to ask: ¡°Little Lamb, do you have this many?¡±


    She had dug a hole for herself to jump into, so she couldn¡¯t even save herself.


    After thinking for a long time, she decided to answer honestly. I¡¯m a little less than you. ¡± After which, he gestured with his finger, which was about half the size of his finger, and emphasized, ¡°Just a tiny bit!¡±


    In her heart, she was still pretending to be her father and mother, big brother Ah Xun ¡­ The rest of the seats had all been given to him. He should feel satisfied!


    Yan Yu did not bother to argue with her, he was already very satisfied that he got too much information from her. He took her fingers and led her back. ¡°As long as there¡¯s no other man.¡±


    Xie Zhen giggled as she followed behind him, and sweetly promised, ¡°I only like Big Brother Xiao Yu!¡±


    He curled his lips and led her slowly along.


    After losing three battles consecutively, the First Prince¡¯s morale had greatly plummeted. The several hundred thousand strong army sunk for more than half a month until one day, the First Prince called for the Western Yi¡¯s army to rescue them.


    The First Prince had long been in contact with the General of Western Yi, and had even went all out to seize the throne. He borrowed a hundred thousand troops and horses from the Western Yi and promised the patriarch of the Western Yi that if he were to attack the mountains and rivers of the Da Jing, he would cut off the seven richest cities at the border to give to the Western Yi as a thank-you gift. That was why the patriarch of the Western Yi agreed to borrow troops.


    Western Yi was a race of horses. Boys could ride horses before they had learned how to walk, could ride and shoot, and were brave enough to fight. Back then, Yan Yu had spent a lot of effort to defeat the People of Western Yi, but now, he had invited them back.


    However, Yan Yun¡¯s army had the help of the Western Yi¡¯s soldiers, and their morale had increased overnight. The battle drums rang across the sky, and the troops started to attack the city again that night.


    The People of Western Yi shot arrows from the bottom of the city wall, and before long, he killed half of the soldiers on the city wall.


    The Crown Prince summoned the General of Agile Cavalry to defend himself strictly. When one group of soldiers died, he would go up to the other group, determined not to let the People of Western Yi attack the city wall.


    City Lord Gao Yuan angrily scolded: ¡°These traitors, actually managed to attract the People of Western Yi! These people are like wild wolves, they have no reason at all! ¡±


    On one side, Zhong Kaimanded his soldiers to wee the battle, while on the other, he said to him, ¡°It¡¯s useless to say these things now, the First Prince haspletely gone mad ¡­ If you want toin, the Mayor might as well send more men to guard the city gates. Some soldiers have already broken through the moat and started to ram into the gates! ¡±


    Gao Yuan was shocked and busied himself with his preparations.


    This battle hadsted two days and one night. Coincidentally, Gao Xun and Zhong Kai¡¯s army had arrived in time to save the lives of several tens of thousands of citizens in Lan Ling City. The leader was a twenty-five year old young general. The crown prince and the mayor received them personally and arranged a banquet overnight to thank them foring in time.


    Zhong Shang had not opened his eyes in advance and was unavoidably scolded.


    However, he felt gratified that his son had such a heart.


    The group of people sat together and drank, unknowingly talking about the current situation. When the First Prince Yan Yun was mentioned, everyone was filled with grief. They never thought that he would actually seek help from the People of Western Yi.


    After that, they fought another two battles. Gao Xun and Zhong Shang rode their horses up to battle, both of them suffering fromrge and small injuries, but they did not care at all. The more People of Western Yi was defeated, the more courageous he became, and Orchid Mountain City would probably not be able to hold on for much longer. From what the crown prince had told the First Prince, that the First Prince was nning a secret operation in secret, that his ns were extremely meticulous, that only he and the General of Western Yi knew about it, and that the others did not know anything at all.


    If this n worked¡­ Then the Lanling City will be destroyed.


    When the Crown Prince mentioned this matter, he frowned deeply. He asked the crowd, ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡±


    Below them sat the City Lord Gao Yuan, General Li Shang, General of Agile Cavalry Zhong Kai and another young general, as well as Zhong Shang and Gao Xun.


    Everyone sank into deep thought. They knew that this n was going to be very critical. It was rted to sess or failure, and couldn¡¯t be ignored. His top priority right now was to figure out the contents of the First Prince¡¯s n ¡­ Only when they knew what they were nning would they be able to n ahead and deal with them.


    Zhong Shang pondered for a moment, then said: ¡°I ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he was snatched away by Gao Xun, ¡°If the Crown Prince trusts me, he will allow me to bring thirty people to the First Prince¡¯s tent at night.¡±


    The crown prince was sitting on a treasured chair, facing for the first time the young man sitting at the very end. He was handsome, his facial features were sculpted, and he was at most twenty years old. However, her face was filled with tenacity, and her manner of speaking was also very calm.


    He remembered him and knew that his name was Gao Xun.


    In thest two battles, he was the vanguard as he fearlessly beheaded People of Western Yi, filled with vigor and vitality. Not only that, but he also used his shooting technique to kill the enemy from a hundred steps away. The deputy general of the Western Yi died under his arrow like this.


    He was rmended to him more than once.


    Yan Tao took it seriously, ¡°Are you confident?¡±


    He stood up and loudly answered, ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Yan Tao nodded, ¡°Then go and try to find out what their ns are. If you are discovered, don¡¯t try to be brave ande back alive. ¡±


    He nodded and said yes.

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106</h4>


    Gao Xun got prepared in the night.


    For convenience, he was dressed in Hu clothes which was tight-fitting, clean suit with his sleeves and legs tightly tied. He put on another set of soft armor inside the the clothes to protect himself. He stepped into his ck boots and tightened his belt, preparing to walk out of the tent.


    Zhong Shang called out to him, and his normally casual face bing serious, ¡°Don¡¯t be careless, be on your guard against any movements there. Don¡¯t be discovered. The First Prince is very cunning, so it will not end well if you end up in his hands. ¡±


    Gao Xunughed, he had said those words no less than three times, but he did not know why he was being so nagging, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve thought of all the things you¡¯ve thought about.¡±


    After that, he lifted his hand and opened the tent.


    Zhong Shang leaned on his chair nted and his ck eyes looked at him faintly. ¡°Why did you want to take my task?¡±


    Gao Xun fell silent.


    Although Zhong Shang looked like he didn¡¯t care about anything, his observation was extremely meticulous. At that time, they were discussing in the tent. Originally, Zhong Shang was the one who spoke first, but he only said one word before he snatched away the topic. How could he not know what Zhong Shang wanted to say? They all thought of a countermeasure at the same time, but he snatched it away.


    Gao Xun pretended to lower his head to tidy up his belt, and onlyughed after a long while: ¡°You are the sole seedling of your family. I¡¯m different, I came here to gain experience, if I don¡¯t experience more, how can I climb up? ¡±


    What he said made sense, but Zhong Shang could not help but swing the cup beside his hand onto the ground.


    What dog. Nonsense!


    His parents were far away in the Qing Zhou, if he knew that something had happened to him, how would he exin himself to his parents?


    Zhong Shang stood up and started to untie his belt, without any nonsense, without even discussing with him, ¡°Take off your clothes, I¡¯ll go!¡±


    At this time, the 30 soldiers sent by the Crown Prince were waiting outside. How could they allow such a scene?


    Gao Xun naturally did not listen to him, and turned to leave.


    Zhong Shang grasped his shoulder, and without reason, felt a sense of heaviness from it. He shook his shoulder, and only said onest sentence: ¡°Return with your tail between your legs!¡±


    He smiled with a rxed expression, ¡°Of course I want toe back. I haven¡¯t married yet!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what had happened to him recently. Ever since he left the capital toe to Lanling, he had always been depressed, and even talked less than before. Seeing that he was still the same as before, Zhong Shang secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and patted his shoulder, ¡°And here I thought you didn¡¯t want women, since you already know, then get lost!¡±


    Gao Xun did not mind his words, came out of the camp, took a bunch of jujube red stallions from the soldier¡¯s hands and mounted them.


    Why didn¡¯t he want a woman? However, the one he wanted the most had already be someone else¡¯s woman.


    Behind him were 30 elite soldiers dressed just like him. Each of them looked like a sharp dagger. Under the night sky, they exuded a ghastly cold aura, sharp and sharp. Gao Xun confirmed the trip he was about to make, everyone had received orders from the crown prince, and now they were all listening to him, one by one they all agreed, and followed him into the darkness, like arrows released from a bow.


    The First Prince¡¯s tent was located fifty miles away from Lanling City. Gao Xun led the thirty elite soldiers to take a shortcut through the mountain.


    Standing atop the mountain, they looked down at the ce where the First Prince¡¯s army had set up their camp.


    The terrain of the ce was not bad. There was a mountain on one side and water on the other. There were two escape routes in front of him. They were not afraid of the Crown Prince¡¯s men suddenly attacking them. From time to time, there would be patrolling soldiers on the mountain. Only when Gao Xun and the others hid in the shadows did they not get noticed.


    The few tens of people secretly redeployed their meticulous ns, moving in order. Gao Xun saw that he did not neglect anything, and allowed them to move on in an hour¡¯s time.


    An hourter, four of them galloped down the mountain, circled around to the back of the military camp and set fire to their food.


    With the help of the wind, the fire quickly grewrger and soon became a raging inferno that dyed half the night sky red. Gao Xun and the others had specially observed the wind. At this point, it was very easy to burn food, and the four elite soldiers were very good at hiding, it was not easy for them to be discovered.


    Fortunately, there was ake on the other side of the camp. The soldiers climbed up from their beds and carried buckets of water to theke to draw water for the fire. This sudden rise of fire was so strange that it soon rmed the few military officers and the First Prince, who were sleeping in the middle of the tent. Everyone hurriedly put on their clothes and checked. The First Prince had ordered to capture the person who set the fire to them, not one of them was to be spared!


    For a time, the army camp was in chaos. Fires were set on fire, people were caught, and people were sent into captivity.


    Taking advantage of the time that Yan Yun had not recovered from the shock, Gao Xun ordered the 20 elite soldiers to release the horses in the horse stables. A whip whipped the horses, and hundreds of strong horses rushed out from behind like crazy, trampling on and injuring a lot of the soldiers who were fighting the fire.


    In the barracks, the moring of the horses, the shouts of the soldiers, and the crackling of the mes were all over the ce. The situation was not easy to control. Several military officials mounted their war horses and brandished their whips to calm everyone down. But with such a big fire, what would they eat after burning all the food? And this horse, was he going to die under the horse¡¯s hooves tonight?


    Seeing that the fire was getting smaller, Gao Xun ordered the three of them to set the nearby tents on fire as well, and did it stealthily. The soldiers thought that they were infected by the fire from the grain and that they had started it together.


    Borrowing the raging fire, Gao Xun could even see the First Prince¡¯s ashen face. He pulled the reins of his horse and said to thest elite soldier: ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to go!¡±


    They followed the path down the mountain, hiding in the jungle all the way without anyone noticing them.


    The First Prince¡¯s tent was located in the middle of the mountain, very close to the foot of the mountain where they had descended from. At this time, all of the soldiers on guard outside the camp had gone to put out the fire. There was no one around, so Gao Xun quietly sneaked in.


    He opened it and took a quick look. He knew that this was what the crown prince wanted, so he put it into his pocket and took it away.


    The box was smashed by his fist, leaving only a few splinters on the table.


    He slipped out of the tent, jumped on his horse, and left the ce.


    The elite soldiers who followed him led the way. They had agreed in advance that they would meet up at the back of this mountain. As long as they left this mountain, they would be safe. Gao Xun bent over and pressed his body against the horse, the smooth and powerful lines on his back flowed smoothly, blending together with the darkness. A gust of wind blew past his ears, nailing him firmly onto the back of the elite soldier in front.


    The elite soldier that was following him fell onto the ground with arrow feathers sticking out of his back. Gao Xun had no time to stop before he met eyes with him when walking past, and before he could even open his mouth, he had bit his tongue andmitted suicide.


    A white light suddenly lit up behind him. He turned around and saw the First Prince, Yan Yun, leading hundreds of soldiers not too far behind him. A row of archers in front of Yan Yun aimed their silver white arrows at him, shocking everyone.


    Yan Yun¡¯s lips curled up into a smile, his eyes were sinister and ruthless, as he said slowly: ¡°You think you can fool this king with such a small trick?¡±


    When he spoke, his tone was like that of a venomous snake, and a cold sensation crept up his body, slowly seeping into his skin. The fire was still burning behind him, and it was gradually beginning to die down. The runaway horses were also being brought back to the stables, under the control of the soldiers.


    Gao Xun¡¯s body slowly stiffened. He felt a chill down his spine and his brain froze for a moment.


    How did he find out?


    He quickly thought about it, but didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it.


    Yan Yun was actually confused at first, this was a trap. First, they burnt the food from his army, then, they released their warhorses to stir up the situation. Everyone was busy in front to deal with the chaos, who would have time to pay attention to the rear? However, upon further thought, he felt that something was amiss. Why would the other party do such a thing? It did not hurt them, just to divert their attention.


    In the end, Yan Yun was an old cunning fox who had been in hiding for many years, and he had more thoughts than the average person.


    So he hurried back to the tent to check, and saw that the drawings in the box had been taken away.


    Fortunately, he was able to catch up in time and did not let anyone escape.


    Yan Yun rode on his tall steed and took two steps forward. His gaze was sharp and cunning, almost to the point of tempting: ¡°Hand over the thing, this king will spare your life ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Gao Xun quietly held onto the reins, he looked extremely calm, without showing any sign of panic, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yan Yun firstughed, hisughter made people feel cold from the bottom of their bones, and quickly changed to his face, staring fiercely at him: ¡°Stop pretending, if it¡¯s to steal something, why would you barge into this king¡¯s camp alone?¡± He raised his right hand, and the soldiers behind him immediately raised their bows and arrows, aiming straight at Gao Xun. If you refuse a toast and don¡¯t eat a forfeit, don¡¯t me This King for turning you into a hedgehog and taking the thing back! ¡±


    Gao Xun was silent, he then pretended to be afraid, ¡°If I return it to you, would the First Prince let me go?¡±


    Yan Yun¡¯s eyes shed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    He said, ¡°Then the First Prince should personallye to retrieve it. I¡¯m afraid that you will go back on your word.¡±


    Yan Yun smirked, ¡°This King never goes back on my word.¡±


    Even though he said that, he still rode over. Just as he got close, Gao Xun took out a dagger from his sleeve and threw it straight at his chest.


    Although Yan Yun was prepared in advance, he was still unable to dodge the attack.


    Gao Xun¡¯s technique was very urate. He was good at riding and shooting in the army, but now that his bow had been reced with a dagger, he was able to shoot steadily. It entered Yan Yun¡¯s chest.


    Yan Yun bent down while clutching his chest, he clenched his teeth and said: ¡°Open the bow, shoot the arrow!¡±


    In that moment, arrows rained down from the sky like a rain as they shot towards the direction that Gao Xun had escaped in.


    Yan Yun¡¯s furious voice pierced through the rain of arrows, ¡°Whoever hits the arrow, This King will reward him with a hundred silver taels!¡±


    Hearing about the bounty, the soldiers¡¯ morale was boosted. One by one, they aimed their arrows at the figure. Even though Gao Xun was extremely nimble, he was unable to dodge all of the arrows that were shooting at him. Very quickly, he was hit on the shoulder by one of the arrows.


    Gritting his teeth, he forced himself out of the barracks and ran to the back of the mountain to meet the other elite soldiers.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107</h4>


    Seeing that, all the soldiers were shocked, as they immediately rushed forward: ¡°Chiliarch Gao ¡­.¡±


    He was covered in arrows and his clothes were soaked with blood. He was wearing a ck coat, so it was not obvious, but the blood that flowed from the horse¡¯s back to the ground proved how serious his injury was. His face was pale as he tightly held onto the wound on his chest: ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    One of them wanted to help him up, but he dodged it.


    The group turned back the way they hade. With the First Prince¡¯s men chasing them from behind, no one dared to rx as they galloped back to Lanling City. Others were more or less lightly injured, but none of them had suffered as much as Gao Xun. He stared straight ahead and held his breath as he rode the horse through the moat. When he reached the gate, he leaned over, closed his eyes and finally fell off the horse.


    ¡°Chiliarch Gao!¡±


    The instant he closed his eyes, he seemed to hear Xie Zhen calling his name by his ear.


    ¡°Big Brother Gao Xun?¡±


    The voice was so soft and sweet that it made his heart pound.


    He remembered the first time they met. That was in his yard, when she turned her head with a smile, and her cheeks were soft and clear. At that time, he thought, even the little fairy in the painting wouldn¡¯t be as beautiful as her ¡­


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Ah Zhen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all that you¡¯ve said. Have you heard anything else?¡±


    He told her funny stories just to see more of her smiling face. In the blink of an eye, twelve years had passed, from the age of seven to neen. At that time, Little Fairy had be the wife of another, and it no longer had anything to do with him.


    She advised him to look for other girls.


    But he only wanted her alone ¡­


    Gao Xun¡¯s whole body was in pain, but his heart still throbbed in pain. He had had this problem ever since he came to Orchid Mountain Range. Thinking about Xie Zhen made his heart ache, he had to spend a lot of energy everyday in order to not think about Xie Zhen. He thought that he would be able to let go of her and find a virtuous and gentle girl to spend the rest of his life with, just as she had said. If he couldn¡¯t do it now, he might not be able to do it in the future.


    His eyes were moist and his throat was sweet. He tilted his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    When Gao Xun was sent back to the army camp, he only had onest breath left.


    There were two fatal injuries on his body, one on his chest and one on his neck. He was clearly unconscious and did not even have the strength to speak, yet his hands were tightly clutching the blueprints he had obtained from the First Prince. When the soldiers carried him back to the tent, Zhong Shang was fidgeting inside, walking back and forth.


    When he opened the tent, his pupils suddenly shrank when he saw Gao Xun.


    The Military Doctor followed behind him. He did not have time to report the situation to, and immediately followed him to the bedside to treat Gao Xun¡¯s wounds. But where else would there be a good ce? His entire body was riddled with holes, and blood kept oozing out. He couldn¡¯t even block it.


    The two military doctors hastily pulled out arrows for him to stop bleeding. Although the injuries on their arms and legs were healed, they didn¡¯t dare to recklessly move the arrows on their chest and neck.


    Zhong Shang regained his senses, grabbed a soldier by the side and asked: ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did he get so injured? ¡±


    His brows were cold and filled with rage.


    The soldier kneeled down and recounted the scene from before to Gao Xun. However, the moment they saw Gao Xun, he was already injured to this extent. At that time, with the First Prince¡¯s troops chasing them from behind, they had no choice but to take the small path to avoid them. The other party had pursued them relentlessly, only stopping when they were three miles away from the moat.


    Zhong Shang smashed his fist fiercely on the table and said to the two doctors: ¡°Save him, no matter what, we must save him!¡±


    The military doctor wiped his sweat, not daring to say a single word.


    The two arrows that were stuck in Gao Xun¡¯s chest and neck had only cut off the tail, and the arrows were still stuck in his flesh, not daring to be easily pulled out. Come out. If he did ¡­ If he couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding aftering out, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to save his life ¡­


    The arrow wounds on their chest were very close to their hearts. It took the two military doctors two hours to pull out the arrow. Come out and stop the bleeding. The wound on his neck was more difficult to treat. The doctor¡¯s hand trembled when he pulled out the arrow, and it seemed to have touched a blood vessel on the side. The blood flowed non-stop and soon dyed the mattress under his body red.


    Gao Xun¡¯s face was pale white, like a dead man.


    The Military Doctor knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhong Shang as he begged for forgiveness, ¡°Little General, please forgive this subordinate for being unable to do anything ¡­ His injuries are too severe, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to save him ¡­ ¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s eyes turned red, he kicked the two of them to the side and said, ¡°Even if we can¡¯t save them, we have to! If he dies, you two can¡¯t live anymore! ¡±


    As he said that, he grabbed onto one of the person¡¯s cors with one hand and carried the two people to the side of Gao Xun¡¯s bed. Looking at his injured state, he said hoarsely, ¡°What are you doing if you don¡¯t stop the bleeding! Wait for me to drain your blood? ¡±


    The military doctor trembled, ¡°Little General, spare me ¡­¡±


    Most likely, Gao Xun was woken up by the sound of their voices. He slowly opened his pitch-ck eyes, and there was no longer the luster of the past that shone in them. He covered his chest and smiled. His lips were pale, and evenughing would take a lot of effort. ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for them¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang released the two military doctors, red at him, and ordered: ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to make things difficult for them, then live on!¡±


    Every word that Gao Xun said hurt his chest. He took out a bloodstained blueprint from his sleeve. Fortunately, it was made of sheepskin, and the contents were very clear. He passed it over to Zhong Shang with effort, and said word by word, ¡°I got this from Yan Yun ¡­ You hand it over to the crown prince ¡­ ¡±


    Zhong Shang took it and told his soldiers to pass it to the crown prince.


    His long, thick eyshes drooped as if he were extremely tired. He would have to rest for a long time if he were to speak. He used to have a pair of beautiful eyes, bright and resplendent, with long eyshes. When he smiled, his entire being was brimming with vitality. Unfortunately, all that remained was fatigue. He wanted to rest, but was unable to smile anymore.


    After a long time, until Zhong Shang almost thought that he wouldn¡¯t wake up again, he finally opened his eyes. He had seen this hairpin many times before and caressed it many times during the night. The luster of the jadeite was a little dim, but it was worn close to his body like a treasure.


    He had told himself before that he would definitely return it to her the next time he saw Xie Zhen. However, he couldn¡¯t bear to leave even after dragging it on again and again.


    This was the only thing he had to do with her. He probably didn¡¯t want to break this connection, which was why heforted himself. Next time, and the next time.


    Actually, he did not know that even this hairpin was not Xie Zhen¡¯s.


    It was the hairpin that Ouyang Yi had bought that was exactly the same as Xie Zhen¡¯s.


    Only he, this fool, was treated like a treasure.


    Now, he solemnly handed the hairpin over to Zhong Shang. Frowning, he spoke with difficulty: ¡°Help me with something ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang stared at him, ¡°Speak.¡±


    He gripped his wrist, and nearly begged: ¡°Return the hairpin to Xie Zhen ¡­ ¡°Help me, with a message ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang held his hand, as if his throat was choked with something, and he couldn¡¯t say a single word. He gritted his teeth and ruthlessly waved his hand away. ¡°I won¡¯t help you with this favor. If you want to carry the message, then tell it to her yourself!¡±


    Gao Xun weakly curled his lips. Perhaps because the wounds on his body were too painful, he shrank back and looked a little wronged. ¡°I wanted to say it myself, but I might not have the chance ¡­¡± He coughed a few times. The wound on his body was involved. He was in so much pain that he began to sweat and grimace.


    At this time, he was still in the mood to joke.


    Zhong Shang shouted to him, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Hey back on the bed. The injury to his internal organs had not eased up until now. He put his hand to his neck and looked at it. It was full of blood.


    ¡°Tell her ¡­¡±


    He slowly closed his eyes, his voice growing softer and softer.


    ¡°I beg of you, please forgive me ¡­¡±


    Guanju, on the River Continent. A fair and nobledy is a person that is easy to catch.


    The food flowed left and right. Fair and beautiful woman, I long for.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to snore. He was rxed, tossing and turning.


    Rolling over and over again ¡­


    He had liked her for so long that he could not sleep well every night.


    Now, he could finally rest in peace and sleep.


    If he wanted to find his Little Fairy in his dreams, it would be best if he could find her faster than Yan Yu this time. Make her his, never separate.


    The crown prince, having obtained the blueprint, had seen through the First Prince¡¯s scheme.


    The First Prince had originally intended to work in tandem and defeat Lanling City in one fell swoop. Now that the contents of the blueprint had been exposed, the officials who were in contact with the First Prince were naturally found out. The crown prince ordered them to be escorted to the city walls and their heads beheaded in front of all the citizens.


    The First Prince¡¯s n fell apart, and Lan Ling managed to avoid a disaster.


    Gao Xun was a first ss contributor.


    The Crown Prince requested for orders from the Emperor Yuan Hui, and gave him the title of a high rank fourth rank Braveheart Uncle.


    Emperor Yuan Hui agreed.


    But what was the use? Without a person, no matter how much vanity he had behind him, he would never be able to take back his life.


    Apanying this news were the Jadeite Sword with a piece of gold and a piece of Guan Ju-1 sent back to the An Wang¡¯s Mansion. Zhong Shang was at the frontline, so he didn¡¯t have time to return to the capital.


    Before that, Xie Zhen had already heard the news of Gao Xun¡¯s death. She could not believe it at all, but after holding it in for three days, when she saw the hairpin, she could no longer hold it in and fell into Yan Yu¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Gao Xun will not die¡­¡±


    He was still fine before he left, and he was just as chatty as before. Who knew that this would be thest time they would meet? If she knew that she would never see him again, would she still say such heartless words?


    Xie Zhen sobbed as he hugged Yan Yu and refused to let go for a long time. Her crying body was trembling, making others think that she would faint the next second, but she didn¡¯t. She kept whispering in his ear, ¡°Big Brother Gao Xun won¡¯t die¡±.


    Yes, how could he die?


    Yan Yu clenched his fists, and looked at the sky outside the window. The sound of the wind was lonely and lonely. The clouds moved about, and the weather was exactly the same as the day Gao Xun left. Everything was the same, except that he was gone.


    It had to be said that he was truly despicable in this regard.


    He clearly knew that Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t stop worrying about him, yet he left just like that, without even leaving them with a single word. He would think of him. He would think of him for the rest of his life.


    Yan Yu lowered his head to look at the little girl in his arms, who was crying so hard that she couldn¡¯t catch his breath. Heforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, there¡¯s another letter here.¡±


    He opened the envelope for her and took out a piece of white paper. On the letter, there was only a single poem, and it was written with the exact words that Gao Xun had said before he passed away.


    Yan Yu read every line for her to hear, then stopped after every sentence, and quietly continued to read.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s initial wail turned into a wail as she wiped away her tears in his arms. In the end, she could no longer make a sound and fainted from her tears.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108</h4>


    The letter was written by Zhong Shang, and it was written with a great deal of effort, that caused the entire piece of paper to be soaked in ink.


    Yan Yu gently ced Xie Zhen on the bed, and quietly studied the letter under the light of themp. He read for a long time, thinking about something. Finally, he ced the piece of paper on top of the candle, and the tongue of me slowly swallowed the letter, burning it dry in an instant. The remaining ashes fell to the ground, just like Gao Xun¡¯s life. He was so hot when burning, but because he was burnt too quickly, he died too early, only leaving behind a strand of green ash.


    He called the servant maids over to clean the floor and had someone heat up the ce with hot water. He then helped himself to clean the handkerchief before sitting down on the bed and wiping Xie Zhen¡¯s face. She was crying so hard that even when she slept, she started crying. She kept muttering, ¡°Don¡¯t die, don¡¯t die ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu used a handkerchief to wipe the tears at the corner of her eyes, and gently caressed her swollen eyes, ¡°Are you feeling sad like this?¡±


    As he spoke, he tightly held onto the handkerchief in his hands.


    Even the veins on the back of his hands could not help but bulge out.


    Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t hear his words. She cried out sadly as her tiny body curled up into a ball.


    As she cried, Yan Yu wiped her tears.


    In the end, he could not do it anymore. Seeing that he was about to burst his eyes from crying, he simply took off his shoes and went to bed. He covered her with his arms and slowly licked away the tears that were flowing out of her eyes. His voice was hoarse, as if he was trying his best to suppress something, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Little Lamb, don¡¯t cry like that in front of me.¡±


    Even if it¡¯s because of Gao Xun, don¡¯t cry like this ¡­


    Thinking of Gao Xun, he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    This bastard was truly despicable! Did he die to make them feel guilty? Did he really think that Xie Zhen could remember him for the rest of his life?


    If he knew about this earlier, he might as well have ruthlessly beaten him up on the day he went to the Lanling Mountains to wake him up!


    Yan Yu bent over, staring at the little girl who was gradually falling asleep, and pecked her on the lips. It was as if he wasforting her, yet also possessing her. He gradually descended downwards, kissing every ce he passed by, branding himself on top of her. This ce was his, and that ce was also his.


    The next morning, Yan Yu woke up early and sent servant to deliver the letter. The letter described Gao Xun¡¯s achievements in detail, including his title and rank behind him.


    The corpses of the dead soldiers were being brought back in batches, but there was no sign of Gao Xun.


    Zhong Shang sent a letter back to the Qing Zhou, saying that he would be returning to his homnd after death.


    Three dayster, everything was ready.


    Xie Zhen gradually epted the news that Gao Xun had left. Although he was no longer sad, he was still a little depressed. She thought for a long time before deciding to give the jade hairpin to Yan Yu, ¡°You should also take this hairpin back to Qing Zhou ¡­ He will be buried together with big brother Gao Xun. He thought that this was my hairpin, but in reality ¡­ Since he likes it so much, I¡¯ll just give it to him. ¡±


    Furthermore, she knew that Yan Yu was not happy to see this hairpin.


    Every time she picked up the hairpin, his eyes would be gloomy and unreadable. Actually, he did mind ¡­ It was just that Gao Xun had just left, he was not willing to care too much about it.


    Xie Zhen thought about it seriously, and felt that it was not a good idea to stay, which was why he made the decision.


    Yan Yu took it and called Wu Bin over, ¡°Take this and Gao Xun¡¯s clothes back to the Qing Zhou, if his family asks ¡­ Just say it¡¯s his personal item. ¡± His family would understand.


    Wu Bin replied as he went down to settle some matters.


    The only two people left in the room were Xie Zhen and Yan Yu. The servant maids had been separated from them, for the past few days, Xie Zhen did not like being served by others. However, when there was no one around, her heart would be empty, as if she was the only one left in the universe.


    Whenever this happened, she would always like to hide in Yan Yu¡¯s embrace.


    Recently, she had be a little annoying. She was probably scared, afraid that if he went to the battlefield, she would suffer the same fate as Gao Xun. It was nothing during the day, she just liked to look for him. At night, she thought that when he was asleep, she would secretly wrap herself around him, quietly embrace his waist, and put her face on his back and ask him: ¡°Will Big Brother Xiao Yu also die?¡±


    Yan Yu rolled over and pressed her down. In the dark night, a pair of eyes gleamed: ¡°I won¡¯t die. As long as you are here, I won¡¯t die. ¡±


    How could he bear to leave her alone?


    He was already prepared to spend the rest of his life with her. They had not yet given birth to children, so their deaths were not worth it!


    But Xie Zhen did not feelforted at all. Her words were direct and direct, ¡°But you still want to go to Lan Ling, right?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say it, but she knew it.


    She knew all the things he had secretly prepared these past few days. He wanted to go to Lanling. Even though he knew she was worried, he still wanted to go.


    Yan Yu froze and didn¡¯t know how to exin it to her, ¡°I ¡­¡± He was at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t want to tell her because he was afraid that she would be worried and even more afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to take it all at once. Actually, this trip to Lan Ling was something he could not escape from. He still had the two hundred thousand elite soldiers of the Da Jing in his hands, and if he did not go, then he would ignore the Da Jing.


    Moreover, Yan Yun had not been eliminated, how could he be at ease?


    When he thought of that person, his eyes went dark.


    This time, he had to personally understand Yan Yun. After waiting for so long, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. His parents¡¯ death and Gao Xun¡¯s death, both had to do with that person!


    Seeing that he did not say anything, Xie Zhen went straight to the point: ¡°When are we leaving?¡±


    He was silent for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help holding her hand. ¡°Three dayster.¡±


    So fast!


    Xie Zhen was angry, he was leaving three dayster, but he did not even let her know? If she didn¡¯t, was he going to keep it a secret? When she woke up on the day he left, did she discover that he had disappeared? Xie Zhen pushed him away and asked, ¡°Can I not go?¡±


    In her eyes, Lan Ling had be a dangerous city, and no one would have a good ending if they went there. She didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Yan Yu, so she privately thought that the crown prince would be enough.


    But it was no use, it was only her own opinion. Men and women were born with differences in certain opinions.


    After a long while, Yan Yu finally said, ¡°Little Lamb, I must go ¡­¡±


    Afraid that she would not understand, he exined the whole situation. The conflict between him and Yan Yun was unresolvable, and would only grow more intense. Either you die, or I live, and if he doesn¡¯t take this opportunity to finish it, then we won¡¯t have such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the future. ¡± I will personally kill him, avenge my parents, and seek justice for the people of Da Jing. ¡±


    Xie Zhen knew that she could not persuade him, so she did not say anymore and turned around to face him with the back of her head.


    ¡°If something were to happen to Big Brother Xiao Yu ¡­ I won¡¯t cry. ¡±


    Unable to speak that word, she grumbled in frustration.


    Yan Yu held her from the back, his big hands covering her small hands, ¡°If you keep on crying, you will tear your eyes apart, you are not allowed to cry.¡±


    She did not reply, and after a while he said again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still need to give birth to a littlemb, how can I note back? Yan Yun¡¯s army is already at the end of the road. We will be able to reunite in at most two months. ¡±


    Lamb?


    She blushed and buried her head in the quilt. ¡°No!¡±


    How shameless, she was clearly angry, who wanted to talk about having a baby with him?


    Just as Yan Yu¡¯s hand touched the soft little bunny on her chest, she pped it back, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me ¡­¡± The voice was angry and coquettish, adding a few hints of seduction.


    For Gao Xun¡¯s matter, Yan Yu had not touched her for a few days, and now that he was leaving, how could he endure it?


    When she wouldn¡¯t touch it, he would eat her earlobes with his mouth.


    Her whole body went limp from the food, and she stared at him with her watery eyes.


    The servant maids outside knew what was going on. He pretended that he did not hear anything, as his cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. The night went on for a long time, and after half the night, he still did not sleep. Xie Zhen¡¯s voice turned hoarse, and with a helpless crying voice, he begged Yan Yu to stop.


    Afterwards, he asked for hot water to coax her, only stopping when the sun was about to rise.


    When Yan Yu left with the two hundred thousand soldiers, Xie Zhen did not send him off.


    He led the way out of the city, past the moat, and couldn¡¯t help looking back.


    That girl was ruthless, she really was invisible. She should be scolding him in the An Wang¡¯s Mansion at this time. When he left the house this morning, he promised her that he would be back in two months. She did not believe him, and she tilted her head, almost provocatively, and asked, ¡°What if you don¡¯te back?¡±


    He pressed his forehead against hers and met her eyes. ¡°Then I will be at your disposal.¡±


    She pursed her lips and pushed him out of the room.


    The words were firmly engraved in his mind.


    She was still angry at him in her heart. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t even be willing to send him out.


    Yan Yu sighed, he had no choice but to admit that he was a little disappointed. He just left and couldn¡¯t wait to see her again. He didn¡¯t know how he would survive the next two months.


    He urged his horse forward, travelling day and night at the same time as he hurried along. He arrived at Lan Ling seven or eight days early.


    The Crown Prince received him with great dignity and exined to him personally the current state of the war.


    Yan Yun¡¯s army looked sturdy but they were unable to withstand a single blow. He and the Western Yi were linked. The Da Jing had always been wary of the People of Western Yi, so they could not truly work together. The Da Jing did not obey the Da Jing, and the military camp was in chaos. If he was struck in the head with this matter, he would definitely be utterly defeated.


    Yan Yu and Yan Tao discussed the situation for a while and decided to cut the mess quickly. They didn¡¯t give the First Prince any time to react and would attack his army the next day.


    Yan Yu¡¯s two hundred thousand soldiers were brave and battling, they could ride on horses and fire well, they attacked from the front and hid in the back. There were also Yan Yu¡¯s soldiers on the other side of theke. Some of them wanted to escape from the water, but they did not expect that the water had already formed a trap for them, and the moment they jumped into the water, they were pierced through by the sharp des. In the blink of an eye, ayer of blood-red light appeared on the surface of theke.


    This battle was destined to be a victory and a defeat. Only the First Prince, Yan Yun, was still struggling bitterly and refused to give up.


    He rode his horse to meet the enemy, and with his sword in hand, he rushed to the front, looking straight into Yan Yu¡¯s eyes, which were filled with viciousness and viciousness. Sixth brother did not disappoint my expectations, and the moment he attacked you, he wanted to take your brother¡¯s life. ¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s gaze was ice-cold, and her words were without any ripples. ¡°Is it not enough to let you live for a few more years?¡±


    Yan Yunughed, he did not say anymore, and after he gave the order, the soldiers behind him charged into the battle, and the two sides started fighting once again.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, Yan Yun indicated for the people behind him to release their arrows, the cold arrows aimed at Yan Yu¡¯s chest one by one.


    Was Gao Xun treated like this the day he died?


    Yan Yu remembered the soldier¡¯s description of Gao Xun when he died. His entire body was full of holes and there was not a single spot good for him.


    That was his good brother, his good partner.


    His jaw tensed, he did not manage to dodge the arrow, and rushed straight towards Yan Yun.


    Arrows rained down from the sky.


    Yan Yun did not expect him to not dodge and was stunned for a while. He used a snake spear to deflect the iing arrow. The arrow shot into his shoulder did not even make him frown. In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of him. He raised the snake spear and stabbed forward!


    Yan Yun had barely dodged, and exchanged two blows with him on the horse, but the hatred that he had umted for many years burst out like a hot knife through butter, and he was actually unable to resist it.


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, he had beaten him until he could only defend, with no room for retaliation. Yan Yun gradually revealed an opening, he raised his snake spear and pierced towards his chest, jumping off the horse¡¯s back, the two of them fell to the ground. The snake spear pierced through Yan Yun¡¯s chest, nailing him to the ground.


    The floor was covered in blood.

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109</h4>


    Yan Yun still wanted to struggle, but when he tried to grab the sword on the ground, he was kicked away. Yan Yu held the snake spear and stabbed it even deeper into his chest. With a fierce spin, his skin and flesh were all twisted into a ball.


    Yan Yun¡¯s pupils constricted. He was in so much pain that his mind was in a mess.


    He spat out a mouthful of blood.


    He was at the end of his road, not far from death. Yan Yu¡¯s stab was just in time, hitting the tip of his heart.


    Yan Yu straightened his body, stepped on his shoulder and asked with a cold and cruel tone, ¡°Have you ever thought that this day woulde?¡±


    When he had cruelly killed Madame Song and Li Xiqing, when he had threatened him with Xie Zhen, when he had shot through Gao Xun with ten thousand arrows, had he thought of his own fate?


    The cycle of karmic retribution.


    Yan Yu clenched his serpent spear. After exiting his body, blood sttered all over the ground, but he didn¡¯t even blink, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t think of it, you can give it a try today.¡± With that, she gave him a final look, and with a tone nearly filled with pity, she said, ¡°Go and apologize to Father, Mother, and Gao Xun.¡±


    Yan Yun was already with him. The moment he had thrown out the snake spear, his entire body had convulsed in pain. He had heard his words and was terrified, but most of all, he was filled with hatred.


    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the youth that was so unremarkable would be what he was today. Initially, he looked down on him and thought that he was just a mediocre talent raised by a pair ofmoners. He did not even put him in his eyes. Even after killing his parents, he never had the heart to repent. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the thin and weak youth from before would have such a decisive and decisive battle with a heaven-shattering man who wielded a heavy weapon. He had stabbed him with his own hands and had dealt him the heaviest blow.


    All these years of scheming and scheming had all been for naught.


    Yan Yun rolled his eyes, how could he be willing ¡­


    Yan Yu got on his horse, turned around and walked back into the army, and ordered the archers who were already standing in a row: ¡°Shoot, no one is to be lenient!¡±


    The archers received the order and each of them skillfully nocked their arrows.


    Just as Yan Yun stood up, an arrow pierced her leg, causing her body to soften and fall back down.


    Arrows rained down like rain, and behind them, the screams of the soldiers could be heard. Blood spilled all over the ground, and grief filled the air. It was already a miracle that he had been able to withstand so many arrow wounds on his body and that fatal blow to his heart. Now that he had been defeated, the soldiers either fled or perished. Beside him were countless corpses lying in a pool of blood, unwilling to give up.


    After the First Prince¡¯s death, his soldiers had naturally be Yan Yu¡¯s captives.


    There were more than ten thousand prisoners, the majority of whom were strong men that the First Prince had forcefully recruited while he was still alive. No one wanted to kill each other. However, no one could do anything on the battlefield. They could only brace themselves and advance forward. Yan Yu did not punish them severely, he only tortured them with ink on the bodies of the hundreds of officers leading them. The word ¡°Jing¡± was stuck on their backs. Once it was stained with ink, they would never be able to wash it off in their entire lives.


    ¡°Jing¡± represented the Da Jing, indicating that they would always be the citizens of the Da Jing.


    This was already the lightest form of criminal punishment.


    However, this was not the end. Yan Yun had interacted with the Western Yi before, and now that he was dead, the soldiers of the Western Yi still stayed near the Lan Ling County. Yan Yu discussed the battle with the crown prince and decided to lead the troops to the battlefield three dayster, to drive the People of Western Yi out of the borders of the Da Jing.


    Yan Yu made his decision. If he could sessfully repel the People of Western Yi, then it would be considered as their merit.


    The People of Western Yi was annoying, and they were not as easy to deal with as Yan Yun. They had to fight for half a month before they were chased back to their homnd. To prevent such things from happening in the future, the Crown Prince ordered his men to go to the Western Yi and sign a contract with them. They were not allowed to invade the Da Jing at all for the next thirty years, and if they vited the agreement, the soldiers stationed at the border of the Da Jing would attack them first.


    The war was finally over.


    After the victory, Yan Yu had no time to participate in the celebratory feast, so the first thing he did was to rush back to the capital.


    The Crown Prince Yan Tao asked him, ¡°Why are you going back with me in just a few days?¡±


    At that time, he was in the process of choosing a good horse. It would take a dozen or so days to travel from Lan Ling to capital, and he had to choose a strong horse in order to return to capital as soon as possible. Hearing this, he didn¡¯t even stop his actions, directly throwing the bundle onto the saddle and vaulting onto it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, second brother. I want to go back and apany my wife.¡±


    Yan Tao was startled, an image of a youngdy filled with spirit energy surfaced in his mind.


    Just as Yan Yu said, he indeed did not understand. He and the Crown Princess respected each other as if they weremon subjects. The two of them had no feelings for each other, so it was impossible for them to understand this kind of feeling of returning home like an arrow.


    There was someone waiting for him at home, looking forward to his return. He should be very happy, right?


    He looked forward to it, and joked: ¡°Your rtionship with Ah Zhen is getting deeper and deeper.¡±


    Ah Zhen?


    Hearing this, Yan Yu raised his eyebrows, and looked towards Yan Tao.


    Yan Tao acted as if he did not realize it, and asked his subordinates to prepare more coils for him to use on the road. Two more vigorous soldiers were assigned to protect him.


    Before he left, he rode two steps, thought about it, then rode back. He stopped in front of Yan Tao and said: ¡°Second Brother must have misunderstood. Ah Zhen and I knew each other since we were young, we were childhood friends, our rtionship had always been good. This is true both before and after the marriage. I was worried that she would be scared when she was alone in capital. ¡±


    There were some hidden meanings in his words, but he had said so much just to make it clear that Xie Zhen was his after all, so it would be best if Yan Tao could dispel the presumptuous thoughts he had.


    Both of them remembered the incident from the previous year clearly.


    Yan Tao wanted to take Xie Zhen as his concubine, but he was interrupted by Yan Yu halfway, and in the end, became his sixth prince¡¯s concubine.


    This matter had always been a knot in Yan Yu¡¯s heart. He knew that they had not forgotten. However, the two of them had concealed their strength well, and it was impossible to see any gaps on the surface. They could only focus on dealing with the First Prince. Now that the First Prince had copsed and what Yan Yu had promised Yan Tao was done, the window between them should be broken.


    Yan Taoughed, obviously not putting these words to heart, ¡°What is Sixth Brother thinking? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t trust second brother¡¯s character? ¡±


    Yan Yu did not speak.


    ¡°Since Ah Zhen has married you, she is my the sisth sister-inw. I respect her and would definitely not have any ill intentions towards her.¡± he said.


    Yan Yu pulled on the reins and wrapped it around his arm twice, he tilted his head and stared at Su Yun for a moment, ¡°Second brother, you are overthinking it, I am only narrating the truth.¡±


    As he spoke, the horse hooves trampled on thend after the war, causing yellow sand to fill the sky and gradually disappearing into the distance.


    Yan Yu had walked for a total of more than two months.


    At first, Xie Zhen would ask people about the situation in Lan Ling at first, butter on, somehow, his body becamezier andzier, and his sleep also grew deeper and deeper. It was as if he was sleeping every day, and didn¡¯t have the energy to do anything. She thought it was because winter was approaching and people would sleep more in the cold weather, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    On the contrary, her appetite was not very good.


    The kitchen was obviously the same as before, but she had no appetite at all. Every chopstick was lifted and put down, not wanting to eat anything.


    The servant maids thought that she had overthought it and tried to think of a way to persuade her to eat more. Otherwise, when Yan Yu came back and saw that she had lost weight, the ones who were unlucky were the servant and the others. Sometimes, when Shuang Yu tried to persuade her at the side, she would barely be able to eat a few mouthfuls.


    When the news of Yan Yu¡¯s victory spread to the capital, he heard that the Emperor Yuan Hui was very happy and seemed much more energetic than before. He even said that when he and the crown prince returned, he would lead a group of ministers to the city gate to wee them personally.


    The First Prince¡¯s corpse was transported back to Gao Yang and simply buried. It was even worse than the funeral of somemoners.


    The Emperor Yuan Hui deprived him of his status as a prince and demoted him to amoner. His concubines were all given away, and only his wife, who was guarding his tombstone, stayed with him in Gao Yang.


    The capital had finally recovered its former prosperity and peace.


    Xie Zhen let out a long sigh of relief upon hearing this news, and asked Wu Bin when he would be able to return. Wu Bin replied: ¡°The prince is already on his way back to the capital.¡±


    Which is to say, he would be at capital in at most half a month.


    Xie Zhen asked again, ¡°Is he injured?¡±


    Wu Bin shook his head, ¡°Your highness, everything is fine.¡±


    Xie Zhen asked a few questions consecutively, but only stopped after knowing that he was safe and sound.


    She was sleepy again after waking up. After waving for Wu Bin to go out, sheid on the couch sleepily. She was afraid of the cold. There was a charcoal brazier in the house, and the floor was covered with cashmere nkets. The entire room was warm, without the slightest hint of the chilly autumn wind blowing outside.


    Shuang Yu walked in. Seeing that she was about to sleep again, he couldn¡¯t help but be worried. ¡°Miss has been drowsytely, do you want a doctor to take a look?¡±


    The two biddy s that were gifted to Xie Zhen by the Madam Leng had returned home a few days ago. Xie Zhen let them go for a few days¡¯ leave and told them to return home to visit their grandchildren.


    Hearing this, Xie Zhenzily opened his almond eyes, ¡°It should be because I didn¡¯t sleep well at night ¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no need to hire a doctor. The moment you invite a doctor, you have to take the medicine. It¡¯s extremely painful.¡±


    She felt that she was fine. Other than being drowsy, she didn¡¯t have any other ailments. She should be fine in a few days.


    Shuang Yu couldn¡¯t persuade her, so he could only let her go.


    In a few days, when she heard that Yan Yu was about to reach capital, she gathered her energy and went out to wee him. In the beginning, she sat in the main hall and waited for an hour, but eventually Yan Yu still did note back. She slowly became anxious and went to the courtyard to observe. Today, the sun was shining brightly, causing people to feel dizzy and dizzy.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s forehead was perspiring, he raised his sleeves to wipe it off, and could not help but raise his head to look at the sun above him.


    She didn¡¯t feel hot at all. Why was she sweating?


    After thinking for a long time, he finally understood that it was cold sweat.


    Shuang Yu advised her to return to her room: ¡°I still don¡¯t know when your highness will be back. Miss, please wait in the room first.


    She shook her head and stood there stubbornly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in two months. I want to be the first one to see him!¡±


    With that, he told the others to return to the hut, leaving Shuang Yu and there to wait upon them.


    It was almost noon when Yan Yu finally galloped back to the city gate, heading straight in the direction of the An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    He jumped off the horse and threw the reins to servant, who was at the door. Without even looking at him, he walked into the courtyard. He left in a hurry, looking a bit worn out from the journey. He did not care about his appearance, and he even had green stubble on his chin. However, he was in high spirits, and his feet were moving in the wind because he knew that someone was waiting for him.


    Passing through the wall of shadows, he saw a girl standing under a ginkgo tree, looking at the leaves on top of her head in boredom.


    She was dressed in a fragrant geese jacket with reed flowers on it, with a green goatskin dress with gold stripes at the bottom. On the outside, she was covered by a golden-edged red Beizi, with a slim and exquisite figure. She wore a gold-threaded jade leaf on her forehead. The leaf hung down on her forehead. As she turned her head, her eyes overflowed with color.


    Skinny.


    Yan Yu took two steps forward, wanted to hug her, also wanted to look at her twice, and stood in ce for a long time without moving.


    With both of his hands behind his back, Xie Zhen¡¯s face was pale, but a soft smile hung on his lips: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything Big Brother Xiao Yu? Have you gone stupid? ¡±


    Yan Yu asked her: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the house?¡± When he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice was a little hoarse.


    She smiled. ¡°I miss you.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s heart softened. She wanted to rush forward, but just as she moved, she closed her eyes in exhaustion. Her body swayed and fell to the ground!


    Yan Yu was shocked and hurriedly pulled her into his embrace. His arm trembled slightly: ¡°Ah Zhen!¡±

 Chapter 110 - Pregnant

    <h4>Chapter 110 - Pregnant</h4>


    Xie Zhen fainted in Yan Yu¡¯s arms,pletely unconscious.


    It was only then that Yan Yu realized that not only had she lost weight, her face was also a little pale, and beads of perspiration trickled down her forehead. Just now, the two of them had been quite a distance away, and she was standing in the shade. That was why he couldn¡¯t see anything unusual about her.


    What was going on?


    Yan Yu stared at Shuang Yu coldly, his entire body releasing anger, ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan were shocked too. Just now, they had thought that Xie Zhen¡¯splexion was not good and had advised her many times to enter the house to rest but she always said that she was fine. The two of them couldn¡¯t force her and thought that she was really alright. They didn¡¯t expect her to faint so heavily ¡­ Both of them looked flustered as they kneeled down to the ground, ¡°Your Highness, please forgive us for not being able to take care of you ¡­. ¡°The Empress just said that she was dizzy. It must be because she stood there for a long time without any strength left ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu did not listen to their nonsense, he carried Xie Zhen and walked into the inner courtyard, then said coldly: ¡°Go get a doctor!¡±


    Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan stood up, they did not dare dy any further, and immediately called for the doctors.


    Yan Yu carried Xie Zhen and returned to Zhanyue Court. He ced her carefully on the bed and wiped the sweat off her forehead with his sleeves. He lightly called out to her: ¡°Little Lamb?¡±


    Unfortunately, Xie Zhen could no longer hear her. No matter what he shouted, she did not react.


    Yan Yu never thought that he would see such a scene upon returning. It had only been two months since he left, how could she have lost so much weight? Did the servant not take good care of her? When he thought of how she had been wronged, his heart ached. He wished that he could call all the servants in the house over to punish them.


    In order to get back to capital from Lan Ling as soon as possible, he hadn¡¯t had a proper rest during the entire journey. Now, he even looked at her helplessly, unwilling to even blink.


    Shuang Yu saw that he was extremely haggard, with an obviously extremely exhausted look on his face. He advised him to rest in the side room, but he did not even move.


    Shuang Yu did not persuade anymore, and walked out to let everyone see if the doctor had invited anyone.


    After approximately an incense worth of time, a servant maids brought a doctor over hurriedly. The old doctor was panting heavily. Before he could even catch his breath, he had been grabbed by Shuang Yan and brought to the inner room.


    Shuang Yu brought the doctor to the bedside and bowed respectfully to Yan Yu: ¡°Your Highness, the doctor is here.¡±


    Yan Yu sat on the side of the bed, without moving, he nodded at the doctor and took Xie Zhen¡¯s wrist out of the bed, ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    The old doctor knew the identities of the two people. On the way here, the servant maids told him many times, but he didn¡¯t dare to be vague. He sat on the embroidered pier and seriously took Xie Zhen¡¯s pulse. His eyebrows were rxed, causing Shuang Yu¡¯s heart to jump, afraid that he would say some bad news. Luckily, he managed to reveal a smile in the end and stroked his beard: ¡°Princess¡¯ veins are flowing smoothly, like beads rolling on a jade te.¡± He no longer beat around the bush and bluntly said, ¡°Princess is having a baby now.¡±


    When he was trying to make things difficult for, Yan Yu had been staring at him expressionlessly. Now that he had heard his words, he was severely stunned, and after a long while he had not even recovered yet.


    After a long while, he asked hoarsely: ¡°Will you say it again?¡±


    The doctor stood up and repeated with a warm smile, ¡°Congrattions, your highness. The princess is already two and a half months pregnant. The household is going to have a baby.¡±


    Yan Yu turned his head and looked at the girl who was sleeping soundly. For a moment, he felt mixed emotions. He was both excited, pleasantly surprised, and in a state of disbelief ¡­ She really had their child. Was he going to be a father?


    Yan Yu turned his head and asked: ¡°When will she wake up?¡±


    The doctor counted with his fingers. ¡°The reason why Princess Hua-Yang is unconscious is because she¡¯s been overthinking and has a irregr diet. I presume she¡¯ll wake up in the evening with Prince Lu apanying her.¡± Not only that, the doctor had also warned him to feed Xie Zhen something after she woke up and take care of her emotions. ¡°It¡¯s the first time for the princess to give birth, so you should pay more attention to it. ¡±


    Yan Yu nodded, took down everything he said, then got the servant maids to give him a diagnosis and send him out.


    After everyone in the room left, Yan Yu carefully looked at Xie Zhen¡¯s face. The fear from before disappeared like smoke and was reced with endless joy. He ced his hand on her cheek and slowly stroked it, leaning over her forehead, staring at her closely. He didn¡¯t seem to see enough, he only felt that her look was really cute, ¡°Ah Zhen, wake up ¡­ ¡­¡±


    He wanted to tell her himself, tell her that she had his child in her womb.


    This little fool didn¡¯t even know that she was pregnant? How did she take care of herself? Had she exhausted himself by standing in the courtyard for such a long time?


    Just as the doctor said, just as the sun was about to set, Xie Zhen woke up.


    She woke up hungry.


    She had not eaten since the morning and had cooked a bowl of congee with roses. Under Shuang Yu¡¯s persuasion, she barely managed to drink half a bowl of congee, and had been holding on until now. She slowly opened her eyes and rolled her eyeballs just in time to meet Yan Yu¡¯s eyes who was sitting on the bedside.


    She was stunned and continued to watch without moving.


    Yan Yu had noticed this from the moment she woke up, and had been quietly observing her movements. This girl had a really silly look when she had just woken up, she did not have her usual quick-witted look at all. With a smile, he helped her up from the bed and ced a pillow behind her. ¡°servant maids said that you didn¡¯t eat anything today.


    She honestly nodded, then finally realized that something was wrong and asked Yan Yu, ¡°Am I not waiting for you in the courtyard? ¡°Why did youe into the house?¡±


    The kitchen had already prepared dinner. With just a word from Yan Yu, Shuang Yu carried the dinner into the inner room, ced it on the square table beside the bed, and left respectfully. Yan Yu pushed the hair at the side of her hair back from her ears and pinched her earlobes: ¡°You fainted.¡±


    She tried recalling it, and finally remembered.


    She had waited for him for a long time, but before she could fall into his embrace, her vision went dark.


    Yan Yu lifted a bowl of mountain medicine, lotus root beef bone soup, scooped a spoonful of it and blew on it to cool it down, before bringing it to her mouth, ¡°Drink some soup first.¡±


    Xie Zhen felt that it was a little strange, but why was it strange she couldn¡¯t tell. She stared at him from left to right for a long time, but she still couldn¡¯t see any ws. Why did he suddenly be so gentle? He treated her as if she were a treasure,pletely different from how he used to be! She took a slow sip of the soup and blinked. ¡°Why did I faint?¡±


    Yan Yu scooped another spoonful and pursed his lips slightly, slowly raising them higher and higher, ¡°After you finish eating this bowl of soup, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Weird.


    Xie Zhen looked at him suspiciously. She had never seen him keep an eye on things before. However, if he thought about it now, it was not an urgent matter, otherwise, he would not be so leisurely. Therefore, Xie Zhen did not take it to heart. She obediently drank a bowl of beef bone soup with his hands. Her appetite was not bad, and she also ate two pieces of radish cake and a few dishes. She wiped her mouth in satisfaction and tilted her head to look at Yan Yu: ¡°Can you tell me now?¡±


    Yan Yu ced the bowl and chopsticks back onto the square table, gently holding her hand, he crawled under the nket.


    Xie Zhen did not understand, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He didn¡¯t exin. He held her hand and put it on her belly. His voice was filled with an unconceble joy. ¡°There¡¯s a littlemb here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen was stunned, she blinked her eyes, then blinked her eyes again. She only felt that the skin beneath her palms was exceptionally hot. With ayer of clothing covering her skin, she could feel the temperature of her stomach, which was hotter than ever before.


    She stuttered, unable to speak quickly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    At the critical moment, his brain became stupid.


    Yan Yu curved her lips into a smile. Her exquisite and cold face was bright and gentle, making people unable to help themselves from staring, ¡°That¡¯s what it means.¡± He stopped teasing her and used his other hand to rub her nose, with a look of boundless love. ¡°Little Lamb has my child now, and you will be mine for the rest of your life.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s mouth slightly opened, as she was still immersed in the shock he brought.


    She had never thought that it woulde so suddenly. She hadn¡¯t been prepared at all, so how could she suddenly have a child? No wonder she felt drowsy and ate less than before. Was it rted to this? The more she thought about it, the more incredulous she felt. She pulled away the quilt and lowered her head to observe her stomach which had yet to bulge. Was there really a tiny life here?


    She looked up as if to confirm: ¡°Are you sure? Has the doctor seen it? When did it happen? Howe I didn¡¯t know? ¡±


    Yan Yu sat beside her and embraced her whole body. His chin was pressed against the top of her head as he patiently replied every question, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the doctor, there¡¯s no mistake. It¡¯s already been two months and you¡¯re not interested in yourself at all. If you didn¡¯t suddenly faint, who knows how long you would have been unconscious for. ¡±


    Only then did Xie Zhen have a sense of realism. His almond eyes shone like bright stars in the night sky. She turned her head suddenly and looked up into his eyes, a smile on her lips. Stupid.


    Yan Yu kissed the tip of her nose. ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    She lowered her head into his arms and carefully protected her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Previously, when Yan Yu said that he wanted her to give him a child, she said that she didn¡¯t agree. However, when this child truly arrived, she couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed. She was both happy and frightened, because she had never been a mother and did not know what to do, afraid that she would not do it well. But if she was willing to learn, it wouldn¡¯t be a difficult matter. Didn¡¯t Mother give birth to her at that time?


    With this thought, she looked forward to the arrival of this child even more.


    What would she and Yan Yu¡¯s child look like?


    Like her or like him?


    She let her imagination run wild, and threw Yan Yu to the side.


    Yan Yu held her arm tightly and asked unhappily: ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Without hiding anything, she pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck, level with him, her eyes curved like crescent moons. ¡°I was wondering what our child would be like, like you or like me?¡± Then he thought for a moment and came to a conclusion, ¡°It¡¯s better to be like me. You have a weird temper, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not very cute.¡±


    Yan Yu pursed her lips, ¡°If he¡¯s a son, then he¡¯s definitely going to be like me.¡±


    Xie Zhen was unhappy. She pouted and retorted confidently, ¡°What¡¯s so good about being like you? You were like a little girl when you were a little girl! ¡±


    This sentence undoubtedly pierced Yan Yu¡¯s sore spot. He red at her, if not for the fact that she was pregnant, he really wanted to press her down on the bed to confirm just how much of a girl he was.


    Seeing that he was angry, Xie Zhenughed and peck him on his lips, saying: ¡°That¡¯s because Big Brother Xiao Yu is beautiful, I like beautiful people!¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Shallow.¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t mind in the slightest. Instead, she boldly said, ¡°You said that you liked me, and I¡¯m also beautiful. Then, are you also superficial?¡±


    He was actually unable to refute her words.


    In terms of logic, Yan Yu could neverpare to Xie Zhen. Fortunately, he had long since learned to be smart. He didn¡¯t bother with her and just let her ask for a verbal bargain. She would be happy.


    Xie Zhen continued to think about who the child should be like in the future. In the end, she concluded that the eyes and nose should be like Yan Yu, and the mouth should be like her.


    However, each of them was more good-looking than the other, so the children they gave birth to would definitely not be any worse off.

 Chapter 111: Vomiting During Pregnancy

    <h4>Chapter 111: Vomiting During Pregnancy</h4>


    These few days, it could be said that Yan Yu was holding Xie Zhen in his hands, treating her extremely precious, afraid that she would make a mistake. No matter what she did, he would follow by her side.


    Xie Zhen wanted to walk around by theke, but he kept walking along the side that was close to the shore, worried that she would fall into the river, so he protected her tightly. He also told servant maids to go back to the house and bring a cloak for her. This caused Xie Zhen¡¯s interest to drop, and she could only return in disappointment.


    After returning back into the house, her legs identally tripped the embroidered pier, so Yan Yu made servant maids wrap the corners of the tables, chairs and chairs in cotton cloth, so that she wouldn¡¯t be injured in the future.


    The hairpin Chai Yu and other sharp objects were all kept away ¡­


    The incense and spices had stopped.


    Not only that, but even the three meals a day were exchanged for dishes that were beneficial to the body, each of them nourishing Yin and replenishing nourishment. Never mind, she originally had no appetite for food, so everything was the same. But Yan Yu had actually kept all of her fat lips, not letting her find them!


    Although she wasn¡¯t used to it, but as a girl, who didn¡¯t like this cosmetic powder? It would be better to put it on the dressing table for a look!


    Xie Zhen was so angry that sheid on his arm and bit on it hard. She spoke in a low voice: ¡°Give it back to me!¡±


    Those who were pregnant had a violent temper, they acted recklessly, and Xie Zhen was no exception. Normally, she would be well-behaved and quiet. asionally, she would be angry at him because she was unhappy. Today, she could not stand it any longer and decided to bite him mercilessly.


    ¡°Those things contain lead, some contain musk, which is not good for you and the child.¡±


    Xie Zhen was unreconciled, and took another bite at a different ce, feeling rather wronged: ¡°But I like ¡­ I¡¯ll just look at them, and won¡¯t use them. ¡±


    Yan Yu still refused to let go. It was not that he didn¡¯t believe her, but that he didn¡¯t dare to joke around with her and the child.


    The servant maids in the house could be trusted, but there could be no idents. If there were those unrighteous servant tampering with her spices and makeup, it would be toote to discover them.


    Yan Yu had heard the doctor say before that pregnant women were all emotionally weak, they could not bepared to them. They had to coax them to be in pain, everything they said was right, everything you said was wrong. Especially a girl like Xie Zhen who was born for the first time, she herself wasn¡¯t very old yet, but she still had to be a mother before her mind was fully mature.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t really understand it at first, shouldn¡¯t having children be something to be happy about? Why was she so emotional? Now hepletely understood, and was even unwilling to say a heavy sentence to Xie Zhen. This was because as long as she revealed those watery, pitiful eyes, he would be helpless.


    For example, right now, Xie Zhen bit her lips, staring at him angrily yet at the same time coquettishly: ¡°Give it back to me ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu had to have a very firm stand before he could refuse. He pped his hands together and covered her eyes, ¡°No!¡±


    Xie Zhen pulled away his big hands, immediately changing his face to another face, and used him with angrily: ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu is so bad!¡± In the end, she was still afraid that he would really throw them away. Those cosmetics were very valuable, she had hidden a lot of them. ¡°When can you return them to me?¡±


    Yan Yu thought for a while, ¡°After the child is born.¡±


    That would take months!


    Xie Zhen thought about how she had to look messy for the next few months. It was unbearable, she focused on appearances the most, she had to dress beautifully no matter where she went, how could she endure that? She pointed with her delicate finger and drove him away with her angrily. ¡°Get out, get out ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu stood there motionlessly, feeling a little helpless: ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were round, without the slightest hint of gratitude, ¡°Who would be as exaggerated as you? When my eldest sister and second sister were pregnant, their heads were filled with jade. Eldest sister and second sister husband are not as cautious as you! ¡±


    She also knew that he was being cautious.


    After all, this child had been looking forward to it for so long. He did not want to make any mistakes.


    He didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her either.


    Yan Yu did not move a muscle, when he saw her red face, her messy hair, and the few strands of hair on her forehead, made her look like a lunatic. He smiled suddenly, as if he understood why she was so angry. He pulled her hair from her face, revealing her smooth forehead. He leaned over and kissed it lightly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t wear those things, you¡¯ll still look good.¡±


    He rarely said these explicit words of love, and he was probably not used to it either. His voice was a little hoarse and astringent, as if he was trying to please her.


    Xie Zhen snorted, she turned her head away, not showing any gratitude.


    He quickly promised, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    Xie Zhen slowly turned her head around and looked at him with her beautiful almond eyes.


    He coughed in embarrassment. Right at this time, servant maids came in with lunch, and a te was ced on top of the round table outside. He seemed to have finally found the stairs, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Xie Zhen pursed her her mouth a thin line. ¡°No.¡±


    Eating everyday was a huge event, and Yan Yu had to worry about it. Her tastes were bing more and more picky. She didn¡¯t eat either, and even the sweet and sour pork she used to love had lost its appetite. Yan Yu had no choice but to let the kitchen cook. If there was a dish she ate two more times, Yan Yu would definitely order someone else to serve the dish.


    Just like this, the meat that she had lost weight in the past two months was finally being reared back bit by bit by Yan Yu within the next few days.


    Under Yan Yu¡¯s persuasive words, Xie Zhen was finally willing to sit down and drink a bowl of mer and red date ck chicken soup. However, she had only taken two mouthfuls when she frowned and covered her mouth, turning her head to spit out the soup that she had just drunk.


    Even though her stomach was empty, she still could not help but vomit.


    The servant maids immediately surrounded her, and Shuang Yu wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. Shuang Yan served a cup of tea to her, and let her rinse her mouth with it.


    Yan Yu took the handkerchief from Shuang Yu¡¯s hands, wiped the corner of her mouth and asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong, does the kitchen not taste good?¡±


    She shook her head, refusing to look at the table. ¡°The moment I smell it, I feel disgusted. Take it away.¡±


    Then, Yan Yu got someone to carry away the ck chicken soup and asked her what she wanted to eat. However, she nced at the table, and without wanting to eat anything, she crawled into his embrace using her hands and legs, and buried her head into his chest while holding his waist: ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anything at all.¡±


    But how could she not eat anything? She wasn¡¯t one person right now. There was still one more in her body.


    She was sick of the meat, so Yan Yu asked the kitchen to make a few light and delicious dishes. She ate a bit, and also ate a bowl of walnut cheese. After that, Yan Yu escorted her back to her room, and also asked the mama by her side about it. Mammy Gui had just returned from the countryside yesterday, so after knowing that Xie Zhen was pregnant, she was so happy that she didn¡¯t sleep well for the entire night. When she heard Yan Yu¡¯s question, she immediately replied with a nod of her head, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine after this period of time.¡±


    After Yan Yu heard this, he was finally relieved.


    But he was still worried, so he told Wu Bin to go to the warehouse and bring out the hundred old ginseng that the Emperor Yuan Hui had bestowed upon him. He cut them into pieces and put them into Xie Zhen¡¯s mouth.


    Xie Zhenid on the bed, his hand still holding onto his sleeve, ¡°My hairpin ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t do anything about her, he pinched her nose and asked: ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you, promise me that you¡¯ll eat properly in the future.¡±


    Her eyes lit up, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Hence, early the next morning, Xie Zhen saw her putting all of her jewelry and makeup back into her marriage dowry, not a single one was missing. What she didn¡¯t know was that Yan Yu had someone check her rouge powder the whole night to make sure there were no problems before returning it back to her.


    The news of Xie Zhen¡¯s pregnancy reached Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion ten dayster. At the start, Xie Zhen¡¯s body was weak, Yan Yu did not want anyone to disturb her, so he intentionally sealed off the news. After ten days, her body was more or less stable and she had to be visited.


    Madam Leng and Xie Xun had arrived immediately, and brought her a lot of supplements, as well as warning her about a lot of things.


    The Madam Leng had also brought two biddy s with her, so she had a certain understanding of having children. If she stayed by Xie Zhen¡¯s side, it would be easy for her to order him around in the future.


    Xie Zhen was very willing, she and Yan Yu didn¡¯t understand anything and kept joking around. With two biddy by their side, they could really help a lot.


    She had only been here for three months, but her stomach was full. Her figure was still as slim and graceful as before.


    Xie Xun immediately became more sensible and no longer pestered her to y with her. She sat on the side of the bed with her hands on her cheeks and asked, ¡°sis, how does it feel to have a child?¡±


    Xie Zhen tilted her head and thought for a while, ¡°I just feel like there¡¯s something extra in my body ¡­ Let me not eat, let me not sleep, often worry about. ¡±


    The answer was quite a solid one.


    Xie Xun ced his hand on her stomach, rubbing it, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°It¡¯s still not hurting yet. My mom said that when it grows up, it¡¯ll kick someone. When that happens, it¡¯ll hurt.¡±


    Xie Xun opened her mouth slightly, but like her, she felt that something was off. She immediately retracted her hand, not daring to touch her again, as she was afraid of ruining the child¡¯s touch.


    Madam Leng and Xie Xun did not stay for long. Yan Yu did not want to tire her out, so he stood by the door and tactfully reminded her to rest. Madam Leng and Xie Xun stayed for a while longer before they got up and left.


    After that, the Madam Leng would send supplements over from time to time.


    On the first day of winter, the crown prince and General of Agile Cavalry returned from Lanling and arranged a banquet in the pce.


    This celebratory feast was unprecedented in history, it repelled all internal and external troubles, and the citizens of capital raised their goblets to celebrate. Not only that, I heard that the Emperor Yuan Hui has ns to relinquish the throne and pass on the throne to the next emperor.


    This matter originally had nothing to do with Yan Yu and Xie Zhen. However, some news came out from somewhere, saying that the Emperor Yuan Hui was very dissatisfied with the Crown Prince¡¯s expedition to Lanling, and thought that he was indecisive. Instead, he rather admired the sixth prince¡¯s valiant resolution ¡­ It wasn¡¯t certain who would be the true ruler of this position.


    After hearing Wu Ze¡¯s report, Yan Yu waved his hand expressionlessly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Wu Ze wanted to say something but stopped in the end, he still obediently withdrew himself.


    Yan Yu did not tell Xie Zhen about this matter, in case she thought too much into it. There was a banquet at the pce that night, and the two of them went out together.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112</h4>


    When the carriage reached the entrance of the pce, it coincidentally met the carriage from Duke Dingguo''s Mansion and General of Agile Cavalry Pce.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu separated at the door. One went to Pce Linde, the other went to Pce Zhaoyang. Before she left, Yan Yu was still worried, he repeatedly reminded Shuang Yu to carefully observe her body. His heart was preupied with her, but this girl didn''t appreciate his kindness. She forgot him the moment she saw her mother and sister, and even found him verbose in the end. She pushed him to the side and said impatiently, "I understand, I understand.


    Yan Yu staggered two steps, even though he was being pushed by her, he was still willing, and frowned: "You can''t be so rash, too!"


    Xie Zhen red at him and he could only shut his mouth.


    After much difficulty, she finally heard a burst ofughter from behind her as she watched Yan Yu leave. She turned her head to look, it was actually Gu Ruyi who wasughing at her.


    Gu Ruyi was still wearing her veil on her face, standing beside the carriage, her gentle eyes revealed a mischievous smile. The two of them hadn''t seen each other for a while. Ever since Yan Yu went to the Orchid Tomb, she hadn''t gone out much, and hadn''t appeared in the noble women''s circle either. Now that she was pregnant, she was controlled by Yan Yu, so she didn''t have the chance to go out anymore.


    Seeing that she was being looked at in such a annoying manner, Xie Zhen felt a little embarrassed, and her face turned red as she smiled, "You must be seeing a joke."


    Gu Ruyi shook her head, turned her head and said a few words to her mother, then walked over to her side, "An Wang is so concerned for you, and it let me envy, how can I joke at you?"


    At that moment, Xie Xun jumped down from the carriage while holding onto Grandma''s hand. She walked over to her in a few steps and stopped steadily before holding onto one of her arms. "sis, let me help you walk away." As she said that, she went to the other side and held Xie Zhen''s hand.


    Xie Zhen waspletely terrified by this scene. She thought that they were making a fuss because she was pregnant, why were they so nervous? She looked back andined to the Madam Leng: "Mother, look at Ah Xun ¡­"


    Who knew that not only would Madam Leng not help her, she even med her. "You should also be careful, we are all going to be mothers now, and you are still so childish. I see that Ah Yu is absolutely right. "


    Oh wow, it was still her fault.


    Xie Zhen said. "He''s in charge of everything I do ¡­ I''m already very obedient. "


    Madam Leng red at her, obviously not believing her.


    Gu Ruyi opened her eyes wide in shock, and couldn''t help but look at her belly. It had only been three months, and there was no sign of her at all. Coupled with her petite figure, she was still as slender as ever. Curious, she asked, "Are you pregnant? "How many months has it been?"


    Xie Zhen smiled as she raised three of her fingers. "It''s been three months."


    Her appearance was a little arrogant.


    Seeing that, the Madam Leng shook her head repeatedly, bothughing and indulging her.


    Their carriage stopped at the entrance of the pce to block the other people''s path, so the Madam Leng led them inside. Along the way, Gu Ruyi and Xie Xun walked on either side of her, asking questions. The two of them were girls who had yet toe out of the pavilion, so they obviously were curious about what was going on.


    Xie Zhen was quite patient, she answered whatever they asked, and spread a lot of knowledge to them.


    These days, her vomiting was getting worse every day. Often, she would feel sick in the middle of the night and throw up on the bed. He had not been able to sleep well all night, and he was a little nervous. Yan Yu''s heart ached for her, and he called for a doctor to ask her about it. The doctor said that it was normal for the fetus to develop and squeeze out the internal organs, and that it would be fine after this period of time. She got used to itter, spitting, trying to make herself happier, this so called happiness. Naturally, she wanted to vent her anger at Yan Yu.


    Yan Yu''s temper had never been better. He knew that she wasn''t feeling well, so he indulged her in everything.


    Speaking of this, Xie Zhen couldn''t help but smile, "... He listens to me. "


    Gu Ruyiughed, then looked at her: "Normally, I wouldn''t see that An Wang is such a good-natured person."


    Xie Zhen''s her mouth a thin line, of course, because even his good temper had been given to her.


    In the eyes of outsiders, Yan Yu was a very difficult person to deal with. Cold, sharp, and without mercy, he looked down from above due to his height advantage, which created an illusion that they were not easy to get along with. Many girls didn''t dare to look directly at him, fearing that the moment his gaze swept over them, they would be frozen into icicles.


    However, when he looked at Xie Zhen, the expression in his eyes was gentle, as if he had be apletely different person. Despite the displeasure and discontent in her eyes, it was still gentle.


    Who knew how many girls were envious of Xie Zhen.


    Pce Zhaoyang was right in front of them. They walked past the long Pill Emperor and arrived at the hall. The Empress Wang, the Crown Princess and a few other princesses were sitting on top of each other in the hall. Xie Zhen immediately saw Yan Yao''an on thedy couch beside her. She was dressed in a gold braided flower pattern jacket with dragon stripes on her knees and a horse shaped skirt, looking bright and beautiful. Yan Yao''an obviously saw them and her expression became uneasy for a moment. Her gazended on Gu Ruyi and turned her head away, no longer looking at them.


    Since thest time Xie Rong rejected the marriage, Xie Zhen had never seen her.


    After all, they had not decided on what expression they should use to meet each other. It would only increase the awkwardness.


    Regarding the matter of giving him a marriage, Xie Zhen could me it on Xie Rong. However, in front of outsiders, she could not help but be protective of him. Her brother, she could scold him, but others could not beat him. Xie Rong had eaten eighty pieces of the Emperor Yuan Hui''s board, she had even forgotten about them.


    It was not that Yan Yao''an was wrong ¡­ It''s just that marriage is supposed to be about love and mutual desire. What''s the point of forcing a marriage together?


    Xie Zhen followed behind Madam Leng and greeted thetter. Empress Wang called her over and spoke a few words with happiness after finding out that she was pregnant, and immediately had a few treasures bestowed upon her. Xie Zhen knelt down to thank her, but Empress Wang hurriedly helped her up, "Now that you are pregnant, don''t kneel anymore. Otherwise, if Ol ''Six sees you and feels sorry for me, it will be my fault."


    It was a joke, but no one took it seriously.


    Xie Zhen could only kowtow and thank her. She was not familiar with the Queen, so she could not say much. After sitting for a while, she went to the back to find Xie Xun and Gu Ruyi.


    Ever since Gu Ruyi entered the Main Pce, her face had turned a little strange.


    Xie Zhen asked her what was wrong, but she didn''t say anything, she only lowered her head and drank her tea. But she acted so awkward that only a fool would not be able to see that something was wrong!


    Under Xie Zhen''s repeated questioning, she finally exined the situation to him. She mentioned that when Xie Rong went to the general''s estate to look for her brother Gu Yi, and that when Gu Yi was called to the front hall, the princess saw him and her alone together. Yao An must have misunderstood, because when I went out to exinter, she wouldn''t listen. A few dayster, I heard Father talking about the emperor granting the marriage, and for this reason, I even caused Big Brother Xie to be caned ¡­ I''m really sorry. "


    So that''s how it was!


    Xie Zhen finally understood the ins and outs of what had happened. She was just saying why Yan Yao''an suddenly couldn''t hold it in anymore. Things had already been going on for a long time, and the injury on Xie Rong''s back had long healed. The Emperor Yuan Hui did not make things difficult for him on the road to be a official, and now that everything was going smoothly, he had risen two ranks consecutively in the army and had already be a doctor. My big brother is strong and robust, he can withstand beatings ¡­ "Don''t be guilty."


    Gu Ruyi nodded her head, thinking that he should not feel bad, he decided to let Gu Yi go to Duke Dingguo''s Mansion to walk around after he returned home, with a few apologies.


    Although it was a bitte, it was better than nothing.


    pce maidservant carried a few tes of dim sum, Xie Zhen picked up a piece of Red Lotus Blossom Bean Cake, took a bite, and drank it all down with the oily tea. She ate while looking at the Empress Wang and Princess in the pavilion, "Then you and Princess He Yi ¡­ Do you still have any friends? "


    Gu Ruyiughed bitterly and shook her head, feeling rather helpless, "I havee to the pce a few times to seek an audience, but I was always rejected by Yao An outside the door."


    It was unknown if Yan Yao''an was feeling guilty in her heart, or if she was determined not to interact with them.


    Xie Zhen shrugged her shoulders, appearing to be very open-minded. "She doesn''t believe you just because of a scene, and has cut all ties with you. There are still Ah Xun and I here. If you have nothing else to do, you cane find us and have a heart to heart talk. "


    Xie Xun finished a piece of Red Bean Filling Mountain Medicinal Cake, and licked the filling on her thumb. Hearing her, she turned her head and looked over, "There''s also Sister Zhong Rou!"


    Gu Ruyiughed, they had made her mood much better, "Then I will go look for you, don''t be annoyed with me."


    Xie Xun blinked her eyes, "No way."


    Xie Xun had be more lively recently, but she had be more likeable.


    The girls were chatting andughing with each other, and because of their beautiful appearances, the girls in the hall were not as outstanding as them, attracting many gazes. Yan Yao''an sat on the warm pavilion, looking out through the crystal curtain, only to see Xie Zhen tilting her head and conversing with Gu Ruyi, she could not hear what they had said, all three of their eyes were curved, and they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. She pursed her lips and snorted.


    Because there were many officials present today, as well as many women, the Emperor Yuan Hui ordered for the pce to be set up on the stage outside the Pce Linde. The stage was about half a person tall, it took up a lot of space, with columns surrounding the area, with carvings of water dragon patterns on the pir, the Pce Linde at the back of the stage was imposing and majestic.


    A total of 180 tables had been set up, and almost all the officials of the court were present.


    Xie Zhen and Empress Wang were seated at the same table. She was seated on the right side of the empress, while Crown Princess was seated on the left side of the empress. Not far from the table was Emperor Yuan Hui, Yan Yu and the others.


    Because it was night, with the bright pcemps and the brightnterns, Xie Zhen could immediately see Yan Yu on the other side when she raised her head.


    He was continuously toasted by the ministers of the court. Since he could not refuse, he drank one cup after another. His cold and clear phoenix eyes were fixed on her, unmoving, as if he was drinking the plum tea in her hand instead of the strong wine.


    Xie Zhen stuck out her tongue, turned her head and responded to Empress Wang, not looking at him anymore.


    Halfway through the banquet, Emperor Yuan Hui suddenly indicated for everyone to be quiet. Emperor Yuan Hui''s health was not good recently, but today he forcefully mustered his strength and spirit to attend the birthday feast. It was obvious that his eyes were a circle of green. For Da Jing to have today''s peace, it must be due to the contributions of the crown prince and the An Wang. "


    The officials all agreed and congratted Yan Yu and Yan Tao one after another.


    The Emperor Yuan Hui bestowed the two of them with a lot of things, and ordered the crown prince to be the supervisor of the country, increasing Yan Yu''s position in the army. The people who were heading to the Orchid Tomb together this time were all at least ranked up by two levels. Zhong Shang reced Xie Rong''s previous position, bing the Foreign Minister of the War Department, plotting something in the same ce as Xie Rong.


    As for the martyrs that had died in battle, Emperor Yuan Hui ordered the General of Agile Cavalry to pacify their families and did his best topensate them so that he wouldn''t mistreat them.


    Zhong Kai said. "Yes."


    After all the rewards and punishments were distributed, Emperor Yuan Hui''s gaze once again fell on Yan Yu''s head.


    Yan Yu nodded, "After the new year, I will be eighteen."


    Emperor Yuan Hui said earnestly and sincerely, "When we were at your age, even your second brother had ¡­"


    The meaning of these words was extremely clear.


    Yan Yu frowned, but just as he was about to speak, he interrupted him: "I heard that your An Wang¡¯s Mansion is very cold, you don''t have many master steward. It just so happens that the granddaughter of the Chen University is fifteen years old, and it just so happens to be Fang Hua.


    Great Schr Chen Teng was a Grand Schr with a huge beard and five grandchildren. Four of them were married already, and the Emperor Yuan Hui was referring to the youngest, Chen Yingxue.


    Chen Yingxue sat on the right side of Xie Zhen, separated by four or five people.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113</h4>


    Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s voice was not low, so loud that everyone at Xie Zhen¡¯s table could hear him.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s hand that was raised into the air suddenly stopped, and subconsciously looked towards Chen Yingxue. She was a very delicate and pretty girl. Her appearance was not too outstanding, but her pair of eyes were very beautiful. When she smiled, she seemed to be able to speak. Her actions had some rules, and one could tell that she had been raised extremely well. When she heard Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s words, she blushed and lowered her head, not daring to raise her head even when she was pushed around by her children¡¯s sisters.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart sank, and her good mood instantly disappeared into thin air.


    What did Emperor Yuan Hui mean? Do you think that she didn¡¯t give birth to a son for Yan Yu?


    She had some impression of this Chen Yingxue and she would often appear in capital¡¯s circle of nobledies. However, the two of them did not have much interaction nor did they have much interaction with each other. She had heard that she was ady who was well-versed in poetry and knew how to draw. Her four sisters had given birth to several sons after leaving the pavilion, and her eldest sister, Chen Xanxue, had even given birth to two pairs of twins. They were highly regarded by the family. If Emperor Yuan Hui pointed her out to Yan Yu as a side imperial concubine, then it was probably because he harbored this kind of intention.


    Xie Zhen quietly looked at Yan Yu, her lips slightly pursed, nning to see how he would respond.


    Although her beautiful eyes that were like spring water were not filled with anger, when she slowly looked over, the warning tone in her eyes was self-evident. If Yan Yu dared to agree to it tonight, he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her and their son at home.


    Yan Yu naturally knew what she was thinking in her heart. Even from far away, he could smell a sour scent. He was reluctant to turn the vinegar over, so he hugged it to his chest and smelled it every day. To his surprise, the vinegar smell was so fragrant that it assaulted his nostrils.


    He calmed down a little and smiled while cupping his hands towards Emperor Yuan Hui, ¡°father is more worried, this son likes peace and quiet, it is just right that there are so many people in the manor. Any more and it will be crowded and noisy. ¡± The after the talk paused, he had not been able to find a suitable opportunity to tell the Emperor Yuan Hui about Xie Zhen¡¯s pregnancy, and now he was able to say it out loud: ¡°Coupled with the fact that Ah Zhen is already three months old, the doctor said that she should rest in peace. I, your son, am reluctant to part with her. I apologize for not being able to agree to your good intentions, father. ¡±


    The Emperor Yuan Hui raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked towards Xie Zhen: ¡°Three months pregnant? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of it from any of you? ¡±


    Yan Yu exined, ¡°This son only found out after returning from Lan Ling. A few days ago, when Ah Zhen¡¯s fetus was unstable, this son let her stay in the house to recuperate and didn¡¯t disturb you at the pce. ¡±


    The Emperor Yuan Hui had obviously not expected Xie Zhen to be pregnant at such a timely time. In the beginning, he had only thought of it as an excuse that he had not been able to give birth to a child and a half after entering the Pce for two years.


    Emperor Yuan Hui was speechless for a moment. He held the golden bottle and slowly drank a mouthful, as if he was thinking about something.


    Being rejected by the sixth prince was a very low status. He could not hide his face, so he just coughed to feign calmness and lowered his head to stop the matter.


    His grandson was good in every way. When Emperor Yuan Hui had discussed this matter with him, he had thought that Yan Yu would agree to it. Originally, there was no reason to reject.


    He didn¡¯t think that the other party would reject him so straightforwardly, leaving him no face at all.


    Whether intentionally or not, she even showed off her love for the An Wang Fei.


    He didn¡¯t think much of it. He was just worried that his grandson¡¯s daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to take it ¡­ Thinking about that, he subconsciously looked towards Chen Yingxue¡¯s direction, only to see her slightly bowing her head, her shoulders trembling, as though she was crying.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. If he had known the oue would be like this, he might as well not have done it.


    After a long while, the banquet was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.


    Only then did Emperor Yuan Hui raise his gaze and look towards Yan Yu¡¯s direction. ¡°Have you thought this through?¡±


    So it was just to give Yan Yu time to think it over for himself.


    Yan Yu did not remain vague and bowed once more, ¡°This son has thought it through. father, please retract your order.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to let Xie Zhen down. When he first married her, he didn¡¯t think about anyone else but to live a good life with her. They had walked through the most difficult times, and now that they had finally opened their hearts and epted each other, he did not want any more twists and turns to be an obstacle between them.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what Emperor Yuan Hui was nning in his heart, but it was definitely not a good thing.


    This time, when he returned from Orchid Mountain Range, he did not know who spread the rumours around, but Emperor Yuan Hui had definitely heard all of them. Although he held a humble position, there were still a lot of obedient officials under hismand. If they could form a family with him, it would be very beneficial for their future.


    If Emperor Yuan Hui had this idea, then where would he leave the Crown Prince? Did he want to see himself and the crown prince fighting?


    If that was really the case, then it was even more impossible for Yan Yu to agree to this engagement.


    From the beginning, he had never had any interest towards the throne. After Yan Tao ascended to the peak, he would just be a casual prince, living the life of an immortal couple with Xie Zhen, ignoring whatever that happened in the court. It was enough for them to have three or five children, to teach them to read and write every day, and to sing poetry and paint.


    The Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s expression was clearly somewhat unhappy, however, he did not embarrass him in front of others. After all, he was now a meritorious general, and he was the one who guarded Lan Ling, and the People of Western Yi was the one who was repelled by him. So no matter how dissatisfied he was, he could only say with a smile that was not a smile, ¡°I had originally heard from the crown prince that you and your wife had a deep rtionship, but I didn¡¯t believe it at first. I didn¡¯t expect that I would see it today¡­ ¡°Yu¡¯er was always out of my expectations.¡±


    Thetter half of the sentence contained a hidden meaning that caused one to deeply investigate it.


    Yan Yu was not interested in thinking too much. Ever since the incident where the Emperor Yuan Hui experienced the Great Prince¡¯s conspiracy, he had be a little suspicious. Even his own son had to be schemed against.


    He was hesitating between Yan Yu and Yan Tao, wanting to test them. Yan Tao was calm and wise, but he was too soft-hearted and decisive. Yan Yu¡¯s methods were ruthless and decisive, but she was still tied to her love for her daughter. That was why the Emperor Yuan Hui took the opportunity to test him. If he cared too much about Xie Zhen and cared too much about a woman, it would be inappropriate for him to sit on the dragon throne.


    He didn¡¯t expect the result to be disappointing.


    Or rather, it should be said that Yan Yu was not interested in that dragon throne from the beginning. Thus, he could live as he wished and not care about anyone¡¯s thoughts.


    Emperor Yuan Hui cast a sidelong nce at the crown prince, and slowly said: ¡°If I were to betroth the grandson of Great Schr Chen to you, would the crown prince be willing to do so?¡±


    Yan Tao stood up and bowed, then answered wlessly, ¡°This son will listen to father¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    The answer was exactly the same as he had expected.


    Emperor Yuan Huiughed, he did not feel guilty about treating his granddaughter as an item and only said: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s talk about itter. I see that all of you are tired, so why don¡¯t I take you guys for a spin at the Supreme Water Pool. ¡°Not long ago, dozens of Ephemeral Flowers were sent in. They are a unique variety, and the Pce Mistress calcted that it would be the right time to send them out tonight. After the banquet, we will head over together.¡±


    Yan Tao was slightly stunned, and nodded in agreement.


    All the ministers agreed without any hesitation.


    Yan Yu returned to his seat and looked in Xie Zhen¡¯s direction.


    Xie Zhen looked very serious, and did not reveal the slightest bit of a smile. Most probably, she knew that her smile was inappropriate now, so she tightened her little face, looking a little serious. She sensed his gaze and winked at him, shrewd and witty.


    Yan Yu lowered his head andughed. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that there were so many people present, he would have really hugged her and rubbed her in his arms.


    Behind the Supreme Pond were three mountains. In front of the mountains was the ce Emperor Yuan Hui said the Ephemeral Flowers were nted.


    On one side was the attic, and on the other the path to the harem. Emperor Yuan Hui and the officials were drinking and drinking tea in the pavilion downstairs. Empress Wang led the female servants to the second floor and looked down at the flowers in the courtyard. The pcemps were lit on all sides of the pce, so that they could clearly see the budding of the epiphyllum flowers.


    It was just after midnight, and there was still an hour left before the Ephemeral Flower bloomed.


    Xie Zhen, Xie Xun and Gu Ruyi stood in a row, enthusiastically admiring the flowers. From time to time, they wouldment on the flowers and bet on which flower blossomed first. Because there were girls all around, their voices were more cheerful than thest. It was because their voices weren¡¯t very obvious, so they were drowned out very quickly.


    Even so, there were still gazes that wouldnd on Xie Zhen from time to time.


    Chen Yingxue had never been so humiliated before. In front of so many ministers, none of them wanted her. Now that her reputation had been ruined, with the Emperor personally bestowing her to the An Wang and to the crown prince, who would dare toe and propose marriage again? Who else could she marry?


    When she thought about how An Wang had rejected her, she couldn¡¯t help but be more curious about Xie Zhen.


    How was she worthy of An Wang¡¯s green eye? Is it because her face was beautiful?


    As she probed, she almost forgot about looked away.


    Therefore, when Xie Zhen suddenly turned her head to look at her, she panicked.


    Xie Zhen had always felt that her back was covered with goosebumps. There were always burning hot gazes staring at her from behind, making it impossible for her to ignore them even if she wanted to. This was why she wanted to scare Chen Yingxue.


    She didn¡¯t expect Chen Yingxue to act so innocently, as if she was bullying her.


    Xie Zhen pursed her her mouth a thin line and looked away unhappily.


    Gu Ruyi asked her: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? and you¡¯re suddenly unhappy? ¡±


    She looked down with lower her eyes for a long while before finally replying, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    However, her expression could not deceive her. Gu Ruyi was intelligent, when she turned around, she could tell what was going on without guessing. She held her hand and said: ¡°An Wang has already said that at the banquet, you still can¡¯t be at ease?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head. She was relieved with Yan Yu, he was just like a big dog that couldn¡¯t be driven away no matter how hard she tried. She did not know what was bothering her, but she probably did not like people coveting Yan Yu. After a moment of silence, she leaned her head on her elbow and whispered, ¡°Ru Yi, if it were you, would you be willing to share your husband with other women?¡±


    Gu Ruyi seriously thought about it, but did not lie to her: ¡°If I truly admire him, then it should not be tolerated.¡±


    Xie Zhen bent her almond-shaped eyes and said with a smile: ¡°I think the same as you.¡±


    She was just too narrow-minded to share Yan Yu with other women.


    If that day ever came, she would rather be smashed to smithereens than die.


    After an hour had passed, she suddenly heard an excited shout from below the pavilion, ¡°Blossom!¡±


    Xie Zhen and the other girls quickly peeked their heads out to look downstairs. The flower bud peeled off thevender outer garment, revealing the pure white and elegant petals. Under the moonlight, the flower bud slowly stretched its body, sparkling and moving, causing one¡¯s eyes to light up. As it was a new breed, it had a blue pink and white color. In less than an incense stick of time, it had all opened!


    This was a rare and magnificent sight, and a single Ephemeral Flower blooming was nothing out of the ordinary. If dozens of them bloomed together, then it would be unimaginable.


    The girls in the attic were amazed and amazed. They could no longer see them from upstairs, so they all became restless. They wanted to see what was going on up there at close range.


    Empress Wang said in a forgiving manner: ¡°I will bring you down with me so that you can have a closer look.¡±


    The girls were extremely happy as they followed Empress Wang down to the pavilion.


    Gu Ruyi asked Xie Zhen: ¡°Are we going?¡±


    Since the empress had already taken the lead, they wouldn¡¯t be in the same group if they didn¡¯t go. They wouldn¡¯t give the empress any face. Xie Zhen thought for a while, then nodded her head and followed, ¡°Then we will go down together.¡±


    Most of the people upstairs had left, leaving her, Xie Xun, Gu Ruyi, Chen Ying Xue and Yan Yao¡¯an who were at the side.


    Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were walking in front and Gu Ruyi was following behind. Before taking two steps, Chen Ying Xue and Yan Yao¡¯an followed behind.


    Chen Yingxue and Yan Yao¡¯an were not familiar with each other, and there was nothing between the two of them.


    Halfway up the stairs, Chen Yingxue identally stepped on her skirt and fell forward. In front of her was Gu Ruyi, and this way, she would directly crash into him!


    Caught off guard, Gu Ruyi fell forward, but the one in front of her was Xie Zhen, while the one in front of her was an empty staircase. There was nothing there, and Xie Zhen was still pregnant!


    Startled, she subconsciously grabbed onto the wooden handrail, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t hold on tight.


    Yan Yao¡¯an, who was behind her, originally wanted to give her a hand. However, when she remembered something, she extended her hand in the air and retracted it.


    Gu Ruyi shouted, ¡°Ah Zhen, be careful!¡±


    Xie Zhen turned her head, she did not have the time to see the situation clearly, she was struck until she staggered, her legs were empty, and she fell down the stairs ¡ª ¡ª


    Xie Xun cried out in rm, ¡°sis!¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s mind was in a mess, her first action being to tightly protect her belly, thinking that would the child fall down?

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114</h4>


    It was lucky that she didn¡¯t fall down at thest moment.


    A figure rushed up from the doorway of the attic and took her firmly in his arms.


    Xie Zhen looked up with fear and trepidation, just in time to see Yan Yu¡¯s tight jaw and thin lips puckered into a line. His arm tightened, as if he was frightened by what had just happened and was still trembling slightly. His back was straight, but he took care of her. He didn¡¯t strangle her, but carefully took her in his arms, which were both gentle and firm.


    Yan Yu coldly nced at the stairs, then expressionlessly picked up Xie Zhen and gently put him on the ground.


    When the few of them on the stairs came into contact with his gaze, they felt a chill run down their spines.


    Especially Chen Yingxue and Gu Ruyi, who were guilty of standing at the same ce, unable to even speak.


    Chen Yingxue¡¯s fall was not on purpose, it was just that she clearly had the chance to hold onto the railing or pull servant maids who was at the side. However, the moment she fell, she saw Xie Zhen, who was walking at the very front, pounce towards Gu Ruyi without her even knowing why.


    She thought, if Yan Yu rejected her because Xie Zhen was pregnant, then if this child no longer existed, would it change?


    Now that she was stared at by Yan Yu, hse immediately became clear-headed, and her hands were covered in cold sweat from fear.


    She should be d that Xie Zhen was alright. Otherwise, if anything bad had happened to Xie Zhen and the child, Yan Yu would not easily let her off.


    As for Yan Yao¡¯an ¡­ All of the surrounding servant maids s could see that she did not act to save Yan Yu just now. If Gu Ruyi had told her earlier, she would definitely not have a good ending in front of him.


    Why didn¡¯t she hold Gu Ruyi back?


    There was no other reason but that she had always been angry at Gu Ruyi in her heart.


    She never forgave Gu Ruyi from beginning to end.


    If Gu Ruyi had not gotten too close to her and she had bumped into him, she would not have been in such a hurry to ask the father to marry her. In the end, she would have been disgusted by him and made it impossible for her to marry him. Yan Yao¡¯an would sometimes daydream about what kind of woman Xie Rong would marry in the future. Did he like Gu Ruyi? As she thought about it, she was swallowed up by jealousy.


    If Gu Ruyi crashed Xie Zhen down today, and something happened to Xie Zhen and the child, Gu Ruyi would definitely be involved as well, right?


    This way, based on the degree of care Xie Rong had for his two younger sisters, he wouldn¡¯t be able to marry her.


    At that time, Yan Yao¡¯an simply did not have time to think about it, and this idea passed by in a sh. Now that she had calmed down and looked at Xie Zhen¡¯s pale white face, guilt filled her heart.


    How could she think that? Wasn¡¯t Xie Zhen her good sister?


    How could she harm her for her own selfish sake?


    Gu Ruyi and Xie Xun had gone down to pay their respects to Xie Zhen¡¯s situation, only she was standing hesitantly on the stairs. She didn¡¯t know whether to go up or down, and only felt that she didn¡¯t have the face to see them again.


    Yan Yu seemed to have sensed something and turned to look up the stairs. The ck cold eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, causing Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s limbs to turn cold, she almost thought that he had seen through his thoughts.


    It was not a small thing that An Wang Fei was hit by someone and almost fell down from the stairs. To put it bluntly, someone had attempted to murder the wangfei and the son of the crown prince. They had ulterior motives and were vicious; to put it cruelly, they had identally failed to step on the princess¡¯ foot and had identally knocked over the An Wang Fei. to see what the An Wang wants to do with it.


    Even the Empress Wang was startled. She hurriedly ordered the pce maidservant to call the imperial physician, to let her see if there was anything wrong.


    Xie Zhen sat behind a round table on the first floor of the pavilion. Yan Yu was standing right beside her. She quietly grabbed his hand as she responded to their questions. Her fingers were cold. It could be seen that she was extremely frightened just now. Yan Yu took the initiative and wrapped her hand with his own to keep her warm.


    Gu Ruyi felt extremely guilty, and kept ming himself, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault that I couldn¡¯t hold my ground. If An Wang didn¡¯t appear in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen also knew that she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, and told her not to me herself too much, so she casually asked her about the situation at that time. Gu Ruyi said that she was hit by Chen Yingxue and fell forward unsteadily. As for Yan Yao¡¯an not pulling her, she did not tell Xie Zhen. The matter was already messy enough, so there was no need to exaggerate any further. But, her disappointment with Yan Yao¡¯an was real. Who would have thought that the friendship between the two of them for so many years would break so easily because of such a small matter?


    After Xie Zhen heard this, she pondered for a moment, ¡°Chen Yingxue fell, why did the servant maids beside her not help her?¡±


    Gu Ruyi also felt that it was strange. Logically speaking, the servant maids should have been following her closely even in such a narrow staircase.


    Unless they didn¡¯t want to¡­


    Xie Zhen slowly tightened his grip on Yan Yu¡¯s hand, and said with a hint of anger: ¡°It¡¯s my carelessness ¡­.¡±


    Chen Yingxue had been rejected by Yan Yu to marry off in front of everyone, and she had refused to give him face. She harbored resentment in her heart, so she wanted to vent her anger on her? What good is it for her if something happens to her and her child? Does she think that she can marry into the An Wang¡¯s Mansion?


    Xie Zhen never had a good impression of Chen Yingxue, and now, she was even more annoyed to the extreme. Forget about letting her marry An Wang, she even did not like to took a good look at her!


    Xie Zhen turned her head to look at Yan Yu, her clear almond-shaped eyes blinked several times, looking pitiful. ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, help me seek justice.¡±


    Actually, it was not that she could not resolve it herself, but she was pregnant now, and the doctor had said that she should not go overboard. Just in case, it would be safer to let Yan Yu do it.


    Furthermore, Emperor Yuan Hui had just wanted to allow Chen Yingxue to be the side imperial concubine for Yan Yu, so if she came out to make things difficult for Chen Yingxue, it would be hard to say if their situation was real.


    Yan Yu rubbed the top of her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Even without her saying it, he would still decide for her.


    When the rest of thedies hade out, he waited outside for a while to see them. He wanted to go upstairs to take a look, but he didn¡¯t expect to see such a soul-stirring scene. He couldn¡¯t imagine what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t caught her in time. Of course, after he caught Xie Zhen, the guilt in Chen Yingxue¡¯s and Yan Yao¡¯an¡¯s eyes did not escape him.


    He got some people to call Chen Yingxue and Fellow Chen over, preparing to interrogate them in person.


    The two of them quickly arrived in front of the body. Great Schr Chen already knew what was going on, so he pulled his grandson to kneel down towards Yan Yu and Xie Zhen, ¡°This humble servant was inexperienced, Ying Xue almost identally injured the princess and the little crown prince. Please don¡¯t be angry¡­.¡± Before he could finish, he was already sweating profusely.


    Chen Yingxue was also scared as she knelt on the ground with her head lowered, not daring to say a single word.


    Yan Yu¡¯s cold eyes swept across the two of them, ¡°Great Schr Chen didn¡¯t ask why I called you two here. Why are you two apologizing so urgently?¡±


    Chen Teng froze and looked up helplessly.


    Yan Yu ignored him, his gaze shifting to Chen Yingxue, and slowly parted his lips. ¡°ording to father, the granddaughter of the Schr Chen has learnt quite a bit about etiquette?¡±


    Chen Yingxue softly replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Right after he finished speaking, Yan Yu changed the topic and questioned coldly: ¡°Then why can¡¯t you even walk a good path? If you can¡¯t walk, can you ask this king to find someone to teach you? ¡±


    Chen Yingxue trembled, his eyes were flustered and at a loss of what to do.


    There were rules and regtions in the pce, and women with bad etiquette had to be sent back to the Hall of Rites to be rescheduled. Teach, where the rules are strict, female officials strict, often make people suffer unspeakably. The meaning behind Yan Yu¡¯s words was to send her to that ce to learn etiquette. Although she was not a person from the pce, she had offended the An Wang Fei. As long as the An Wang said it, she could enter at any time.


    Chen Teng quickly begged for mercy on behalf of his grandson¡¯s daughter, ¡°I beg Your Highness, for the sake of serving His Majesty for so many years, please let me go ¡­ ¡­¡± After begging for a long time, when she saw that Yan Yu was unmoved, she turned around to beg Xie Zhen again, ¡°Princess, please spare Ying Xue this time ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen had originally wanted to scare Chen Yingxue and teach her a lesson. His objective had been achieved and seeing how pitiful Chen Teng¡¯s action of kneeling down and begging for help was, he made him stand up. He thought about it for a while and said sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s not that you are heartless, but it¡¯s just that today was too dangerous. Even now, I am still a little afraid ¡­¡± ¡°Since you can¡¯t even make it to the next step, you must have some problems with Fellow Chen¡¯s teachings. From my point of view, you don¡¯t need to go to the Hall of Rites. Go home and let Lady Chen Si learn more about the rules.¡±


    Chen Teng let out a breath of relief and thanked her gratefully along with Chen Yingxue.


    Tears flickered in Chen Yingxue¡¯s eyes. Even though she felt wronged, she couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    After tonight, no one would dare to go to her house and propose marriage anymore. Not only had Emperor Yuan Hui changed hands on her two princes, she also had a bad reputation with etiquette. In the future, it would not be easy for her to make aeback.


    Before she left, she couldn¡¯t help but turn around and take another look at Xie Zhen. She was sitting on the embroidered pier, talking to Yan Yu with her head raised. Dependence and trust was written all over her face. On the other hand, An Wang changed his indifferent attitude towards the others. His eyes were warm and gentle, carrying a pampering look, as he listened attentively to her words.


    Chen Yingxue suddenly felt a little envious.


    With that kind of rtionship, no matter what others did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere, right?


    A good feast had been interrupted midway. Everyone no longer had the interest to admire the flowers.


    At the back of the pavilion, Gu Ruyi was talking with Yan Yao¡¯an.


    Behind him was the pcemp, and beneath his feet were clusters of blooming epiphyllum flowers, blooming and shining with a pure white light. Gu Ruyi pulled away the servant maids, and also made Yan Yao¡¯an suppress the pce maidservant. Only the two of them were left here.


    Gu Ruyi took off her veil. With clear ck eyes and a calm expression: ¡°I always wear my veil in front of others. Yao An, you are the first person who made me take off my veil in front of outsiders.¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an did not look at her, she tilted her head and pretended to look at the Ephemeral Flowers at the side.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always treated you as a sister. If there¡¯s anything I need to tell you, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Gu Ruyi spoke slowly, his voice was like clear water, slowly flowing out of his heart, ¡°I dug out my heart and lungs from you, I thought you would do the same to me. You¡¯ve never thought of me as a sister. Just because of a man, you want to have a falling out with me. ¡±


    Being talked about, Yan Yao¡¯an was speechless.


    She did fuss over a man, but she did treat her like a sister! Of course, that was on the premise that she did not interact with Xie Rong ¡­


    Gu Ruyi recalled the scene from a moment ago and felt a chill in his heart, ¡°You can vent your anger on me, but you better not harm Xie Zhen because of this. She has your brother¡¯s child in her womb. That child should call you Auntie when she was born. ¡±


    Yan Yao¡¯an was startled, and finally raised his head to meet her gaze.


    Yes, that child was her nephew.


    What had she been thinking?


    Gu Ruyi had finished speaking. After his turn around his body left, she had not taken two steps when she stopped, ¡°If I had known earlier that you loved Young Master Xie, I definitely would not havee into contact with him.¡±


    With that, she left without hesitation, leaving Yan Yao¡¯an feeling extremely guilty.


    Just as Gu Ruyi walked out of the pavilion, she saw Xie Rong walking out from the pavilion. He had probably just finished exploring Xie Zhen and was walking out. The two of them met at the entrance. Gu Ruyi thought about what she had just said to Yan Yao¡¯an and subconsciously wanted to avoid him.


    She didn¡¯t know what kind of expression she should have on her face, so she simply brushed past him.


    Xie Rong greeted her out of courtesy: ¡°Miss Gu ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, she had already left.


    Xie Rong was startled, he did not know how he had gotten into such a situation.

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115</h4>


    The imperial physician came to see her. Although Xie Zhen was not knocked down, she was still frightened. As a result, the imperial physician wrote a prescription for calming the fetus and told her to follow it. Apart from that, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.


    After returning to the pce, Xie Zhen did not dare to dy any further, and immediately ordered the medicine to be used ording to the prescription.


    By the time the medicine was ready, it was alreadyte at night. She was so sleepy that she couldn¡¯t stop fighting, but she still forced herself to drink the medicine. The smell of medicine was extremely bitter, causing her to be speechless. On the other hand, she was much more clear-headed now. Yan Yu handed over a Green Plum Fruit as she bit into it with relish. She looked up at Yan Yu and asked, ¡°Today, His Majesty is going to let Chen Yingxue be your side imperial concubine. Why didn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    What a question.


    Why didn¡¯t he agree? Didn¡¯t she know? If he agreed, it wouldn¡¯t be a good result for him until he came back, right?


    However, this girl wanted him to personally say it. She had been holding herself back all the way back, so she was probably waiting for him to say something nice to coax her.


    Yan Yu handed the bowl over to servant maids and let him take it off. He sat on the palisander s that were on the opposite side of the bed and curled his lips: ¡°You want me to agree?¡±


    Xie Zhen didn¡¯t hope for that to happen. She shook the nket covering her and pretended not to care at all, ¡°I just don¡¯t care ¡­¡± She spoke very slowly. Halfway through her words, she suddenly turned around and smiled at him. Her smile was so bright that it was even more dazzling than the stars outside the window. I had already thought about it long ago. If Big Brother Xiao Yu had another woman, I would take my child and leave you, and marry someone who will never be able to take in a concubine. ¡±


    Da Jing had ruled the country for hundreds of years. The people were open-minded, did not care about small details, and were very forgiving towards women who were divorced. If a woman was divorced, not only would she not be discriminated against, but there would also be a matchmaker who woulde visit her and propose marriage. This kind of thing was not normal, but it wasn¡¯t special either. There were already a few examples in the circle of nobledies. For example, Zhong Rou¡¯s second sister, Zhong Yun, had already left her husband and had also married the Marquis of Yongle¡¯s second son.


    Therefore, when Xie Zhen just finished speaking, his face darkened, ¡°Marry again?¡±


    He had only asked her one question and she wanted to leave him and marry again? Was he so unworthy of her trust? He really wanted to see how the girl¡¯s heart had done it.


    Xie Zhen blinked her eyes, ¡°Ah ¡­¡±


    Did he not hear her premise clearly? She meant that if he had any other woman, she would have to leave him!


    It was a pity that Yan Yu was so angry that he lost his mind. He sat on the side of the bed and held her wrist, as if he was afraid that she would run away.


    Xie Zhen choked, her hands being pinched so hard they hurt, as she struggled to stand back and retort: ¡°What are you so anxious for? I haven¡¯t left yet! ¡±


    She didn¡¯t manage to break free even after a while. Instead, she was pulled into his embrace and rolled into the bed. He pressed her head so hard that she could not move. He was so frightened by what she had said that he said in a threatening tone, ¡°If you dare to leave me and marry again, I will not let off him whoever you marry!¡±


    This was the first time he had said such harsh words. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly around her, as if he had already imagined the appearance of that person. When Xie Zhen saw him, she couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips and roll over onto the pillow. Her shoulders trembled a little, and she was actuallyughing so hard that she was about to pass out.


    Yan Yu was obviously very serious and angry, but seeing that her smile had lost all of its imposing aura, she immediately became a little embarrassed, grabbing onto her soft waist and asked: ¡°What are youughing about?¡±


    Xie Zhen wasughing non-stop, tears were even forced out from the corner of her eyes as she pointed at¡¯s nose and said, ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu seems to be a tyrant that can turn a good girl into a prostitute!¡±


    Yan Yu couldn¡¯t help but touch his face. How did it look like it?


    He didn¡¯t feel so, but Xie Zhen¡¯sughter made his stomach ache instead. She held her stomach andughed for a long time, until Yan Yu waspletely speechless. He leaned over, pressed against her forehead and asked depressingly: ¡°Is it that funny?¡±


    Ever since she was young, she had always felt that she was a heartless little girl. She had never thought that she would grow up to be like this. Thinking about it this way, Yan Yu still felt dissatisfied. He bit onto her nose, biting her until she moaned and begged for mercy, only then did he let go.


    ¡°Stillughing?¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s eyes were moist, like the stars in the gxy. With just a nce, she could attract people¡¯s attention. Her lips curved, and she could not even muster the strength tough. She panted, ¡°No moreughing ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu snorted, rolling over and lying beside her, no longer pressing down on her, and instead wrapping his arms around her stomach. Recently, he had been stroking her stomach, massaging it round and round, as if he could feel the movement of a life inside. ¡°You were at the pce feast today. Didn¡¯t you hear that I rejected her?¡±


    Yan Yu bet that Xie Zhen, the little bastard, had definitely heard her. At that time, she had given him a threatening look.


    He did not expect Xie Zhen to be so sincere as she smiled and nodded, ¡°I heard it.¡±


    Yan Yu frowned, his hand moved to grab onto the soft meat bun on her chest and rubbed it with force, as if he was venting his anger: ¡°Then why are you still angry at me?¡±


    His grip was extremely smooth, making it so that Xie Zhen had no ce to hide. In front of him was his hand, and behind him was his chest. She moaned. Because the fetus had been unstable, they had never had sex because of the doctor¡¯s advice. Now that the fetus was stable, it had already been half a month. Yan Yu couldn¡¯t help but to touch her around, but it was all stopped by Xie Zhen.


    Right now, she didn¡¯t know if they could ¡­ Xie Zhen felt a bit of pain from his hand, she grabbed his hand and begged him to be gentle, ¡°Who said I¡¯m angry at you? Have you ever heard of it? ¡°Ugh ¡­¡± He increased his strength. She was already sensitive to his presence. ¡°You refused today. In the future, when His Majesty finds a second and third side imperial concubine for you, can you still refuse?¡± Can you keep refusing? ¡±


    Yan Yu really did not think about this question seriously. His actions paused for a moment, and then he started to y with her pair of little buns, causing her to make a sweet and melodious sound. He said matter-of-factly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    As long as he didn¡¯t want to, no one could force him.


    No matter how many people Emperor Yuan Hui wanted to give him, he didn¡¯t want them at all.


    It was enough to have her in his arms.


    However, after hearing what she said, he had to face up to one problem. The Emperor Yuan Hui wanted to use Chen Yingxue to test if he was interested in the position of Emperor. Emperor Yuan Hui should have known of his decision, so there shouldn¡¯t be such a thing in the future ¡­ His only worry was that Yan Tao would overthink things and cause harm to him and Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen arched her back in his embrace, and his rubbing made her body go limp, as she snorted: ¡°I know, I got it. Let go of me. The doctor said that I can¡¯t ¡­ ¡±


    The little girl had grown into a big girl, even her two buns on her breasts had grown quite a bit. Originally, he was only able to hold one of them with one hand, but now that she was pregnant, her breasts had also grown bigger. But he liked it so much. He liked to bite her breasts, to the point that he could not stop her.


    Xie Zhen was both embarrassed and annoyed, seeing that he was about to bury his head in her chest, she raised her hand and pushed him away: ¡°Brother Xiao Yu, don¡¯t be like this ¡­.¡±


    He refused to listen and shamelessly asked, ¡°Little Lamb, why isn¡¯t milk here?¡±


    How could she answer this question!?


    Xie Zhen¡¯s beautiful face flushed red. Although the two of them had been in the same room for a long time and had done everything before when closing the door, it did not mean that she had to get used to listening to his vulgar words! ¡°How, how would I know!¡±


    He took a couple of sips, her embarrassed, angry voice in his ear, then added, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the doctor tomorrow.¡±


    Shameless!


    If he were to ask the doctor, where would she put her face?


    Xie Zhen¡¯s cheeks were flushed red, her almond eyes were moist, she bit her lips and kept quiet, her hands being held firmly above her head, she was truly bullied to the point of being pitiful. Finally touched by his shamelessness, she stammered, ¡°Mother said ¡­ You had to wait for a few more months ¡­ Woo ¡­ Stop it¡­¡±


    For the sake of her body, he had been unable to touch her for a long time.


    Yan Yu lifted his head and covered her chattering lips, their lips touching. It was only until she almost gasped for breath that he released her.


    Originally, Xie Zhen had nned to sleep the moment she returned to the manor. But who knew that he had unknowingly dyed this for more than an hour, causing her to be unable to even sleep when she wanted to. In the end, she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He was still kissing her ear on one side and she was already fast asleep on the other.


    Her eyes were closed, and her eyshes, long and raised like butterfly wings, drooped wearily. The wings of her nose fluttered, and her pink lips parted slightly. No matter how she looked at it, she was pleasing to the eye. It seems that she was really tired, Yan Yu stopped messing with her, and helped her tidy up her clothes, then lowered his head to touch her forehead, ¡°Today, I will forgive you.¡±


    She could not hear him and had long since fallen asleep. However, his subconscious also knew how to cling to him. Both of his hands rested on his neck, rubbing against his chest.


    Yan Yu enjoyed it and chuckled softly. He blew out themp and slept with her.


    After five months, Xie Zhen¡¯s stomach finally became a little more obvious.


    She had a slim waist and a perfect curve when she raised it slightly. She was very beautiful. Yan Yu liked to hug her the most, while rubbing her round stomach. Or maybe when she was changing her clothes, he would do nothing but stand by the side and look at her with an expression of infatuation and love.


    Unfortunately, the weather grew colder and colder with each passing day, and the clothes she was wearing grewrger andrger,pletely covering the curves of Xie Zhen¡¯s stomach. A thick cloak fell over her, obscuring his view.


    Yan Yu was a little disappointed. He returned from the imperial court, and wanted to touch her stomach, but he was blocked byyers of clothes. Hisrge hand reached into her cloak and gently touched it. ¡°Is there any movement today?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s very obedient today.¡±


    A few days ago, Xie Zhen coincidentally discovered that the child in her belly had a movement.


    Xie Zhen suddenly felt that it was very mysterious. After raising it for so long, she finally had a sense of aplishment. So she told it to Yan Yu.


    She never thought that Yan Yu would be even more obsessed with it than she was. Every day when he came back, he would ask her if her child had made any movements. What he liked to do the most was hug her as they sat in the in the porch, discussing what name to give his child when it was snowing.


    From a distance, the two of them looked like one person. He hugged her and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. Her almond-shaped eyes curved up to meet his.


    They could talk for half a day just by talking.

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116</h4>


    When the other women were six or seven months pregnant, they were already very obese. But when Xie Zhen had been pregnant for seven months, she was still slim, only her belly was ridiculously big. In the winter, it was hard to tell because of the heavy cloak or coat covering her. Now that it turned to spring, and as the days warmed up, her belly became obvious.


    She took off her thick winter clothes and changed into a light spring shirt. Only now did she realize that her belly seemed to be evenrger than a normal pregnant woman.


    Yan Yu panicked. Did she have a giant baby? With Xie Zhen''s slender body, if the child was too big, it would definitely be in extreme pain during childbirth. Yan Yu could not bear for her to feel happy, his expression grew more and more mncholy every day. If he woke up one morning and found that her belly had grown bigger, he would ask her with a pained heart: "How about we stop having babies?"


    Xie Zhen looked at him in disbelief, as if she had heard some crazy thing. "What did you say? How can you say that you don''t want it? I''ve been pregnant for seven months! "


    She clearly remembered how much suffering she had endured during these seven months!


    At the beginning, she vomited a lot, but after a day, she could not eat more than a few mouthfuls of rice. Even if she ate, she would vomit immediately that night. In the end, when she didn''t throw up, she would wake up frequently at night. It was freezing cold at that time, and getting up in the middle of the night would consume a lot of courage. It had already been seven months, and the child in her belly had finally stabilized with great difficulty. She thought that the pain had finallye, but he actually told her to not give birth?!


    Xie Zhen came out of his embrace with her bellybelly bulging, and pointed at him with her hand while holding onto her waist. "You won''t give birth to me if you don''t, this is my child, no matter what you say I won''t give up!"


    Yan Yu held her fingers, and looked at her belly worriedly. "I heard that giving birth to a child is a woman''s cmity, I was afraid that you wouldn''t be able to take it ¡­"


    He knew best that she was so young. How could a child be born there?


    Moreover, this baby was obviously older than the average baby!


    Xie Zhen frowned, because she truly thought that he was unable to understand. "Stop it? What about the baby? Will it stay in my body forever? "


    This was also a problem. Yan Yu frowned, as if he was seriously considering this problem.


    In the end, no matter how he thought about it, there was no result, and he was ruthlessly scolded by Xie Zhen. There was nothing he could do, he could only get someone to call the doctor over. In the end, not only did the doctorse, even the midwives who were already prepared hade. A few of them surrounded Xie Zhen to check what was going on.


    The doctor could only see some ordinary ailments, there was nothing he could do about the unborn baby. He could only tell Yan Yu, "The wangfei and the young prince are both healthy, don''t worry, your highness."


    The midwife touched Xie Zhen''s belly once more and saw that her cheeks were flushed red without any sign of difort. She also bowed and greeted him, "Reporting to Your Highness, Princess Wangfei is very healthy, and the baby in her womb is also very healthy ¡­" Halfway through speaking, she paused before hesitating. "This old servant dares to ask, has any twin been born in the mother''s house?"


    Xie Zhen did not understand, she thought for a while then shook her head: "No."


    The midwife thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "It''s nothing, I was overthinking it."


    The midwife had originally guessed that Xie Zhen was carrying a twin, but not every woman had a chance of having a twin, as it required a family inheritance. Therefore, the midwife did not tell Xie Zhen her spections. Instead, she told the husband and wife to be at ease and assured them that nothing would happen to him.


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu wereymen, if not for the midwife, they would never even think of going in that direction.


    After sending the doctor and the midwife out, Yan Yu finally felt a little more at ease.


    Xie Zhenughed at him, "I''ve already said that there''s nothing wrong ¡­"


    Actually, it was Yan Yu''s fault, he was too worried about her, and would inevitably make a fuss about it. After all, hearing about how giving birth to a child wasn''t an easy thing to do. To give birth to a child in such a narrow birth canal, just thinking about it made Xie Zhen worry.


    Eight monthster, it was a spring day. The grass grew, birds flew, and hundreds of flowers bloomed brilliantly.


    Xie Zhen listened to the doctor''s advice and walked around the courtyard twice a day. Her belly kept getting bigger day by day and at night, when she was sleeping, she could only lie on her side. She could no longer see her toes, nor did she dare to look at herself in the mirror. It was not easy for her to put up with this for the sake of her children, as if all good humour had been given to the unborn.


    Actually, it wasn''t as exaggerated as she thought. She was still the same as before, beautiful as ever, except that her belly was a few times bigger.


    Sometimes, Yan Yu would go down early in the morning and support her by the waist to walk around the courtyard with her. It was hard to believe that Yan Yu was so tall and had long legs, so she had no choice but to slow down her pace and walk forward, but she didn''tin at all.


    These past few days, the two were walking together when Xie Zhen suddenly stopped and eximed, "What''s wrong?"


    She ced her hands on her belly and looked at him with a smile. "Big brother Xiao Yu, it kicked me again!"


    Yan Yu''s expression rxed slightly as he supported her and walked to the side of the the Gallery veranda to sit down, "Let me hear it." He squatted in front of her and put his ear against her belly, listening intently.


    He waited for a long time, but nothing happened.


    Yan Yu straightened his back and asked, "Why are you not moving anymore?"


    Xie Zhen covered her mouth and snickered, smiling like a cunning little fox, "It must have disliked you, so when you came, it just stopped moving."


    Yan Yu helplessly touched her nose, "I''m its father, how dare it not like me?"


    Xie Zhen''s lips curved into a provocative smile, "Why would I not dare?"


    The two of them stared at each other, and in the end, Yan Yu admitted defeat. She stood up and was about to bring her back to her room, but before she could even take two steps, she saw someone walking over through the Moon Cave door. Only when they got closer did they realize it was Shuang Yan.


    Shuang Yan''s face was anxious, she anxiously transmitted: "Miss, someone from Duke Dingguo''s Mansion has sent a message, he said that you need to go back quickly!"


    It was rare to see Shuang Yan in such a rush, so Xie Zhen couldn''t help but feel her heart tighten, and ask: "What did you say?"


    Shuang Yan shook her head, "I am not sure either, but the person who came is the nannie beside Madam. He said that he has something important to discuss with you."


    Mother''s people?


    Since the Madam Leng had sent people over, it must not be a small matter.


    Xie Zhen pulled Yan Yu''s hand, and anxiously said, "Quick, quick, help me go to central room to take a look."


    She had a big belly and walked very inconvenient to prevent any idents on the road. It was better to have Yan Yu support her.


    After arriving at the central room, the nannie was indeed waiting here. Xie Zhen walked up to her and asked what was going on. She said it was because of Xie Xun. Xie Zhen wanted to ask more about it, but she did not say much, only holding back: "The Empress should go back and personally ask Madame about it ¡­ ¡­"


    Since Xie Zhen couldn''t get anything out of her, she could only follow her back to Duke Dingguo''s Mansion.


    Yan Yu was not at ease, he had nothing at hand, so he decided to follow her.


    After arriving at the Duke Dingguo''s Mansion, Xie Zhen walked directly into the Jade Yard. Just as she entered the main chamber, she heard the cold and severe voice of Madam Leng, "How do you usually serve Master? No one told me? If I didn''t find out today, then how long would I have to hide from you!? "


    Xie Zhen and Yan Yu exchanged a nce. They knew that Madam Leng would definitely be furious at this moment, so they told Yan Yu to wait outside the door. When the Madam Leng was angry, the better the person in front of him would be. She walked into the house and saw two rows of servant kneeling inside, all of them looked like servants of Xie Xun. She supported Shuang Yu and asked: "What''s wrong, Mother? Why are you so angry? "He even called me over."


    The moment Xie Xun saw her, she acted as if she had seen her savior, and her eyes immediately lit up. Before she could even say the words "sis", she was interrupted by Madam Leng, "You came at the right time and you should teach Ah Xun probably. She is going to piss me off!"


    What was so serious?


    Xie Zhen looked over to Xie Xun and saw she curled up on the square chair. Her eyes were red as she stared at her innocently. "I didn''t ¡­"


    Xie Xun had always been the most obedient out of the three children, so Xie Zhen couldn''t understand what she did to make Madam Leng so angry.


    Xie Zhen called Xie Xun into the house to ask around and found out that Zhong Shang had actuallye to look for her today. She originally did not want to see him, but Zhong Shang had actually waited at the Jiaomen for two hours. Xie Xun was worried that he would be discovered if he waited any longer, so she decided to go over to see him. He did not have anything important to do, so he wanted to talk to her.


    But when he spoke, he would do something. Xie Xun wanted to leave, but he did not.


    Thest time Zhong Shang said he wanted to bring her something nice to eat from Lanling, the two of them forgot about itter. Zhong Shang woke up a few days ago and went to the west market to buy some Cream Pine Cream Soup Dumplings. He covered them all the way in his arms but she didn''t want to take it when he gave it to her, shaking her head like a rattle. "Big Brother Zhong Shang, I''m going back now."


    Zhong Shang grabbed her hand, "Why don''t you have a chat with me?"


    Xie Xun tried to pry him apart, and revealed a troubled expression as she raised her delicate eyebrows. "My mother is at home ¡­"


    She did not want Mother to find out, otherwise she would be scolded.


    However, the facts proved that whatever they were afraid of woulde. Just as she finished speaking, the nannie by Madam Leng''s side came over and asked while walking, "Seventh Miss, who are you talking to?"


    "..."


    Just like this, the Madam Leng found out that Xie Xun and Zhong Shang had met at the back door.


    The Madam Leng flew into a rage and scolded the people around Xie Xun harshly.


    Madam Leng did not like Zhong Shang from the start, because he had a past record and his conduct was bad in the past. Now, it would be difficult for her to change her impression of Zhong Shang. Furthermore, he had a secret meeting with Xie Xun, so Madam Leng was even more prejudiced against him.


    Hearing servant say that it wasn''t their first time meeting in private, Madam Leng was angered to the point that she prohibited Xie Xun from travelling. She was told to stay at home for the next three months and not go anywhere else. Xie Xun exined, "There''s nothing between Big Brother Zhong Shang and I ¡­ ¡­"


    How could Madam Leng hear it? She immediately ordered someone to call Xie Zhen over, and asked Xie Zhen to properly advise him not to interact with him anymore in the future.


    After Xie Zhen heard the whole story, she was silent for a moment, and without any warning, she asked, "Ah Xun, what do you think of Zhong Shang?"

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117</h4>


    Xie Xun was confused, he turned her head and asked: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She thought that Xie Zhen would scold her like how Madam Leng did. After all, she knew she was wrong. But at that time, she didn¡¯t have any other choice. Zhong Shang had been waiting for so long, he couldn¡¯t possibly continue waiting, right?


    Xie Xun had already admitted her wrongs with Madam Leng, and guaranteed that nothing like this would happen again in the future. However, Madam Leng was still not satisfied, and wanted her to break off all rtions with Zhong Shang.


    What did big brother Zhong Shang do wrong?


    She thought about it for a long time but still couldn¡¯t understand. Zhong Shang hade to the house before as well and her mother had never shown such rejection. In the past, Madam Leng treated him as an ordinary junior. Why did mother changed so much? What she did not know was that, Madam Leng used to treat him as an unrted young man, and it had nothing to do with her family, so she had a heart of tolerance. But now, he actually wanted to harm her own daughter? That would be different! Looking at a junior and looking at a son-inw were twopletely different things.


    Xie Xun had not thought it through clearly, and with Xie Zhen asking her this question, she was naturally suspicious, ¡°sis doesn¡¯t like Big Brother Zhong Shang either?¡±


    Xie Zhen had a bad feeling for Zhong Shang, because she knew that guy did not behave probably. She had kept her distance from him. She never thought that he would actually be entangled with her own sister. A girl as innocent as Ah Xun wasn¡¯t even on the same side as him!


    Xie Zhen thought about it, and felt that she still couldn¡¯t let Zhong Shang spoil Xie Xun too much. She only had this little sister of her, so of course she would want her to live a better life than others. ¡°I did not like him. I heard Gao Xun talk about him in the past ¡­. ¡± When she mentioned the word ¡°Gao Xun¡±, she went slightly stiff, as the image of Gao Xun¡¯s warm and bright smile appeared in her mind. She unconsciously tightened her grip on the beauty on the bed, and only when Xie Xun called for her, did she recover from her trance. ¡°He is the little overlord of the capital, and everymoner has to hide and leave when they see him. He is an object that no one dares to offend. ¡±


    Gao Xun would never take the initiative to tell her all of these, it was because she was worried about her sister and hence she forced him to tell her about it.


    After listening to her talk about those examples, Xie Xun found it hard to imagine how Zhong Shang used to fight with other people, ¡°I think he¡¯s doing pretty good now ¡­¡±


    That was because General Zhong was in charge of him and threw him into the military camp to gain experience! It was hard to change one¡¯s nature. Who knew if he would change back in the future?


    In order to brainwash Xie Xun, Xie Zhen told her all of Zhong Shang¡¯s dark history. What if he got into a fight with someone today, fought with someone as a dog with someone else tomorrow, and went to the casino to gamble money in a few days ¡­ Hearing Xie Xun¡¯s words, she sighed, she had never known about any of these!


    Finally, Xie Zhen came to a conclusion and concluded it with a sentence: ¡°In short, you don¡¯t need to contact him anymore.¡±


    Xie Xun frowned her bun face in distress, ¡°Actually ¡­¡±


    In truth, she didn¡¯t think that Xie Zhen¡¯s words were serious, because it was all in the past now and Zhong Shang had changed a lotpared to before. Even though he looked like a scoundrel when he smiled, there was still a big difference in his bones. She had also never seen him interact with any of his bad friends before. The people he made friends with were all noble children of the capital, and their words were not as bad as Xie Zhen and Madam Leng had said them to be.


    Xie Xun did not know how she understood it so much, she could not help but want to defend Zhong Shang, but seeing Xie Zhen¡¯s indignant face, the words flew around her mouth before she swallowed it back.


    Xie Zhen asked: ¡°Actually what?¡±


    Her pursed her lips, changed her tone: ¡°I won¡¯t contact Big Brother Zhong Shang, but Big Brother Zhong Shang wille look for me ¡­¡±


    That¡¯s true.


    I can¡¯t possibly make a trip to the General¡¯s Estate and tell General Zhong that your son shouldn¡¯t look for my sister in the future, right?


    Xie Zhen thought, and thought of a good idea, so she told Xie Xun.


    Xie Xun did not have any room to refute.


    That night, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu stayed at the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Xie Zhen lied in Yan Yu¡¯s arms and told him what had happened today, ¡°¡­ A while ago, my father and mother fell for the young master of the Grand Secretariat Gu¡¯s family, Gu Yi. I feel that Gu Yi is much better than Zhong Shang, he is much more mature and steady, and will love Ah Xun a little more after marriage. ¡±


    But who would have thought that Yan Yu would fall silent after listening to this and then speak up for him, ¡°I had a few times interacted with Zhong Chongyuan at Lanling and he seemed to be frivolous, but he actually had a lot of ideas in his heart.¡±


    Yan Yu rarely praised others, because he was aloof and proud, and it was already good enough that he did not look down on others. This was her first time to hear him praise another person.


    Xie Zhen was puzzled. ¡°When did your rtionship with him be so good?¡±


    Yan Yu paused for a moment, then said after a long while: ¡°When I was dealing with the matters about Gao Xun, we talked to each other.¡±


    The room fell silent.


    Gao Xun was a topic that neither of them were willing to talk about. This person was like a thorn piercing into their hearts. Previously, the two of them didn¡¯t say anything, but purposefully avoided feeling sad. Now that they mentioned it without any warning, they realized that this matter was not over yet. Escaping was never an option, and what they should face had to be faced.


    Xie Zhen was quiet for a moment, then leaned against his chest and said with a low voice: ¡°After I finish giving birth, let¡¯s go back to Qing Zhou to take a look at Big Brother Gao Xun.¡±


    This time Yan Yu did not resist, he patted her head and nodded: ¡°Alright.¡±


    After a while, she recovered from her mncholy and continued to discuss Zhong Shang¡¯s topic with him.


    ¡°Even if he¡¯s as good as you say, forget about the past, then he came to the Jiaomen to find Xie Xun too hastily. Fortunately, he was found out by Mother, if someone saw him ¡­¡± She stuttered, her tone softer than before, ¡°He didn¡¯t think it through, but who knows if he was sincere towards Ah Xun. If he wanted to y with Ah Xun¡¯s feelings, I would definitely not allow it! This was the perfect opportunity to test him, to make him suffer, and to see his sincerity. If you pass through me, then I will be at ease and hand Ah Xun over to him. ¡±


    It was said that the elder sister was like a mother, this saying was not wrong at all. Xie Zhen couldn¡¯t even finish worrying about her own matters, and she even wanted to share her concern for Xie Xun?


    Yan Yu pinched her earlobes,ughed and asked: ¡°I¡¯ve walked so far today, are you tired?¡±


    She was very honest and immediately said she was tired, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu, help me massage my legs.¡±


    As a pregnant woman, her body would easily be swollen. She listened to the doctor¡¯s advice, and every day, in addition to walking, she would get servant maids to pinch her legs to prevent bloating. Sometimes, with Yan Yu¡¯s help, over the past few months, he had be more proficient at it.


    At her request, he did not hesitate and let her sit up. He lifted her leg and ced it on his thigh. He then squeezed it a few times, ¡°Is that alright?¡±


    She nodded and giggled. ¡°It¡¯s a little itchy ¡­¡±


    Yan Yuughed and deliberately scratched the bottom of her foot, ¡°What about this?¡±


    Sheughed, her almond-shaped eyes were bent, and she wanted to pull her foot out, but he held her tightly, and she couldn¡¯t move at all, ¡°Not there! Big Brother Xiao Yu is such a bad guy! ¡±


    In the end, she was still worried about others and did not cause too much trouble. Yan Yu quickly let her go. He raised his head to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and said hoarsely, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Xie Zhen covered her head with the mattress, grunted, and fell asleep not long after.


    They had stayed in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for the third day and Zhong Shang had indeede again.


    This time, he did not walk through the entrance, but brought a meeting gift out in the open.


    Of course Xie Zhen wanted to meet him. Not only did she want to see him, she even prepared a long string of words to say to him. Madam Leng was originally going toe as well, but was held down by Xie Zhen and told not to show her face for the time being.


    After arriving at central room, Zhong Shang stood straight in his green lotus attire, with two jade pendants and a Talisman hanging around his waist. Xie Zhen could not help but look at the Talisman two more times, and only felt that it looked familiar, no matter how he looked at it, he quickly remembered, wasn¡¯t this what Xie Xun was wearing?


    When did he get it?


    Although she was puzzled in her heart, he pretended to be calm on the surface. Xie Zhen sat on the palisander¡¯s Eight Immortal Chair and said to Zhong Shang: ¡°Young Master Zhong, please sit as well.¡±


    Yan Yu followed and sat beside her.


    Zhong Shang did not stand on ceremony. He lifted his robes and sat opposite to him. His handsome face had a polite smile, this time he did not smile sloppily, but more seriously. He went straight to the point: ¡°Is Little Sister Ah Xun doing well?¡±


    Xie Zhen took a sip of Jade Spiral Spring that the servant maids brought over, and slowly said: ¡°Not so good.¡±


    Zhong Shang immediately frowned, and stood up: ¡°I want to see her.¡±


    Thest time he was discovered by Madam Leng, he wanted to stay and exin himself, but since Xie Xun was brought away by the nannie and he was rejected, he could only return home temporarily. However, he was still worried when he returned home. He was worried that Xie Xun would be wronged, hence he came over again every few days.


    Xie Zhen raised her head, andughed: ¡°What status does Young Master Zhong have to be able to see Ah Xun? Ah Xun is a youngdy who has yet to leave the pavilion, she is not rted to you in any way, so it is one thing for you to see her secretly at Jiaomen, now do you want to meet her in public in my house? ¡±


    There was a thorn in her words, Zhong Shang finally understood what she meant.


    This was to let himself know the difficulty of the matter and retreat.


    He rxed and sat back down on his seat, staring at Xie Zhen, ¡°I just want to meet her in broad daylight. Does An Wang Fei agree?¡±


    Xie Zhen shook her head, there was no room for negotiation, ¡°No.¡± Drinking a mouthful of tea, she continued, ¡°Not only that, I hope that you won¡¯te looking for her in the future, lest you ruin my sister¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Zhong Shang frowned.


    She pretended not to see, and said word by word: ¡°My mother have already arranged a marriage for Ah Xun. If you are truly doing well for Ah Xun, then don¡¯t look for her again in the future.¡±


    Zhong Shang suddenly stood up from his chair, almost knocking over the square table¡¯s teacup. His expression was one of shock. Gritting his teeth, he asked, ¡°Who will she marry?¡±


    Xie Zhen lowered her head and took a sip of tea: ¡°Gu family¡¯s young master, Gu Yi.¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. It¡¯s him again!


    Zhong Shang had a feeling that his wife was being stolen away, so he calmed himself down with difficulty. He wanted to know how the situation was progressing and whether or not he could save her: ¡°Has the Gu familye to propose marriage? Is the engagement fixed? ¡±


    Xie Zhen said calmly: ¡°I have already been very satisfied with these eight words, father and mother are both very satisfied. Ah Xun and Eldest Young Master Gu are the same, after marriage, they should meet up to full. ¡±


    In truth, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing only had this intention and had not revealed it to the Gu family, nor was it correct. The reason why she said that, was just to provoke Zhong Shang, she wanted to see how he would react.


    Zhong Shang stood frozen for a long time. Without saying a word, Xie Zhen curiously raised his head and saw that his expression was not good. The corner of his mouth that was usually raised curled up slightly, showing his displeasure.


    He clenched his fists and said in a deep voice, ¡°What if the General¡¯s Estatees first to propose?¡±


    He was finally forced to say this.


    He probably didn¡¯t understand how important he viewed Xie Xun.


    Xie Zhen smiled, ¡°That will depend on whether father and mother agree to marry Ah Xun to you. You must know, my father likes Young Master Gu to be so knowledgeable, so courteous, and so young, and not a reckless man like Young Master Zhong.¡±


    After she finished speaking, Zhong Shang¡¯s face turned even uglier.


    In other words, if he wanted to marry her, he had to curry favor with her parents?

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118</h4>


    Zhong Shang had never purposely fawned over anyone before. It was always that others were ttering and fawning on him.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, if his father-inw and mother-inw were to have a whole new level of respect for him, and if they were willing to let him marry Xie Xun, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he needed to please them once.


    For Xie Xun, he could give it a try.


    As Zhong Shang sat there and did not speak, Xie Zhen thought that he had withdrawn. She could not help but feel disappointed in her heart, and thought that he was nothing more than mediocre with Ah Xun ¡­ Not long after this thought arose, she saw Zhong Shang holding onto the armrest and standing up again, her peach blossom eyes nced over indifferently, but her tone of voice was very serious, ¡°If I, this boorish man, can get your father to approve, can you marry Ah Xun to me?¡±


    At this time, she didn¡¯t call Ah Xun little sister sour anymore, it could be seen that she was still a little serious.


    Xie Zhen had never understood why he would foolishly pester Ah Xun. Logically speaking, a person like him should have liked women as beautiful as the wind, the snow, the moon, and the enchanting beauty, but why did he have to fall for Ah Xun, who was as innocent as a white rabbit?


    Xie Zhen pulled himself back to reality and said ambiguously: ¡°That will depend on how young master Zhong ns to make father and mother acknowledge him.¡±


    Zhong Shang was not discouraged, and after making an agreement with her, he nned to immediately take action when he returned to the residence.


    Before he left, he was stopped by Xie Zhen, who purposely added: ¡°Young Master Zhong, you better hurry up. Father and Mother are already preparing for Ah Xun¡¯s wedding. ¡°If the people of the Gu family were to ask for marriage before you, then Father and Mother would agree to it. It won¡¯t be a big deal for you then.¡±


    Zhong Shang froze and his pupils darkened. He quickly decided on a n and without replying to Xie Zhen, he walked out of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    When Xie Zhen asked the servant to send him off, he waved his hand and said that there was no need, he had already walked far away.


    After watching Zhong Shang leave, Xie Zhen then held his face and squinted his almond eyes, as he saidcently: ¡°Wanting to marry my Ah Xun, is not that easy.¡±


    Yan Yu sat by her side, and from start to finish, he did not say a single word. Seeing her make things difficult for Zhong Shang, he actually had the misconception that they were both ¡°husband and wife¡±. As expected, he was near the end of his tether, and near the end of his tether. He had been led astray by this little bastard.


    Yan Yu took a sip of Jade Spirit Spring and looked at her with a wry smile: ¡°How can you be sure that he wille again, what if he gives up just like that?¡±


    Xie Zhen spread out his hands with an expression of ¡°Then that would be the best¡±, and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯te, I saw that Ah Xun is ratherpatible with Young Master Gu, and that my father and mother agreed to it.¡±


    Yan Yu was speechless.


    Returning to the Jade Yard, Xie Zhen did notpletely tell the Madam Leng about his conversation with Zhong Shang. He only told him that he had sent him a few apologies, including a brush wash of the zed Eagle Lotus Flower and a string of bright Southern Woody Buddha Beads. The Madam Leng was not interested in any of this. He directly asked Xie Zhen if he still had anything else he wanted to say.


    Xie Zhen spoke the truth, ¡°He said that he did not consider Ah Xun in privatest time, and this time he specifically came to apologize to Ah Xun. I hope that Mother does not me Ah Xun, it is all his fault.¡± With that, he saw that the Madam Leng was in a bad mood, so he added: ¡°But I did not make him stay for long, I only spoke a few words with him before sending him off.¡±


    Madam Leng sat on the Arhat Bed, frowning with a serious face, ¡°Even if hees to apologize, I can¡¯t let Ah Xun get back and forth from him ¡­¡±


    Xie Zhen secretly grinned, leaning on the Arhat Bed¡¯s embroidered pillow, stroking his stomach, heughed: ¡°I see, he wants to marry Ah Xun back home ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Madam Leng shouted, ¡°No!¡±


    Xie Zhen raised his eyes, tilted his head and blinked his eyes.


    Madam Leng was just now too excited, he was barely able to calm his mind and calmly said: ¡°I will not agree.¡±


    Xie Zhen asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Although she did not really like Zhong Shang, but she was definitely not as repulsed as the Madam Leng. If Zhong Shang could be reborn, after marriage, she would love Ah Xun dearly and advance in her heart and heart, so she wouldn¡¯t oppose it.


    In addition, Zhong Shang¡¯s performance in central room was not bad today, and she helped him salvage quite a few points, so Xie Zhen was quite satisfied.


    Madam Leng took her hand, and after hesitating for a long time, he could not help but say in a mncholy manner: ¡°You don¡¯t know ¡­ ¡­ I came with General Zhong¡¯s wife a while ago, and General¡¯s wife has been busy searching for a wife for Zhong Shang. From her tone, it seems that she has a preference for a girl with an intelligent mind and a pure heart. Looking at Ah Xun, other than knowing how to eat, what else would he know? I¡¯m worried that won¡¯t be liked by Grandma if he marries her ¡­ ¡±


    Of course the Madam Leng felt that being able to eat was a blessing, her own daughter felt that it was fine no matter how she looked at it, but she was afraid that others would feel wronged.


    Xie Zhen did not expect it to be because of this reason, and could not help but burst outughing,ughing so hard that his eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Then when Ah Xun marries into the Gu family, will this mother not be worried?¡±


    At this point, the Madam Leng heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°Madam Gu has seen Ah Xun a few times, and her words contained a sense of affection for him. I believe there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Xie Zhen was immediately overjoyed, lying on his pillow,ughing so hard he couldn¡¯t stop.


    If Zhong Shang knew the reason, he would definitely puke! His wife hadn¡¯t been married yet, but her mother had already stirred up her.


    But looking at Zhong Shang¡¯s overbearing personality, if he really doted on Ah Xun, even if General¡¯s wife did not like him, as long as he doted on him, no one in the general¡¯s household would dare to make things difficult for Ah Xun.


    After Zhong Shang returned, he sent two people to the Grand Secretariat Gu Pce to keep an eye on the Gu family¡¯s movements. If there was any movement, they had to report back to him. If Gu Yi wanted tomunicate with the Xie n, he had to tell him as soon as possible!


    Only after settling everything down did he return home.


    In the evening two brothers from the barracks asked him to go out for a drink. He refused and, for the first time, sat in his study for four hours.


    But it had frightened General Zhong!


    General Zhong thought that his son was suddenly enlightened and was about to start reading the Book of Virtue. He immediately ordered that no one was to disturb him, leaving him alone and in peace. Actually, Zhong Shang was not reading a book at all, he was only thinking of a way to please his father-inw and his mother-inw.


    He had lived for more than twenty years and had never put in so much effort for anyone.


    Zhong Shang crossed his arms, his two long legs resting on the table as hezily maintained this posture for a long time. He stared out the window at the tree. The flowers flew into the room through the window, somending on the table, some floating in front of him. He blew lightly with his breath, and the Tong Hua scattered to the sides. One of the piecesnded on the back of his hand, tickling. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Xie Xun.


    When he held her, he always felt an itch in his heart. No matter how hard he tried to scratch her, he just wanted to hold her tighter.


    What was that gluttonous girl doing?


    Did she know that he was so worried about her?


    That little heartless guy probably wants to eat it.


    When they were married, he would buy her whatever she wanted to eat. He would make her round, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to hold her in his arms.


    Hmm¡­ Thinking about it this way, it didn¡¯t matter much now. She was his after the wedding anyway, he could love her however he loved her behind closed doors, and he also wanted her to eat something she had never eaten before.


    Zhong Shang stayed in the study room untilte into the night. servant, under the orders of the general, did not dare to disturb him. servant followed him and asked where he was going. He immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    So he took a horse from the stable and rode alone in the direction of the West Market.


    He didn¡¯te back until nightfall.


    It had been like this for the past two days. He had left before dawn and returned after dark. When he returned, he locked himself in his study and didn¡¯t see anyone. General Zhong asked what was wrong, the servant shook their heads, no one knew.


    On the afternoon of the third day, Zhong Shang had someone bring over the South Sea Guanyin Elephant over from Yunnan. I heard that this famous host had personally shown it to you, and it was extremely effective, so you had to put in a lot of effort to get it done. There was also the newly picked Huomei Peak Tea Leaf this spring. It tasted sweet and mellow, and the aroma of tea was very pleasing to the eyes of the emperor¡¯s masters. Besides this, there was also the Lotus Jade Dressing Jade, the Golden Rat Goose-Eating Flower Hair, and the Twisted Red Lotus Bracelet¡­ He had clearly asked everyone¡¯s preferences these few days, giving it to them as a gift. That Eyebrow Peak was prepared for the Duke Dingguo, and the red stationery tray was prepared for Xie Liqing. He believed that the two of them would definitely like it.


    Zhong Shang instructed the servant to deliver it to everyone tomorrow. servant immediately agreed. He remembered clearly who he should give it to.


    The next day, when servant returned, he asked: ¡°How was it?¡±


    The servant said, ¡°I did as Young Master said. I only said that it was a gift from the General¡¯s Estate and did not mention your name. Other than the Second Madam who did not receive the gold coins, the other rooms were all very grateful and delighted. They even said that they would be visiting the general¡¯s estate another day to express their gratitude. ¡±


    The Second Madam was the Madam Leng.


    Madam Leng more or less guessed what he was thinking, which was why he did not stop.


    Zhong Shang leaned on the water chestnut door. It seemed that the road to please his mother-inw was still very long.


    Next, all he needed to do was for Madam Leng to nod his head.


    He looked at the Tong tree in the courtyard and thought for a moment. He suddenly wanted to see Xie Xun, wanted to see her, even if he didn¡¯t say anything.


    He was truly possessed.


    It was a pity that the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was on his guard, like a thief. Even if he wanted to, he would not be able to see it.


    I wonder what the little girl is thinking, is she willing to marry him? Or do you want to marry Gu Yi?


    If he wanted to marry Gu Yi, he didn¡¯t have a chance. After eating his snacks, he would be his man. He would only be able to follow him for the rest of his life, and no one could take it away from him.


    He smirked and went back to his room with his turn around his body, preparing his next step.


    After staying in Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion for the past ten days, Xie Zhen and Yan Yu prepared to go home.


    When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the An Wang¡¯s Mansion, Yan Yu was immediately called away.


    They were people from the crown prince¡¯s household. They said that Yan Tao had urgent matters to attend to and wanted him to make a trip to the crown prince¡¯s mansion right now. After Yan Yu heard this, he leisurely sent Xie Zhen back to Zhanyue Court before he followed that person out.


    Before leaving, he said, ¡°I will be back before dinner. Go inside to sleep for a while, leave one or two servant maids in front of you, if there¡¯s anything you need, get someone to call for me.¡±


    More and more nagging.


    Xie Zhen nodded his head, afraid that he would dy the Crown Prince, and so he urged him to leave: ¡°Alright, you go quickly, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yan Yu looked at her stomach worriedly, telling Shuang Yan to take good care of her before he left.


    Her stomach was now so big that it was shocking to look at, hanging from her slender body. No wonder Yan Yu was worried, he always wanted to follow her closely.


    After Yan Yu left, Xie Zhen went to the inner room to lie down for a while, and unknowingly, he fell asleep. She felt that something was wrong, and raised her voice to call Shuang Yu toe in, ¡°My stomach is hurting ¡­¡±


    Shuang Yu panicked when he heard it. He estimated that the child just happened to be born in the next few days, could it be that he was about to be born?


    Shuang Yu calmed down quickly and said immediately: ¡°I will go and get the midwife. The miss will wait here for a while, Shuang Yan will watch carefully, I will be back soon!¡±


    Shuang Yan nodded his head.


    Not long after, Shuang Yu invited the midwife. At first, Xie Zhen only felt a slight pain, but the pain became more and more intense. By the time the midwife arrived, she was already covered in sweat. She grabbed the midwife and asked, ¡°Am I going to have a baby?¡±


    The midwife didn¡¯t dare dy any longer. She walked over to the bed and touched her stomach, breaking open her legs and looking at her. She said gravely, ¡°The wangfei is about to be born.¡±


    Xie Zhen wiped away the sweat on his forehead and said weakly: ¡°Go, go to the crown prince¡¯s mansion and call Yan Yu back ¡­¡±


    How could he not listen when she gave him a baby and it was so painful?

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119</h4>


    Hearing this, the midwife was stunned.


    It was regarded as an extremely unlucky thing when a woman was giving birth to a baby. Even the men of ordinary officials would have to avoid it, let alone the rtives of the emperor. Wasn¡¯t it inappropriate for the princess to ask the prince toe back now?


    The midwife¡¯s face showed hesitation, but just as she was about to persuade her, ¡°Princess, don¡¯t be worried ¡­¡±


    Before she finished speaking, Shuang Yu turned and walked out, ¡°I will send someone to the crown prince¡¯s mansion!¡±


    Before the midwife could stop him, she was gone.


    Shuang Yu had her own ns in mind, so she definitely did not act on impulse. Looking at how much importance Yan Yu had ced on Xie Zhen in the past few days, he would definitely be watching over at the side if Xie Zhen was giving birth to a baby. On the contrary, if they didn¡¯t tell him just because it was unlucky, he would probably be angry.


    That was why she immediately informed a servant to head to the crown prince¡¯s mansion and told An Wang that the princess was about to give birth to a baby.


    The servant dragged a horse and rushed to the crown prince¡¯s mansion.


    At that time, Yan Yu was still in Yan Tao¡¯s study, the two of them took up their respective rooms, separated by a jade bead curtain, and in front of them was a teacup with the Water Immortal pattern on it. Unfortunately, ever since Yan Yu sat on this armchair, he had not even tasted the tea.


    He slightly lowered his head, his bony fingers holding onto the palisander¡¯s cloud patterned armrest, and his thumb slowly moved along the pattern on the armrest, not saying a word, as if he was thinking about something.


    He did not speak, and Yan Tao stayed silent in the study room.


    The two of them remained silent for a long time. Finally, Yan Tao slowly flipped open a book with a slight smile on his lips as he looked towards Yan Yu: ¡°Sixth brother, have you considered it carefully?¡±


    As he said that, he put down the book, crossed his hands, and leaned on the table, looking like he was quietly waiting for a good song.


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyshes slightly trembled, but she did not raise her head, and was unwilling to look at him the entire time. Her voice was cold and aloof, as if she did not hold any emotion in it: ¡°It has been a long time since Second Brother had such a thought, right?¡±


    The words was like a stone into a calmke, causing ripples.


    Yan Tao smiled nomittally, feeling that this little brother was intelligent and did not hide anything. ¡°Indeed, this idea has been in my mind for a long time, but I have never said it out loud.¡±


    Yan Tao was afraid of him, and he started to be afraid of him even before he became the emperor.


    When he thought about it carefully, he realized that it was not that extraordinary. Yan Yu had performed too well in the Lanling Country, and she had defeated the Western Yi army time and time again. Yan Tao had not even ascended the throne, but there were already rumors saying that he was more suitable for the throne.


    Therefore, the Crown Prince invited him to his house and discussed the conditions with him.


    This condition was very tempting. When Yan Tao promised to be able to ascend to the throne in the future, he gave Yan Yu a few rich and prosperous towns in the southeast, and gave him the title of Prince. He could personally govern a few towns, and the officials in the cities could disobey the emperor¡¯s orders and directly take Yan Yu¡¯s orders. In other words, among these towns, his position was equivalent to the emperor.


    Yan Yu¡¯s lips curled up into a mocking smile, because he was facing the Crown Prince, Yan Tao did not notice.


    His status was the same as the Emperor¡¯s ¡­ Yan Yu tapped the armrest, he could not tell that second brother had spent so much effort to deal with him.


    If he were to go to the feudal fiefdom, he would naturally have the military power to bring him to it. At that time, if he wasn¡¯t in the capital, wouldn¡¯t they be able to say whatever they want? With two hundred thousand soldiers in his hands, he would be able to hold onto his own weight. Any random rebellion would have been enough to turn him into a sinner from ancient times, ending up just like the First Prince.


    Yan Yu muttered to himself for a moment, and asked unexpectedly: ¡°Are you afraid of me, Second Brother?¡±


    Yan Tao was slightly startled, and even his usual gentle smile stiffened at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Second Brother, are you worried that I¡¯ll steal your seat?¡± He asked again, calmly, calmly, as if he were talking not about a matter of national importance, but about ordinary weather. He waited for a moment, but did not hear a response from Yan Tao. He raised his head and looked into the room, his almond-shaped eyes were cold, as though he was smiling, ¡°Second brother, do not worry, everyone has their own aspirations, my ambitions are different from second brother¡¯s. Since I have helped you to such an extent, I will not change my mind midway and fight over your position. When the father abdicates, you take control and I will be my idle prince. If there is an invasion from another race at the border, I will go forth and kill the enemy. If the world is at peace, I will stay at home and take care of my wife and children.


    Their conversation was not suitable for others to hear, so the two of them had long left the servant outside the study room, leaving behind only the two of them.


    Speaking of which, it was already very obvious. If Yan Tao was still worried, then it would not make sense.


    He could only temporarily suppress his worry and stand up, saying, ¡°With Sixth Brother¡¯s words, I will be relieved.¡±


    After all, the Emperor Yuan Hui had not abdicated his position, he was still the crown prince. If today¡¯s conversation were to spread, it would be disadvantageous for both of them. However, he was in a rush, Yan Yu¡¯s contribution was like a thorn in his heart, as long as it was not pulled out, he would not be able to sleep at ease.


    Yan Yu did not answer and stood up with him.


    After leaving for half a day, it was time to go home.


    Before he could say his goodbyes, a shadow shed outside the window, then a servant dressed in green came to the door of the study, looking a little anxious, ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Yan Tao opened the bead curtain and walked out of the room, calling him to stand up: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The servant stood up and replied Yan Yu: ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, someone from the An Wang¡¯s Mansion has arrived. I heard that the princess is about to give birth! ¡±


    Yan Yu trembled, and stared at him fiercely. ¡°Who said that?¡±


    The servant then answered honestly, ¡°I am following the orders of a servant maids called Shuang Yu ¡­¡±


    His expression turned cold, and he no longer asked any more questions. He started walking towards the door.


    Wind blew under his feet as he moved extremely quickly.


    When they arrived at the front yard, they saw the An Wang¡¯s Mansion people waiting there, and they spoke about the same thing. Yan Yu did not expect him to be here for so long, and that Xie Zhen would birth him soon, so he did not dare dy, and did not even bother to inform Yan Tao before leaving the crown prince¡¯s mansion and riding on his horse, galloping back to An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    Yan Tao followed him out of the residence, and looked at his back. After a while, she instructed: ¡°Go, prepare a horse for me too.¡±


    The attendant was slightly taken aback. ¡°Where is the hall¡¯s exit?¡±


    Yan Tao stood with his hands behind his back, and smiled slightly, ¡°The the sisth sister-inw is about to give birth, if I do not go, I would not be able to see.¡±


    However¡­ Not so good? It¡¯s not like he was his wife.


    Although the servant was puzzled, he did not give Yan Tao any face.


    Yan Tao took the reins and got on it. With a ¡°Jia¡± sound, he left.


    An Wang¡¯s Mansion.


    A rider and a rider rushed to the door and stopped steadily before the two lions. Before the gatekeeper servant could clearly see who it was, he saw the other party throw down the horsewhip and enter the manor like a gust of wind.


    Looking at that horse, isn¡¯t it the Prince¡¯s mount, the Azure Sea Steed?


    Yan Yu walked straight towards the Zhanyue Court, and just as he arrived at the courtyard entrance, he heard heart wrenching screamsing from inside.


    His heart tightened as he quickened his pace to enter the cave.


    servant maids went in and out of the main room, boiling pots after pots of hot water. As he could not let Yan Yu see some of it, he drank from the servant maids, and asked her what was in her hands. servant maids lifted the towel s that were lying on the ground and saw that the water in the basin had been dyed red with blood.


    Yan Yu staggered, he was finally able to stabilize himself, and he rushed towards the inner room.


    The servant maids did not dare to stop him, and they all retreated to the side.


    The doors and windows of the inner room were tightly closed. It was the end of spring, and there was a dry and hot feeling on his face.


    Xie Zhen¡¯s voice came from the inside, she had already cried out without much strength, from her crying at the start to her crying now, it was as though a cat was scratching at the tip of his heart, ¡°I¡¯m in pain ¡­ It hurts ¡­¡± She raised her hands to grab the midwife beside the bed. Her palm-sized face was drenched in sweat, and her bright eyes were filled with hope. ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu still hasn¡¯te back yet? ¡°I¡¯m about to die here¡­¡±


    There were two midwives in the room, one wrestling with her legs at the end of the bed and the other cheering her on at the head of the bed.


    The one at the head of the bed, while listening to her nonsense, wiped the sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t think about this anymore. His highness¡¯s status is honorable, he cannote in to see me. ¡±


    Xie Zhen was obviously in a daze from the pain. She only felt that she didn¡¯t have any strength left, and could faint at any moment. ¡°Why. I won¡¯t be able to give birth anymore ¡­¡±


    When the midwife heard this, she immediately panicked. If this baby lost its strength, that would be incredible! She quickly encouraged Xie Zhen by reminding him to think about the little prince in his stomach, ¡°The baby haven¡¯t seen his parents yet ¡­ Princess, please work harder and let hime out ¡­¡±


    What a crap! Xie Zhen thought in her heart, she had already gritted her teeth many times.


    Just as she was in a daze, the midwife cried out ¡°Your Highness¡±. She raised her head and saw that Yan Yu was standing beside the bed.


    The midwife quickly said, ¡°Why did youe in ¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she was about to chase him out.


    Yan Yu did not budge, he just sat on top of the te and held Xie Zhen¡¯s cold hand, ¡°Little Lamb, I¡¯m back.¡±


    The girl on the bed was pale and drenched with sweat. When had he ever seen her in such pain? He felt as if his heart was twisted into a ball, and it was extremely painful for him.


    Xie Zhen was a little wronged as tears the size of beans flowed out from the corner of her eyes and fell onto the pillow. Sheined weakly, ¡°What took you so long? I¡¯m going to die from the pain. ¡±


    Yan Yu could not help but clench her hand, and say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± endlessly.


    Seeing that it was no longer possible to drag it out like this, the midwife did not chase Yan Yu out, but instead allowed him to stand to the side to prevent it from getting in her way. The two midwives took turns to cheer Xie Zhen on, letting her work harder, even more so.


    ¡°Soon, Princess, you will seed soon!¡±


    Xie Zhen felt that she was about to be torn apart, she had never felt such pain before. She wanted to never give birth to a child ever again ¡­ Yan Yu even said that he wanted to give birth to a nest, in his dreams! He should be born himself!


    Because Xie Zhen¡¯s pelvis was small, and it was also her first birth, so it was born with great difficulty. Xie Zhen cried on the bed, biting so hard that she was bleeding on her lips. When Yan Yu heard this, he felt like his heart was about to break, he couldn¡¯t do anything else, he couldn¡¯t help her share of the pain, and could only watch from the sidelines anxiously. In the end, he brought his own palm to her mouth for her to bite on, and used his other hand to stroke her forehead, ¡°Ah Zhen, Ah Zhen ¡­ No more, we will never be born again ¡­. ¡°Just this one ¡­¡±


    He was truly afraid. He could only watch helplessly as the bedding beneath his bed waspletely stained with her blood. With such a small body, how could he have lost so much blood?


    Xie Zhen opened his mouth and bit on Yue Yang¡¯s hand without hesitation.


    Perhaps it was the effect of his words, or perhaps it was time, but at the end of the day, a clear cry came from inside the room. Xie Zhen felt her body lighten, and just as she was about to pant, she heard her midwife say: ¡°One more, one more!¡±


    What other one?


    Her lower abdomen hurt again. Only now did her did a quick double take increase, there was still another in her lower abdomen!


    This time, Xie Zhen was really crying.


    Two hourster, when the second child fell out, she was exhausted and didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak.


    At dawn, she fell into a deep sleep before she even had time to look at the child.


    Yan Yu got someone to change into a clean bed and nket, and personally wring the handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her face. Her eyes were focused, as if she was the only one in sight.


    The midwife walked over while carrying the baby, and said with a smile, ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness. You are the twins of mixed sex, the first one to be born is the Crown Prince. Take a look ¡­ ¡°How exquisite ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu said as he turned his head, ¡°Carry him away.¡±


    The midwife was stunned. She thought she had heard wrongly.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120</h4>


    The midwife could only bring the other child over, ¡°Then the little infanta¡­¡±


    The two children were crying hard. The boy¡¯s voice was loud and healthy. The girl¡¯s voice was a bit softer, but her crying was not as loud as her brother. The only thing that could be seen under the swaddling was her red face, and her tears dripped down in a pitiful and sorrowful manner.


    Yan Yu finally couldn¡¯t stand the crying of the two children anymore and asked the midwife to bring the children over.


    The midwife handed the girl to him. He took the girl, seeing the small one with her eyes closed, crying so loudly that she looked extremely vulnerable. Was it this little thing that had tortured Xie Zhen for so long? You were truly disobedient. Why don¡¯t you just obedientlye out? He thought, reaching out to touch her cheek. It was too soft, and he was a little afraid of breaking her.


    He raised his head and looked at the other child in the midwife¡¯s arms. The boy was born stronger than the girl, which was probably because he had stolen some of his sister¡¯s nutrition in Xie Zhen¡¯s womb ¡­


    Like a monkey.


    Yan Yu looked at the two of them in disdain. Their facial features were all small, and their eyes were tightly shut. Only a few sparse hairs could be seen on their head, but there was no hint of a beautiful shadow at all.


    Their mother was so beautiful, why couldn¡¯t they inherit something from her?


    Yan Yu was afraid that the two children would wake up Xie Zhen. He got the wet nurse to carry the two children down and ordered someone to give the midwife a heavy medical fee and a gift. The quietness in the house returned, Xie Zhen was afraid that she was really tired, she had always been at the light sleep, but the loud crying sound did not wake her up.


    Yan Yu thought back to the pain she experienced when she was giving birth and still felt a lingering fear ¡­ He was even afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on. After all, there were many such examples. Fortunately, she was stronger than he had expected. She held on to herst breath and gave birth to both of her children.


    He reached into the quilt and slowly took her hand at his side and squeezed it lovingly and tenderly.


    ¡°Ah Zhen¡­¡±


    She was amazing, having two little things all at once. He had previously said that he wanted four or five children, but now he was hesitating because he couldn¡¯t bear for her to suffer like this again. He couldn¡¯t even bear listening to her from the side, so how much pain would she suffer?


    The morning sun was rising outside the window, and it had actually been a whole night.


    He had not closed his eyes that night, but stood beside him, not feeling the least bit tired. He got up and used the morning meal s outside. Aftering back to see that Xie Zhen was still awake, he sat on the side of the bed for another hour.


    After feeding the two little fellows some milk, Mrs Xu turned around and went to the kitchen to have someone prepare a pot of pigeon stew for the consort. Because she initially thought it was a child, her wet nurse could only invite one. Thinking that, in the long run, the milk might not be enough to drink from the crown prince and princess, she went in and informed Yan Yu. Yan Yu nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s have another one.¡±


    He then instructed Shuang Yu to go and settle some matters.


    After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, someone came in and passed on, ¡°Your highness, the Crown Prince heard that the Empress gave birth to a pair of twins of mixed sex and specially sent him a congrattory gift. Would you like to meet him?¡±


    Yan Yu was a little tired, as he leaned on the side of the square table beside his bed and chewed on it. After a long while, he said, ¡°Just say that Princess Wangfei¡¯s condition is not good, and this king will apany her here, so it is inconvenient for me to see guests. ¡°Please thank second brother on my behalf. Please ask him to go home early.¡±


    servant agreed and left.


    Yan Yu guarded the head of the bed, unknowingly, he was sleepy, but very quickly he fell asleep.


    When Xie Zhen woke up, it was already around Shen Shi.


    The doors and windows were all closed, so he couldn¡¯t see outside, but through the muslin window he could see a thinyer of red. The sun was probably going down. Shey on her back, feeling the pain of her body breaking apart and weak at the slightest movement. She was about to call someone when she turned her head and saw a person lying on the bed. That person had his head on the side and his thick eyebrows were slightly raised. Under the dim light, his handsome face could barely be seen.


    When Xie Zhen moved his arm, he immediately sensed something. He opened his eyes and sat up, staring straight at her: ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xie Zhen lifted her pale lips, blinked her eyes, and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my littlemb?¡±


    Although she was very tired at the time, she still remembered that she had two children. ording to her midwife, the older one was a boy while the younger one was a girl.


    twins of mixed sex!


    She had wanted to die from the pain and never have another child, but now she felt that it was worth it. She couldn¡¯t wait to see the child before she fully woke up. After all, a piece of meat had fallen from her body. She wanted to see what the two of them looked like, but she didn¡¯t know who they looked like. Like her or like Yan Yu?


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t utter a word as he looked at her. He carefully helped her sit up and ced a pillow behind her, ¡°I¡¯ll let you see themter.¡±


    The first thing she said to the child after he¡¯d been standing there for so long was, in a way, a blow to him.


    Xie Zhen leaned on his pillow, the hand on the side of the bed grabbing onto his clothes, and asked with a pitiful look in her eyes: ¡°Why? I haven¡¯t seen them yet. What do they look like? Does it look good, like me? ¡±


    Yan Yu thought for a while, then patted her head and said: ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I¡¯m a little ugly.¡±


    Xie Zhen¡¯s heart was broken, pursed her lips said, ¡°Then I also want to see it.¡±


    She was born in October! No matter how ugly she was, people still had to take a look. However, no matter how much she begged, Yan Yu just refused to let her see twombs. Xie Zhen was indeed hungry. After tormenting himself for the whole night, he still had not eaten anything. He red at Yue Yang aggrievedly as he finished feeding him a bowl of milk pigeon soup. After finishing the soup, she took the opportunity while Yan Yu was wiping her mouth to ask again: ¡°Where¡¯s my child?¡±


    Yan Yu did not persist this time and let the wet nurse carry the two children over.


    The two children were wrapped separately in a swaddling of satin makeup, and only a tiny head could be seen. Xie Zhen joyfully let the wet nurse put the child in her arms. She hugged her child to one side and looked at him one by one until she finally came to a conclusion, ¡°He was not as ugly as you say he is.¡±


    Just a moment ago, she was already mentally prepared for the sight. To think that the two children would have such exquisite appearances.


    The older one had opened his eyes, his eyshes raised and long. His big, dark eyes were fixed on her, and he was eating with relish, with a thumb in his mouth. Xie Zhen¡¯s heart almost melted as she lowered her head to touch his nose. She only felt that his entire body was weak, and did not dare to use any strength. She looked at the small one and saw that it was still sleeping with its eyes closed. Her eyes were a little swollen, so she smacked it with her small mouth.


    Just these two little fellows alone, she hadn¡¯t been able to watch them for more than a quarter of an hour. She even tried to converse with the older one. Your sister is a littlemb, and you two little fellows have caused me so much suffering! ¡±


    The little carp continued to eat his fingers. Then he grinned at her as if he understood her words.


    Yan Yu could not help but ask, ¡°Why are you called Little Carp?¡±


    Xie Zhen finally had time to nce at him, his almond-shaped eyes bent, as if he was very willing to exin: ¡°Because you were called Li Yu before, Humming Carp, and he¡¯s your son. Of course it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That seemed to make sense.


    Yan Yu did not ask anymore, seeing that she was ying with this one, he was not tired of it. After a while, the little one woke up, opened her mouth and shouted ¡°Ah Ah Ah¡± for milk. When Xie Zhen had been pregnant for seven or eight months, her chest had already swelled up. After giving birth to her child, she had grown a little bigger, and couldn¡¯t help but want to feed him.


    But Yan Yu called for the wet nurse and carried the two children away. She didn¡¯t dare snatch them away, and since she didn¡¯t have any strength left, she could only watch as the two children walked further and further away. She reluctantly asked Yan Yu: ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me feed them?¡±


    Yan Yu replied her as follows: ¡°It¡¯s enough to have a wet nurse. ¡°You¡¯ve just finished giving birth, and your body is weak. Besides ¡­¡± ¡°You ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you ¡­ you.


    Xie Zhen tilted his head and asked: ¡°And what?¡±


    He suddenly stopped talking, avoiding her gaze as he coughed. He said somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°Anyway, having a wet nurse is enough. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    No matter how Xie Zhen asked, he was unwilling to answer.


    Finally, Xie Zhen puffed up his cheeks andid back down on the bed, falling asleep immediately. She still hadn¡¯t recovered, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to sleep for another three days and three nights.


    It didn¡¯t bother her for long, and in a few nights she would know.


    They were lying on the same bed, and he was tired of her. He gently scooped her up in his arms, lowered his head, and buried it in her chest.


    ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu?¡±


    At first, she was confused, but soon she felt a bite on her chest. Then, her face turned red, and her entire body became as hot as a cooked prawn. ¡°You, you get up!¡±


    This shameless¡­ He, he actually fought over the milk with the child!


    He put his hands on his head and tried to push them away, but he hesitated. Because she couldn¡¯t feed her child these few days, her breasts were swollen from the milk, and it would still hurt at night. Now that someone had helped her suck it out, the swelling pain had disappeared. She ¡­ Of course she would be happy. But it can¡¯t be like this!


    Xie Zhen was unable to resist, she was pressed down and eaten fiercely by him for a while. Her face was pure white and her eyes were moist, it was obvious that she was being bullied badly. She whined as sheined, ¡°Bite me ¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t control his strength well enough to suck too hard. No wonder she cried out for pain.


    Yan Yu ate and drank to his heart¡¯s content. He hugged her in his arms and coaxed her for a good long while before he managed to coax her. ¡°Your mother said that you don¡¯t have enough breast milk, so you can¡¯t care about that after feeding me this. For the sake of not letting me off, it¡¯s better if you give me some money.¡±


    He knew that he had been taken advantage of, and yet he said it so boldly and boldly!


    Xie Zhen had never seen such a shameless person, heid on his chest and took a bite at his angrily, ¡°Big brother Xiao Yu has changed, you weren¡¯t like this before!¡±


    Yan Yu actually did not refute him and seriously asked, ¡°How was I in the past?¡±


    Xie Zhen thought about it, and remembered the ufortable feeling he had when he was young,pared to today, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. You used to, you used to. You don¡¯t mean what you say. You just want to keep your face a secret. ¡±


    Yan Yu was not angry, andughed softly, pinching her tender cheeks: ¡°In the past, you were chasing after me to y with me.¡±


    At the time, he thought she was annoying and annoying, and he couldn¡¯t get rid of her. However, she always gave him surprises, causing him to look at her again and again. Afterwards, he would unconsciously look for her, and his gaze would involuntarily fall on her. He obviously wanted to talk to her, but he had to hold onto his airs when she came to look for him.


    When he wanted to y with herter on, he had already returned to the capital.


    To be able to find her after going around in such arge circle, the heavens had truly treated him well.


    Now that the child hade out, he couldn¡¯t just keep calling him by his nickname. He could even call him by his proper name.


    Xie Zhen got Shuang Yu to find a book. He sat himself on the bed and flipped through the entire afternoon, thinking of several names, but he still could not find a suitable one.


    Just as she was having a headache, Yan Yu said casually: ¡°The big one is called strict, and the small one is called Yan Jin, is that not okay?¡±


    Xie Zhen stared at him, stupefied. She thought, if she really named him, would she agree to it when she grows up? She asked, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded, it seemed like he was not joking.


    Xie Zhen wanted to struggle a bit more, but he acted quickly, and on the same day, he made someone report to the Emperor Yuan Hui and asked for his opinion. Having father means having son. With a wave of hisrge brush, Emperor Yuan Hui bestowed the word ¡°Su¡± to his little grandson and daughter, ¡°Jin¡±.


    Xie Zhen wanted to cry.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121</h4>


    Once their names were decided, it would naturally for them be written into the family tree. Yan Yu also bestowed upon his son and daughter the position of royal highness and infanta, so as to avoid having to do it again in the future. Moreover, the eldest son was supposed to be chosen as the royal highness. The longer the time passed, the worse it would be. In the future, since he would have more sons, they might even start a conflict over such a small matter. It would be better to stop their thoughts and wholeheartedly respect their elder brother.


    But he didn¡¯t know if he and Xie Zhen would have any more children in the future ¡­


    He couldn¡¯t bear to let her suffer that kind of pain, so he decided not to think about it for the time being and let nature take its course. Even if they didn¡¯t, these two were still pretty good.


    After thinking about it, he returned back to the An Wang¡¯s Mansion from the pce and told Xie Zhen about the name, ¡°Your son is called Yan Jin.¡±


    Xie Zhen could not help but scratch his face, and almost fainted, ¡°How can you be so hasty! Can¡¯t I think about it a little more? I have several options here, you. Did you get distracted by the name you gave them? ¡±


    Yan Yu acknowledged her with a light grunt, then bent down to hold her in his arms. He rubbed his chin on her head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, father has given her a good name, it has a profound meaning to it.¡±


    She was still in her month, so she could not get out of bed. She could only eat and drink in her bed every day. He was the one who served her with all the important matters. Xie Zhen did not want him to help, so she insisted for Shuang Yan¡¯s help with her flushed face and told him to go out. He stood beside the bed like a wooden log, refusing to go out no matter what. When he saw her red face from holding back, he simply picked her up horizontally and personally ced her on the bucket in concubine.


    Considering the inconvenience of her body, she had specially prepared a bucket at concubine. Every two hours, there would be a servant maids to take care of it.


    But this did not mean that Xie Zhen would not feel awkward.


    He was just a few steps away from her. He could clearly hear her gentle voice. Even if he didn¡¯t personally see it, he would still feel embarrassed!


    After he finished, Xie Zhen was about to pull up his pants. Because the wound there was not fully healed, it would still hurt if he stood up. She had barely taken a breath when he came in from outside and put on her underpants without a change of expression.


    Xie Zhen was distressed, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    He squatted on the ground and raised his head to look at her. His handsome eyebrows slightly raised as he faintly smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you shy?¡±


    Once Xie Zhen said that, his face turned even redder, just like a persimmon that had matured in the early autumn. She stammered, unable to speak. She buried her head in his neck and moaned, ¡°Pa, pa ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu quickly understood. He took the handkerchief from the wooden shelf and wiped it off carefully for her before putting on his underpants. That ce was soft and tender, and because it had been torn just before, the handkerchief used the softest material, so they were not worried that it would hurt her.


    After doing some of it, Xie Zhen was already too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye, her face red to the point of dripping blood. No matter how much she tried to resist, it was useless. Every time she tried to solve the problem, he would personally serve her. So much so that Xie Zhen felt that the gazes of the servant maids s were somewhat ambiguous and unclear.


    Her thoughts flew off into the distance. She was clearly quarreling over the names of a pair of children when she suddenly lost her train of thought. When he saw her blushing, he asked with a smile, ¡°What did you remember?¡±


    Xie Zhen hurriedly came back to reality and felt that he was smiling maliciously. He shifted his gaze away and said with ack of confidence, ¡°Anyway, it has already been decided ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it.¡± He knew that it was useless to resist, so he had no choice but to give up. He thought for a moment and could not help but mutter: ¡°Then I¡¯ll just call them by their nickname. Little carpmbs, or Su and Jin, they are much more pleasing to the ears than Yan Jin.¡±


    In this aspect, Yan Yu would never argue with her. As long as she liked him, it was fine.


    After all, as a father¡¯s mother, he seemed to have grown a lot in one night. Yan Yu¡¯s performance was especially obvious. It was probably because they had two children all at once and had a small, delicate wife to take care of. Therefore, they had to mature quickly so that their shoulders could bear the weight of the three of them.


    After lying on the bed for more than twenty days, Xie Zhen was finally able to get off the bed and walk around.


    She had been lying in bed for the past few days, unable to take a bath or wash her hair. She couldn¡¯t even bear it herself, and it was really hard for her to hug Yan Yu for the sake of her sleeping every night. There was no disgust on her face at all, as a loving expression could melt a person.


    Xie Zhen had pushed him out of bed many times, but he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Go sleep on the bed!¡±


    At this moment, his expression looked a little injured. He was unwilling to move, so he held her hand and said in a low voice, ¡°I want to apany you.¡±


    Even though Xie Zhen¡¯s heart of stone had hardened, at this moment, he hadpletely given in.


    She sighed and moved closer. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    His thin lips curled up into a smile, and he was content to share the bed with her.


    Now that Xie Zhen could get off the bed, it meant that he could take a bath. She sat in the bath barrel for more than an hour. Her hair had been washed countless times, and her body was also covered with soapy pods. She even dripped a few drops of lotus flower honey into the water. She was finally able to wash her hair properly. Shuang Yu helped her put on a clean set of clothes. The weather was still very hot and she was only wearing a moon-white cotton summer gown with Du Ruwei.


    She sat in the in the porch while Shuang Yu wiped her hair behind her. She asked the wet nurse to bring the two children over.


    It had already been almost a month, and in a few days, there would be a feast of a full moon. ording to Emperor Yuan Hui, it would be held in the pce. Xie Zhen did not want to act in such a grand manner originally, she just needed to invite a few people into the mansion. She was not a prince, and doing this would attract too much attention. Unfortunately, the emperor¡¯s orders could not be disobeyed. These words could only be imagined in her heart.


    Both Su and Jin were still awake, one yawning and the other bubbling in the cradle of bamboo. The bubble popped and saliva dripped onto Su Ming¡¯s face.


    Xie Zhenughed out loud, and used a handkerchief to wipe his face, ¡°Little idiot!¡±


    The older brother was clearly more lively than the younger sister. He also had more expressions. Sometimes he would grin, sometimes he would stick out his tongue. He was having a lot of fun ying with himself. His sister was clearly not as noisy as him. Perhaps it was because she hadn¡¯t slept enough in her mother¡¯s womb, and now she loved to sleep very much. She slept almost twenty hours a day, so it was really difficult to see her awake. Even when he woke up, his big ck eyes were still in a trance, ignoring his brother¡¯s ¡± sound, asionally being teased by Xie Zhen, before he started chuckling.


    Xie Zhen waved a rattle drum in front of Ah Jin, and the rattle drum emitted a ¡°dong dong¡± sound. Ah Jin¡¯s eyes also followed her hands, she was extremely focused, and couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw it. Xie Zhen finally saw through it. His brother was lively and moved, his sister was a wooden stake, but he was very interested in the sound of her voice. The Madam Leng came over once when they were sitting down, and hugged Ah Jin as he asked, ¡°Why does this look a bit like Ronger when he was young ¡­¡±


    Xie Rong was like this when he was young, when he was still a carrot, he was different from other children, he did not like to talk, and would asionally be very focused.


    Xie Zhen felt that there was nothing bad about it, it was better if every child¡¯s personality was different. If they were all the same, what would be the point? In any case, she liked the two kids just as much. She just felt that Ah Jin was a little thin and weak, so the wet nurse would usually take care of her a little more.


    Just as she was making fun of him, the person wiping her hair behind her suddenly changed. She tilted her head and looked at him with a smile, ¡°When did Big Brother Xiao Yue back?¡±


    Yan Yu rubbed her half-dry hair. After doing these trivial things, she had actually be very familiar with them. Just a moment ago. ¡±


    Today, he entered the pce to discuss with Emperor Yuan Hui about the Full Moon Feast. Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s body was getting worse and worse every day, so he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on through this winter. When people grew old, they would like to be lively. They wanted to take advantage of the final opportunity to make a big scene for their grandchildren, so the scene was very grand and they invited many civil officials.


    Yan Yu checked the names on the list and returned from the pce without any questions.


    He liked to go home and watch Xie Zhen tease the two children. His heart was filled with an indescribable joy.


    After drying his hair, hebed it with a rhinoceros¡¯s horn. asionally he tugged at her hair and sheined, ¡°A little more.¡±


    He immediately exerted light force.


    Xie Zhen reached out his hands to y with the two little fellows. A Su grabbed onto one of her fingers and gnawed on it, causing her hands to be covered in sticky saliva. She was such a clean person, yet she actually didn¡¯t mind. She arched her eyebrows and smiled, her voice was soft and pleasant, like the passing wind. It was refreshing andfortable to blow on people¡¯s bodies.


    When the full moon banquet was held, there was a feast being held in the pce. Xie Zhen and Yan Yu carried the two children away.


    The and Emperor Yuan Hui had never seen each other before. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess had never had children, so she wanted to hug her grandson for a long time. He couldn¡¯t bear to let go, so he held her in his arms and teased her.


    Empress Wang liked boys, so he looked at A Su¡¯s face carefully and said: ¡°Everyone says that son is like mother, this child really looks like Ah Zhen.¡±


    Su did his best not to cry after entering the pce. He smiled when he saw someone. He was incredibly adorable.


    Empress Wang loved him so much that he was unwilling to return the favor to Xie Zhen even at a banquet.


    In contrast, A¡¯ge on the other hand was the one being ignored, but the child was still too young, so she did not know what to do. She curled up in Xie Zhen¡¯s embrace with her eyes closed, asionally smacking her lips, and her entire body filled with the fragrance of milk.


    On the contrary, Emperor Yuan Hui liked his granddaughter. A¡¯ge looked like Yan Yu, whether it was her nose or eyes, like she was carved out of the same mold. Unfortunately, his body wasn¡¯t well, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before he pressed his hands together. He could only return it to Xie Zhen, and continuously said three ¡°okay¡± words.

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122</h4>


    After the the full-moon-birth feast ended, everyone knew that An Wang Fei had given birth to a pair of twins of mixed sex. One of them was named Yan Su, and the other was named Yan Jin.


    Crown Princess had been married to the crown prince for six years and had no children. She was depressed and carried Yan Jin as she arrived in front of Yan Tao and asked with a smile: ¡°Your Highness, look how cute this child is.¡±


    Yan Jin had slept for the entire night, and now she finally woke up. She was just as unafraid of living as being serious. Her brother smiled when he saw people, and her eyes were as big as grapes as she stared unblinkingly at him. Her red cherry lips parted to reveal a smile.


    Crown Princess then said: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her smile even oncest night, and instead smiled when I see her. It can be seen that this little girl is fated to be Your Highness and likes you.¡±


    When the Crown Prince heard this, he looked over and saw a small, jade-like fellow reaching out his hand towards him with a smile. The little hand that was as white as snow. He couldn¡¯t help but stretch out his hand, and the little guy quickly grabbed one of his index fingers and nibbled at it. It didn¡¯t taste good, so it put it down after taking a few bites. It continued to giggle.


    This was the first time Jin hadughed so happily tonight.


    Xie Zhen almost stared straight at him, he thought to himself, what¡¯s going on with this guy, could it be that what Crown Princess said was true, that he had some sort of fate with the crown prince?


    The first time he had hugged a child was always a little funny, so the Crown Princess taught him in detail from the side, ¡°Hold your head in your hands and shake it lightly ¡­¡±


    The two adults were helpless against a baby. Luckily, with the mama¡¯s reminder, Yan Tao was able to make it after a while. Yan Jin did not cry nor make noise in his embrace, but asionally let out a few ¡°Ah¡± sounds. Yan Tao used his free hand to touch her face, it was as tender as water tofu, as if it would shatter upon contact.


    Yan Gui opened her small mouth and sneezed, scaring Yan Tao and Crown Princess to the point of stopping.


    She looked towards Xie Zhen¡¯s direction, raising her hands wanting to return to Mother¡¯s embrace. Xie Zhen brought the child back and wiped Ah Gen¡¯s face with a handkerchief. ¡°If Second Brother and Second Sister-in-Law likes children, then I should take one myself. The Empress just told me that she wanted to hug this grandson for a long time.¡±


    after the talk. Crown Princess¡¯s face revealed a little awkwardness, heughed with difficulty: ¡°This cannot be rushed ¡­¡±


    The matter between her and Yan Tao was something only she knew clearly in her heart. The two of them did not love each other and were not active in matters of the bed. Furthermore, she had experienced a cold when she was young. Every next month, when she was not allowed to be pregnant, the doctor also said that it would not be easy for her to conceive. She could only drink the medicine and slowly adjust her condition, but she did not know how long she would need to recuperate.


    It was also good to have no children, so they wouldn¡¯t be too worried about each other. They were still two separate people.


    Xie Zhen advised her a few more times, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart, and only smiled as she echoed his words. After Xie Zhen left, she turned to look for Yan Tao¡¯s figure, but realised that he had left long ago, and was currently with a few officials.


    Ling Xiangwuughed. She had long gotten used to being like this.


    They want a child. It should take a long time, right? It won¡¯t be easy.


    The baby was the fastest, three or five days the same. Before Madam Leng was born, she made many small clothes and pants, but because she was not sure if it was a boy or a girl, she made all of them, and now they were all useful. However, the two little fellows had grown up too quickly, especially in a serious manner. Many of their clothes could no longer be worn, and they still needed to find a mama to make another one.


    He was only six months old!


    Xie Zhen curiously pinched his arm and leg, it looked like a white lotus, ¡°Why do you look so fast? You want to wait for your sister to know? ¡±


    His serious facial features had fully grown, and were no longer the same as when he was born like a monkey. Now, he looked more and more like Xie Zhen. Hearing Xie Zhen¡¯s words, he grinned and hugged Xie Zhen¡¯s neck, ¡°Ahh ahh ¡­¡± He bit her chin, making her drool. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    Xie Zhen cried out in disgust and picked him up from the ground. He intentionally opened his eyes wide: ¡°You are not allowed to eat my face ¡­ ¡­¡±


    He blinked his eyes seriously, clearly not understanding what she meant.


    The boy had nothing to do with his name. It was not serious to say that he was serious, but it was a typical example of mischief. Yan Yu bought him several kinds of things, including a windmill, a rattle drum, a Zhong Kui mask, and a cloth tiger. However, in less than three days, it would all be torn apart by him and thrown pitifully to the side.


    The cloth tiger was still lying in the corner, covered in filth. It was unknown how he had destroyed it.


    Xie Zhen still had more to say, but a stern voice was heard from behind him, ¡°Only Ah¡¯ma can eat her face.¡±


    Yan Yu stood beside the Arhat Bed, with one hand holding his son and the other holding onto a wooden short de, he sent the de to Yan Su: ¡°Go y with it.¡±


    The wooden sabre was about the same height as him. He held the sabre as he sat on the Arhat Bed at the side and fiddled with it twice. The sabre hilt fell out of the scabbard and there were even exquisite inscriptions carved on the sabre edge. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was slightly open. He looked extremely surprised.


    Xie Zhen asked: ¡°Will you hurt him?¡±


    Yan Yu assured her, ¡°It¡¯s made of wood, and light, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    As a boy, he couldn¡¯t always y with things like kites and cloth tigers. Otherwise, when he grew up, he would be a sissy. It was because of this point that Yan Yu went around looking for something suitable for serious to y with. Seems like he had bought the right wood de, he hugged it tightly and refused to let go, no longer bothering with Xie Zhen.


    Yan Jin slept behind him. After a while, she woke up, turned over, and crawled to Yan Jin¡¯s side.


    The two little fellows stared at each other and spoke a bunch of words that the adults couldn¡¯t understand. They even seemed to be happily chatting with each other.


    Yan Gui wanted to look at the wooden sabre in his hand, but her serious little hands were tightly covering her as she retreated, not allowing her to look. He didn¡¯t want to let her see it, so Yan Jin insisted. Just as Xie Zhen wanted to persuade her, Yan Jin had already cried from the pursed her lips.


    The cries of children would always get infected. One would cry, and the other would cry. Xie Zhen was so anxious that he didn¡¯t know which one he should coax at the moment.


    After a while, Yan Jin¡¯s wails gradually stopped. Sheid in Yan Yu¡¯s embrace and yed with the jade pendant on his waist, no longer crying. Fortunately, Yan Yu was very fair and wouldn¡¯t favor any side. If he brought toys for his son, he would naturally bring a daughter as well. As if performing a magic trick, he took out an empty and exquisite ball from his sleeve. There were two bells inside the ball, and they rang with a crisp sound when they shook. Yan Jin liked hearing voices the most and immediately liked them. With beaming eyebrows and a smile, she imitated Yan Yu and shook the bell twice.


    Xie Zhen finally realised what she meant. No wonder she kept hearing the bells, she thought she had heard wrongly ¡­ So it turned out that he was the one who had hidden his trump card.


    The serious face in her arms gradually stopped crying. She picked up the child and asked with a straight face, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you ying with me for your little sister?¡±


    Being serious at such a young age and knowing how to act coquettishly, he thought that she wouldn¡¯t be angry if he hugged her neck and pretended to be innocent. Xie Zhen was a little soft-hearted, but she still had to say what she needed to say. She pointed at her serious nose and said: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you ying with me for your little sister?¡±


    He did not understand and tilted his head to look at Xie Zhen.


    Xie Zhen continued, ¡°Little sister is the person closest to you, you cannot bully her. In the future, when father and mother are gone, the two of you will depend on each other for your lives ¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Yan Yu red at him fiercely, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    In his heart, he had always thought that only when he could follow Xie Zhen to the end would his lifee to an end.


    Xie Zhenughed mischievously, ¡°There will always be a day like this.¡± After that, she continued to educate him with seriousness, ¡°You have good things in your hands, you can¡¯t just think about yourself, and your sister wants them as well. Can¡¯t the two of you y with them together? In the future, even if she had something good, she would give it to you. Do you want your younger sister¡¯s bell? ¡±


    Xie Zhen carried him and showed him the Exquisite Ball in Yan Jin¡¯s hands, which issued a series of crisp sounds in Yan Jin¡¯s hands. He was a little tempted, but he knew that he didn¡¯t let his sister y with the wooden sabre just now, so he just looked on, embarrassed to ask for it.


    Xie Zhen then tried to put the two little fellows together. Yan Jin was very generous, she handed the Exquisite Ball to her brother to y with, and didn¡¯t mind his actions just now at all.


    They had finally made up again.


    He didn¡¯t know if¡¯s words were understood seriously, but ever since then, he would think of his sister everything, and whatever his sister wanted, he would give her. He was not stingy at all. He was bing more and more like an elder brother. Although he was still very mischievous, he still cared for Yan Jin very much. If anyone bullied Yan Jin, he would definitely be very angry.


    This year, capital had a total of two snowfall sessions. One was shortly after the start of winter, and the other was on the eve of New Year¡¯s Eve.


    In the end, Emperor Yuan Hui didn¡¯t manage to endure through this winter. On New Year¡¯s Eve, she suddenly choked and it was only an hourter that the the old eunuch outside the hall discovered her. It was said that he had left very peacefully with his eyes closed. That night, he was in high spirits and even ate a few dumplings stuffed with fennel, saying that he would go with Empress Wang to the back garden to watch the fireworks. Before he left, he wanted to sleep for a while, so he had Eunuch Gao stand guard outside the hall. The people inside the hall all rushed out, and he silentlyy on the dragon bed without a trace of life.


    By the time Eunuch Gao discovered this, it was already toote. He knelt by the bed and shouted ¡°Your Majesty!¡± several times, but no one agreed.


    Yan Yu was summoned into the pce overnight to discuss about the affairs of the Emperor Yuan Hui with the crown prince.


    Fortunately, everything had been arranged in front of the Emperor Yuan Hui. The Emperor¡¯s Tomb was built on a high slope three hundred miles outside of the city. The women of the harem who had not given birth to children were dismissed, and those who had given birth to princes stayed in the harem to recuperate. Empress Wang and his concubines cried their hearts out. Even though they had already mentally prepared themselves long ago, they still could not ept it.


    Grief is grief, but you still have to take care of the rest.


    The Emperor Yuan Hui¡¯s coffin stayed in the Pce Xuanshi for seven days before being sent to the Emperor Tomb to be buried.


    I¡¯m afraid this year is going to be bad.


    All the citizens of the capital must wear white clothes, and must not eat meat or fish, and must not share a room with a husband or wife, and must mourn for the Emperor Yuan Hui for a hundred days. On the day Emperor Yuan Hui was buried, heavy snow suddenly began to fall from the sky. It snowed for an entire day and night,pletely covering one¡¯s ankles.


    Xie Zhen stood in the in the porch with his cape wrapped around his shoulders and the furnace hidden in his sleeves, waiting for Yan Yu to return home.


    It was unknown if such a heavy snowfall would dy the return of his life.


    When the sky was about to turn dark, Yan Yu walked out from behind the shadow wall while facing the snow and wind. He was wearing a ck fur cloak over a faded robe, and his shoulders were covered with snow. Even his eyebrows were covered with it. Xie Zhen quickly pulled him to the in the porch, took out the handkerchief and wiped his face, ¡°Have you settled the matter?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded. ¡°The father is buried in the Emperor Tomb. With three concubines willing to stay behind, I presume they won¡¯t be lonely.¡±


    Xie Zhen said that would be good, and passed the furnace in his hand to him: ¡°You are warm, is it cold outside?¡±


    Judging from the wind and snow, they probably won¡¯t stop for a short period of time. It had snowed less in the past few days, but now it had umted to this day.


    Yan Yu didn¡¯t ept it, and directly covered her hands to keep them warm. ¡°Where¡¯s the seriousness and Yan Jin?¡±


    ¡°Sleep in the house. It was very noisy just now. The wet nurse just coaxed them.¡±


    He nodded, thought for a while and said, ¡°The day after tomorrow is second brother¡¯s Imperial Ceremony, I also want toe out, I should be a bitte.¡± Then, she took Xie Zhen by the shoulder and walked into the house, ¡°Once things have settled down, there¡¯ll be nothing left for me. I¡¯ll take you and the child back to the Qing Zhou.¡±


    Returning to the Qing Zhou to visit Gao Xun was something that they had agreed upon beforehand.


    The Second Prince was finally about to ascend to the throne. After the Emperor Yuan Hui passed away, the ministers all wrote to Yan Tao requesting for him to ascend to the throne. Because of Yan Tao¡¯s excessive grief, they postponed it for a few days, and set the date to the day after tomorrow.


    Xie Zhen listened and nodded, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    He just faintly felt a sense of unease.


    When the Emperor Yuan Hui was still alive, there were many voices in the imperial court supporting Yan Yu. Because of his outstanding battle achievements and abilities, a few people thought that he was more suitable than the Second Prince to retain the throne, and humbly requested that the Emperor Yuan Hui abolish the crown prince and change him to the sixth prince. Now that Yan Tao was about to ascend the throne, the days of those people were not easy, they should be regretting it at home.


    I wonder if Yan Tao will deal with them?


    Xie Zhen carried on with his thoughts and walked into the house absent-mindedly.


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­ Isn¡¯t the rtionship between the crown prince and Big Brother Xiao Yu good? Aren¡¯t they the same people?


    Just as she was thinking, the wet nurse suddenly stumbled in and knelt on the ground, saying anxiously, ¡°Prince, Princess, the young princess is missing!¡±

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123</h4>


    Xie Zhen only felt a ¡°bang¡± sound in her head, which shook her to the point that she almost lost her bnce. If not for Yan Yu¡¯s support, her entire body would have fallen to the ground.


    Her hands and feet were cold. She asked word by word, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The wet nurse was also panicking, her arms that were supporting her on the ground were still shaking, but she was quick to speak, ¡°Yes, this old servant is useless ¡­ After coaxing the crown prince and the princess to sleep, I went to the Warm Pavilion to take care of them. I didn¡¯t expect that after waking up, the young prefecture lord and Madame Ge would both be gone ¡­¡±


    Madam Ge was Yan Jin¡¯s wet nurse. Initially, she didn¡¯t expect to be born against the twins of mixed sex and only invited the Ye Family. After the child was born, steward invited the Ge n to the residence. After hearing that her hands and feet were clean, that her family background was clean, and that people were living well, she did not pay much attention to her, but she did not expect such a mishap to ur!


    The wet nurse, Ye Shi was regretful. She stood up and pped herself twice, ¡°It¡¯s all because this old servant is useless, so I shouldn¡¯t sleepte¡­¡±


    Putting aside the main punishment she received for losing the county, just the fact that she had been taking care of her two children for the past six months had given her feelings for them. The two little fellows were both made of jade and snow, and she had long since treated them as her own children. Now that she had lost one, her heart felt extremely bad.


    But no matter what, it was not worse than Xie Zhen.


    In such a short time, her hands and feet were already cold. She didn¡¯t believe it until she went to the next hall to take a look.


    Inside the hall were two bamboo cribs, one with Yan Su lying on it, the other empty. Yan Su did not know what was going on at all, and was still ying with his own feet. Seeing that Xie Zhen had arrived, she opened her arms to hug him.


    Xie Zhen was so saddened that her eyes immediately turned red.


    There were still two people in the morning, but why was there only one left? Her heart felt as if it had been hollowed out and couldn¡¯t be mended back.


    Yan Yu¡¯s eyes were cold as he gazed at the row of servant maids kneeling outside, his tone filled with unconceble rage: ¡°So many people watching yet you¡¯re able to throw your child away? Are you trash? ¡±


    servant maids lowered his head in apology. One of them was a little bolder, and couldn¡¯t help but exin: ¡°The Ge n is usually kind and kind. No one would have thought that she would take away the young prefecture lord ¡­ The crown prince and princess were sleeping in their rooms while the servants were waiting outside. It had always been this way, but who would have thought that something would happen today? I wonder how the Ge n took away the young prefecture lord ¡­ ¡±


    With servant maids outside, it was impossible for Madam Ge to go out. But there was a window in the side hall that opened to the northeast. The window was not tall, and you could jump out of it with the support stick. After staying in An Wang¡¯s Mansion for such a long time, the Ge n had long familiarized themselves with the nts here. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to bring Yan Jin out.


    Yan Su called steward over and told him to go to the entrance to ask when Madame Ge came out of her residence and in which direction she went. He said while gritting his teeth, ¡°You have to find three feet of earth for this king as well!¡±


    steward received the orders and quickly led his men to investigate.


    Xie Zhen carried Yan Su out of the cradle, his arms slightly trembling, her forehead close to Yan Su¡¯s forehead. The little guy seemed to be able to sense his mother¡¯s fear. He blinked his big watery eyes, and after waking up, he didn¡¯t cry nor make a fuss. He opened his arms and wrapped them around her neck.


    It looked like he was coaxing her.


    Not long after, the steward came back from outside, and reported to Yan Yu: ¡°My prince, Madame Ge left from Jiaomen, and was seen by a servant maids at that time. It¡¯s a pity that the servant maids only saw the back of that person, and didn¡¯t notice if she was hugging the young prefecture lord ¡­¡±


    Yan Yu looked over with a fierce gaze, and he shivered. Finally he got to the point: ¡°But servant maids still remember that she was heading towards the north.¡±


    Yan Yu¡¯s residence was located in the northeastern part of capital. There was a crown prince¡¯s mansion between the and the pce.


    In the evening, the things that Yan Yu had ordered his men to look into came to a conclusion.


    The guard knelt down and reported, ¡°Soon enough, there will indeed be a woman in the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce entering and exiting. After the time it takes for an incense to burn, servant maids s would being in and out of the manor. This subordinate will follow them and realize that servant maids is going out to the streets to buy shoes for a half year old. ¡±


    Yes, Mrs. Ge carried Yan Jin away in too much of a hurry to put on her child¡¯s shoes. When she arrived at the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce, she couldn¡¯t do it in time, so she could only go to the street and buy some ready-made goods.


    The Crown Prince must have taken A¡¯ge away!


    Xie Zhen wiped away her tears and sat up on the bed. She felt anger in her chest, gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I want to go to the Crown Prince¡¯s Pce to get my child back.¡±


    She did not care about what the crown prince was nning, but why would he involve his children in the matters of their parents? Yan Jin was only half a year old. She didn¡¯t even know how to speak. What could be hindering her?


    But after walking a few steps, he was stopped by Yan Yu. He pulled her hand from the back, and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Ah Zhen, don¡¯t be rash. If it was really second brother¡¯s doing, then it would be useless even if you went.¡±


    When he looked at her from behind, he felt that she was tense all over, her fists clenched at her sides, her thin back straight. He walked up to her and took her by the shoulder, turning her to face him. ¡°Second Brother likes Ah Jin, he definitely won¡¯t hurt her if he takes her in ¡­¡±


    Halfway through, she saw Xie Zhen¡¯s tear-stained face and was suddenly stunned.


    His heart ached as he wiped away the tears on her face. It had been a long time since he had seen her cry so helplessly. He just wanted to lure me over. I assure you, Jin will be fine. ¡±


    Xie Zhen wiped her hands randomly and raised her red eyes to look at him: ¡°Why did he lead you there? He was about to ascend to the throne the day after tomorrow. ¡°How far do you want us to go before we are willing to give up?¡±


    It turned out that she already knew that even if he didn¡¯t say anything, her heart was still as clear as a mirror.


    Yan Yu pulled her into his embrace and patted her back soothingly, ¡°Leave it to me, I will settle this.¡±


    Xie Zhen moved in his arms. She would never ask him about this in the past, but today, she waspletely terrified and asked uncertainly: ¡°Big Brother Xiao Yu, are you going to threaten him? Do you want to be a prince or ¡­ ¡±


    The servant maids in the house had all been sent out. Today, although the young prefecture lord made a mistake, it was also because of their carelessness. Therefore, Yan Yu punished each of them with twenty boards and left the house, allowing the steward to add another group of obedient new disciples.


    Yan Yu caressed her head. It was already sote, yet he was still in the mood to joke around, ¡°Are you willing to go to the Three Pces and Six Houses for being an emperor?¡±


    Xie Zhen was silent for a long time, before fiercely twisting his waist.


    Her hands were small, so that when she twisted them, it didn¡¯t hurt at all. Yan Yu sighed as he leaned against her head. When he thought of Yan Tao, the expression on his face once again became ice-cold. It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought about that position, but the allure of power and status to men was boundless. Being able to stand above the Heavenly servant and rule over thousands of miles ofnd was indeed very touching. However, if he was going to use his wife and children to rece all of this, he would rather stand by Xie Zhen¡¯s side and teach the two children to grow up before going white with Xie Zhen.


    Yan Tao did this in a rather despicable manner. He wanted to use Yan Jin as a hostage to threaten him. What was the difference between this and the First Prince?


    If he didn¡¯t hurt Yan Jin, it would still be alright. But once he hurt his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t let him off even if it meant a mountain of des or a sea of mes!


    That night, Yan Yu sent someone to the crown prince¡¯s mansion to inquire about the situation, and also used his dictum to probe out the news of the crown prince¡¯s mouth ¡ª ¡ª Just say that the young prefecture lord of An Wang¡¯s Mansion had lost it, and see how Yan Tao would react.


    It was a pity that Yan Tao¡¯s appearance was perfect, he had even sent people to help him search the streets, looking like he did not know anything.


    Yan Yu smashed three small ink colored bells in the mansion, and finally calmed himself down and said: ¡°To the crown prince¡¯s mansion.¡±


    Xie Zhen followed closely behind him, ¡°I¡¯ming too!¡±


    But he had asked her to stay in the house, and there were things that were difficult to say in front of a woman, and the sight of them would frighten her: ¡°. Stay in the mansion and wait for me. I will definitely bring A¡¯ge back. ¡±


    ¡­ ¡­.


    Arriving at the crown prince¡¯s mansion, Yan Tao personally sat in the parlour to wee him. The outside of the courtyard was brightly lit, and the hall was lit up with giant candles. Presumably, he had been waiting for a long time.


    Yan Tao was sitting on an armchair above them. He turned the thumb ring on his thumb: ¡°How is it, did you find A Jin?¡±


    Yan Yu walked up, and did not bow, and looked straight at him: ¡°No.¡±


    He frowned, pretending to look the same, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t find it, how could Sixth Brother have the free time toe to my house? Aren¡¯t you afraid that A¡¯Jin will fall into the hands of the evil? ¡±


    Hearing that, Yan Yuughed instead, and leisurely sat on a chair by the side. Wu Ze followed him into the house with a de at her waist, standing close to him. He asked, ¡°Second Brother, do you want to pretend to be confused with me? Where did A¡¯ge go you don¡¯t know? ¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that so-called evil person himself?


    Yan Tao revealed surprise, ¡°How would I know?¡±


    These brothers of his were better at acting than the other. They usually wore a mask to see who was better at acting. In the past, they were on the same side, so their rtionship was closer than others. Now that they were faced with benefits, the only thing they could do was to lose all decorum.


    Yan Yu asked someone to bring up a servant maids, who was the person who watched the Ge n leave from the Horned Gate. servant maids had never seen the crown prince before, he just knelt on the ground and tremblingly described the situation before. Only then did Yan Yu let her down.


    Second brother heard it, to the north of An Wang¡¯s Mansion is only to walk in your mansion, who else could it be other than you?


    Yan Tao lowered his head without saying a word, and after a while he gave a slight smile, ¡°Just based on those words, Sixth Brother was able to guess that it was me?¡±


    Yan Yu raised his brows, ¡°This is enough.¡±


    He was quite frank as he waved his hand to disperse the servant maids s on both sides of the room and had them stand guard outside. It is enough. I have taught you this for a long time. Now that I¡¯ve made use of this loophole, you can only me yourself for not taking second brother¡¯s words to heart. ¡±


    The only people left in the room were him, Yan Yu and Wu Ze who were at the side. He was not worried about Wu Ze making a move, because he had hostages in his hands, he was safe and sound.


    Madam Ge was arranged by him half a year ago. She was a widow from Crown Princess. Her two children were dead and none of the neighbors dared to ask her for a kiss. She couldn¡¯t bear to stay at home any longer, so Yan Tao brought her to the capital, intentionally getting close to the An Wang¡¯s Mansion to be Yan Jin¡¯s wet nurse.


    After half a year, it was finally useful.


    Yan Yu ced his hand on the arms of the sculpture, he clenched his fists and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Yan Tao thought that he hadpromised, and was not surprised. He regarded Xie Zhen so highly, their child should naturally be cared for as well. So he smiled and said, ¡°I told Sixth Brother, did you forget? Those three cities to the south are rich and prosperous. You will live with the An Wang Fei and I will return A¡¯Jin to you in three years. ¡±


    Three yearster, his strength would be weakened, and by then, he would bepletely spent. There would be no room for resistance at all.


    Moreover, who knew what he would do to Yan Jin in these three years?


    Yan Yu red at him angrily, her hands trembling from anger. With a wave of her hand, she smashed the teacup on the square table far away. The teacup shattered into pieces on the ground, and the tea water sttered all over. He quickly stood up and pulled out the de on Wu Ze¡¯s waist, cing it on Yan Tao¡¯s neck, ¡°Dream on!¡±


    Yan Tao appeared to be in no hurry. The de was clearly pressed tightly against his neck, but there was no trace of fear on his face. ¡°Sixth Brother wants to kill me?¡±


    Yan Yu used a little more strength, the thin de cutting into his skin, causing blood to ooze out, ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dare?¡±


    His eyes darkened and his lips curved in a mocking smile, ¡°Have you forgotten that A Jin is still in my hands? With just a word of mine, she will never be able to return to your side.¡±


    So it turned out that he had a trump card in his hand, which was why he seemed so confident.


    Unfortunately, he was too arrogant, and also underestimated Yan Yu.


    Not long after that, Xie Zhen appeared at the door while carrying a baby. The baby in his arms was Yan Jin, her eyes gently tucked in the corner, looking at Yan Tao with only hatred in her eyes. Thinking of something, she suddenly smiled, looking exceptionally charming under the light. ¡°Second Brother has never taken care of a child, right? The shoes I bought for A¡¯ge don¡¯t fit my feet. The skin of a child is soft, so it¡¯s impossible to wear cotton shoes. It will be red. ¡±


    Yan Tao¡¯s pupils contracted as he stared at her in disbelief.


    He had clearly ordered his men to look after the child, but why was he so easily found? What about the others? Why didn¡¯t she report to him?


    Looking at Yan Yu, he was no longer as angry as before. Both of his eyes were calm and collected, even his hand that was holding onto his de had be steady. It turned out that his previous performance was all an act, just to make him be careless.

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124</h4>


    The guards in the courtyard were split into two groups. One side was the crown prince¡¯s men, the other was Yan Yu¡¯s men.


    Originally, Yan Yu had not nned to bring Xie Zhen over, but he had changed his mind at thest minute to give Yan Tao a head on strike. He went to the front yard to meet the crown prince and rx Yan Tao¡¯s vignce. Xie Zhen was escorted by Wu Bin to the backyard to find Yan Jin, catching him off guard.


    At the beginning, Xie Zhen had wandered around the backyard for a long time but she had no idea where Yan Jin was sent to. She had been to the crown prince¡¯s residence a few times, so she remembered the general location of the residence. Maybe the mother and daughter were telepathically connected, so she finally found Yan Jin, who was sleeping on the bed in Crown Princess¡¯s room. Crown Princess was being controlled by the guards and was already under their control.


    At this point, it would be impossible not to cause a ruckus. If Yan Yu gave in, what awaited him would be a hundred thousand feet deep abyss. Only by taking advantage of this opportunity to properly negotiate with Yan Tao would they have a way out.


    Yan Yu¡¯s hand that was holding onto the de did not move, the room was so quiet that even a needle could be heard, he said: ¡°I did not want to cause a ruckus like this with Second Brother, but it¡¯s a pity that Second Brother does not believe me, and only stopped after forcing me to a dead end.¡±


    Yan Tao sat on the teacher¡¯s chair, and looked up to meet his gaze. There was no longer the gentleness and elegance from before on his face, but instead, the curve of his lips was somewhat self-deprecating, ¡°Ah Yu, do you know that was born in the imperial family?


    Yan Yu did not say a word, waiting for him to exin.


    He calmly replied, ¡°Either you die, or I live.¡±


    Brothers against each other, brothers against each other, this was an extremelymon matter in the royal family. He thought he had done well enough, but in the end, he was defeated by his younger brother. He thought he was still that young man he brought back from outside the pce years ago. It wasughable to say that he had helped him get rid of his enemies, and in the end had be his greatest enemy, causing him to have difficulty sleeping and eating.


    Yan Yu made an ¡°oh¡± sound, and was not moved at all, ¡°Then today, should I or should second brother die?¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s Pce was already surrounded by the people of the An Wang Lord. Yan Yu had enough confidence and power to kill him with a single sh. If he did not appear during the enthronement ceremony the next day, then even if the ministers wanted to pursue the matter, they would be suppressed by Yan Yu¡¯s men. At that time, it didn¡¯t matter how or when he would die. The important thing was that he would be a loser in the struggle for the throne.


    Thinking of this, Yan Tao¡¯s back was covered in cold sweat.


    He raised his eyes and looked outside the courtyard. He reckoned that his people had long since been under control. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed his hand when he was threatened by someone else. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not strong enough. Just kill me.¡±


    His expression was calm, unlike someone who was about to die, but instead had a kind of transcendent relief.


    He had been the crown prince for more than ten years. Every day, he would live in the midst of scheming and scheming, afraid that someone would stab him in the back one day. He was truly exhausted. In the past, when he had fought with the First Prince and had lost his life, he started to suspect and doubt Yan Yu. Now that he thought about it, Yan Yu had indeed never done anything that he would be suspicious of. Yan Yu had always been very indifferent, and wasn¡¯t too passionate about imperial power. It was probably because he grew up within the people, andpared to power, he yearned to live a life together with a deer cart. Actually, it wasn¡¯t bad to be an ordinary couple with the one you love. At least you could at least have children that would walk around your knees and bear the weight of grandchildren ¡­


    The only regret he had was that he had let Yan Jin down. He truly liked that little girl who was as cute as a ball. That was why after his mother carried her back from the An Wang¡¯s Mansion, he had his men take good care of her. He was afraid that the servant would be careless and let the Crown Princess personally watch over her.


    ¡­ ¡­. No matter what, it was toote. If Yan Yu wanted to kill him, he had no way to resist.


    After waiting for a long time without any pain, Yan Tao opened his eyes and looked at the expressionless Yan Yu, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make a move?¡±


    Yan Yu waved his hand and threw the long de to the ground, his tone was cold: ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, who will ascend the throne tomorrow?¡±


    He was stunned as he looked at the old man.


    Yan Yu was not afraid of Yan Tao getting up and retaliating, even if he did not use his de to threaten, he would not be able to escape.


    The reason he threw the knife away was only to make it convenient to negotiate with him.


    Yan Yu asked Wu Ze to bring over a brush and paper, then he wrote a contract on the square table and passed it to Yan Tao: ¡°I already said that I won¡¯t fight for that position with you, but since second brother does not believe me, then I will not sit still and wait for death. Is the Imperial Jade Seal in your hands? ¡°Just seal it, I have to leave a way out for myself.¡±


    Yan Tao took the piece of paper and looked at it, on it were¡¯s conditions, he was still the Lord of An Wang, holding onto the 200,000 troops and living in a corner of the capital, and did not ask about the matters of the court. Yan Tao could not touch his wife and grandson, and would always treat them as princes, not using the name of conspiring against them to frame them. If they were to break the contract, he or his descendants could use it to attack the capital, and confirm his reputation as a rebel. In any case, they had the Dragon Seal and handprint that Yan Tao had personally sealed. The reason was on their side, so other people would not be able to pick a fight with them even if they wanted to.


    Yan Tao read it twice, and pulled out a bitter arc, ¡°The Imperial Jade Seal is in the pce, it¡¯s not by my side.¡±


    Yan Yu was not in a hurry either.


    He had even prepared the imprint. He must have thought about it on the way here. His actions just now were just to force him to submit.


    Yan Tao sealed his hand seal, but he said: ¡°I will follow Second Brother to the pce. Only by sealing the Imperial Jade Seal can I be at ease.¡±


    He was the one who had personally pushed Yan Yu further and further away, so there was nothing toin about if he did not trust him now. Yan Tao got up, ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    The moon was rising higher and higher. It was already the Yin hour. Tomorrow morning, the enthronement ceremony would begin. Entering the pce at this time would not arouse anyone¡¯s suspicions, and people would even praise him for being diligent in government affairs. But no one knew, that his life was currently in Yan Yu¡¯s hands, and his freedom was also under his control.


    Before leaving, he took a look at Xie Zhen who was standing at the doorway, and his gaze lowered to the swaddling Yan Jin¡¯s face. The little girl was still awake. When he woke up, he didn¡¯t see her mother. She cried for a long time before she stopped. Her eyes were red. Although she stopped crying, it still looked rather pitiful.


    He stopped, tried to touch her, and dropped his hand in the air. Forget it, what qualifications does he have?


    Within the Pce Xuanshi, Yan Tao heavily stamped the contract and looked towards Yan Yu: ¡°Is Sixth Brother relieved now?¡±


    Yan Yu pulled out a piece of paper, folded it without even looking at it, and ced it in his sleeves. Finally, he nced at Yan Tao, ¡°I should be asking Second Brother about this right?¡±


    He was stunned for a moment and then smiled, not asking any further questions.


    He could truly be at ease now. After being forced to such a state, Yan Yu was still able to give up the imperial authority that he had in his hands and give him the throne. It could be seen that he was not very interested in this position.


    In this way, he had always been the only one who feared the consequences.


    The sky gradually brightened. The first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone on the Pce Xuanshi¡¯s zed roof. The morning was about toe. The pce servants filed in and kneeled before him, awaiting his orders. pce maidservant went forward to dress him up in his coronation attire and put on his coronation. Through the Twelve Confessions in front of him, he saw Yan Yu standing at the entrance of the Pce Xuanshi, and behind him was the morning sunlight, which was burning even brighter. His expression was not very clear, but his voice was very clear: ¡°Today is the day Second Brother will ascend the throne. However, Ah Zhen was frightened, so I will not show up, and asked second brother to help me exin it to the officials.¡±


    Yan Tao was quiet for a while, then nodded: ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    He turned around and left without a trace of politeness. He didn¡¯t say those words just now because he had Yan Tao¡¯s permission.


    Seeing Yan Yu¡¯s back gradually disappearing from the pill image, Yan Tao pinched the center of his brows in distress. From ancient times till now, there had probably not been a single emperor that could be so useless. There were still Yan Yu¡¯s soldiers in the crown prince¡¯s residence.


    Yan Yu was just a thorn in his throat, but this thorn was destined to be stuck there forever, unable to be pulled out. Because Yan Yu didn¡¯t want this throne, he gave it to him.


    Yan Yu had nned to ride his horse and return from the pce when he saw a horse carriage parked outside the city. Standing outside the horse carriage was a skinny youngdy, and in front of her were two people, one Wu Ze and the other Wu Bin.


    The weather was very cold, and it had just snowed. She was wearing a fur-lined cloak, and her little white face was red from the cold. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw him.


    Yan Yu led his horse forward as he took off the cape on his body and put it on her, ¡°Why are you here? Is it cold to stand here? ¡±


    Xie Zhen shook his head. His nose was red, but there was a smile on his face. ¡°I was worried about you, so I told Wu Ze to bring me here.¡±


    The situation at that time was truly a little dangerous. Fortunately, Yan Tao was a person who kept his promises, and he still retained a bit of conscience at thest moment.


    It was too cold outside, so Yan Yu followed her into the carriage. Yan Jin was already fast asleep on the bed. He must have been exhausted that day, since when he returned to the side of Mother, he fell into a deep sleep. His tiny nose was twitching from sleep, his long eyshes hanging below his eyelids like two rows of small fans.


    Yan Yu touched her face, after a while, he took out the piece of paper with the Imperial Jade Seal on it, ¡°Go back and put this away, Yan Tao will not go back on his word.¡±


    Xie Zhen unfurled it and looked. On top of the Dragon Mark, there was also Yan Tao¡¯s handprint.


    Not to mention whether Yan Tao¡¯s character was trustworthy or not, as long as they had this, it would be theirst resort and trump card. They no longer had to worry about Yan Tao doing what he did today.


    After returning to the An Wang¡¯s Mansion, the steward waited at the entrance the whole night. Seeing that they had all returned with tails full of whiskers and even brought back the young prefecture lord, he couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. Xie Zhen was afraid for an entire night, and now that everything was calm and peaceful, she could not take it anymore, so when she returned to Zhanyue Court, she immediately fell asleep.


    In the end, he still had some lingering fear in his heart. He didn¡¯t dare leave his two children, and ced Yan Jin on the bedside before the mother and daughter fell asleep together.


    The wet nurse carried Yan Su over from the living room. Yan Su was also asleep as the two children slept close to her. Yan Yu looked at the three extremely simr faces for a while before taking off his shoes and going to bed next to them.


    He reached out his long arm and took them all in his arms.

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125</h4>


    Zhong Shang had a total of four elder sisters, five cousin sisters, and a few more aunts¡­ Because there were so many women in his family, he was never interested in women. He thought of women as a kind of thing, a pleasure to amuse oneself by idling away the time.


    Furthermore, his father and uncles were both generals, and the women in his family were all very fierce. They would make a small move when they were arguing with others, and make a big move when they were fighting with others, to the point where no one dared to provoke them. For example, his three elder sisters who had married had his brothers-inwpletely subservient towards them. In front of these three brother-inw, they didn¡¯t even have the right to speak ¡­ As for fourth sister, who was not married off, there was no need to talk about that. After changing into her military uniform, she was like a man, and was much stronger than him.


    Was this a woman? Are all women this rude?


    Only when he was twelve or thirteen did hee to understand the difference between men and women, and realize that not all women were like the ones at home. Women were supposed to be gentle, sentimental, and delicate, rather than fighting and killing all day.


    At one point, he liked to watch women ying zither and embroidering songs, thinking that this was the normal thing a woman should do. Later on, he felt that she was too pretentious. Weak women often cried, and if she looked at him too much, she wouldn¡¯t be as pleasing to his eyes as his elder sister.


    Later on, he would rather drink with a group of foppish young masters than go to the Qin Residence and provoke women.


    Of course, all of these were prior to meeting Xie Xun.


    The first time he saw her, he did not have much of a throbbing heart. He just felt that this girl was cute, as clean as a spring. Her words were soft and sweet, making him feel veryfortable. At that time, he thought she was someone Gao Xun had his eyes on, so he didn¡¯t dare to provoke her.


    She and Gao Xun were innocent, the one Gao Xun liked was her sister.


    At that moment, he didn¡¯t know why he let out a sigh of relief.


    Then, when there was a feast at home, she didn¡¯t fall into the water at all. I heard that it was fourth sister who saved her. The water was cold in the early spring, and she warmed up on the spot. A girl was always more delicate than a man. A fever was unavoidable. He thought that she would definitely burst into tears, or at least act coquettishly. He didn¡¯t expect that even if she became dazed from the fever, she would only secretly wipe her tears on Mammy¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t want to worry her parents, so she didn¡¯tin at all.


    This really made him look at her in a different light.


    She seemed to be different from other girls. Other girls liked to dress up and wear clothes and jewelry, but only she liked to eat. When the fourth sister told him to buy refreshments on the street, he probably brought them in front of her and teased her. The longing in his eyes when he looked at her really made him look like a greedy little cat.


    She attracted his attention without having to do anything.


    It was said that the Xie Family¡¯s fifth girl and seventh girl were born beautiful, especially the fifth girl. However, he felt that Xie Xun was more pleasing to the eye than Xie Zhen. Every time she looked at him with her clear and watery eyes, he could not help but want to bully her.


    He thought that their rtionship was good enough, and treated her like a little rabbit, just like the rabbit he picked up from the Mingqiu Lake¡¯s side that day. He forgot that B.Rabbit also had a temper and could get angry, so when she said ¡°I hate Big Brother Zhong Shang¡± in anger, he was actually a bit helpless.


    Should he be coaxed? How should he be coaxed?


    He had never coaxed a woman before and had thought that she would be fine in two days if he left her alone. Who would have thought that two dayster, news would spread that she was going to be engaged to Gu Yi!


    Only then did he realize that his feelings for this little girl were not simple.


    That night, he did the most disdainful thing he had ever done. He barged into her room, impatient to know what had happened from her.


    Knowing that there was still room for manoeuvre, he could not help but heave a long sigh of relief.


    He held her shoulders, and under the light her face was so smooth and exquisite that it tickled his heart. He could not help but peck her on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t marry him.¡±


    Xie Xun was so scared that she did not even react when he kissed her cheek. After reacting to his words, he hurriedly pushed him away, ¡°Hurry up and leave, you¡¯ll be seen by others!¡±


    Although he was unwilling, Zhong Shang still reluctantly walked away.


    Since then, Xie Xun had been avoiding him and ignored his invitation. Even when he was about to go to the Orchid Tomb to battle, she did not ask anyone to say a single word. In the end, it was only because he couldn¡¯t hold it in and came looking for her that she could barelye out to meet him.


    Fortunately, the little girl had the heart, so she gave him a Talisman before she left. He was wearing it on his body, maybe because of the Talisman s, he managed to escape from the de a few times. He walked under the gates of hell a few times, and when he returned to capital, he missed her a lot. Gao Xun left. He was too sad that he forgot to buy her a special product of Orchid Mountain Range. After returning home, he could only use the Cream Pancake as a substitute. It was a pity that her mother found out before he had even said a few words ¡­


    He pondered for a few days, then went back to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to pay a visit. Who would have thought that Xie Zhen would force them into a corner at thest moment and ask them to marry Xie Xun.


    ¡­ ¡­. He wanted to marry Xie Xun, and bring her home. No matter how he kissed her at night, he didn¡¯t need to worry about being discovered by others, he wanted to give her all the delicious food under the heavens, and wanted to raise her into a white and fat woman.


    As long as the people from Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion didn¡¯t agree, he could forget about getting involved with Xie Xun at all.


    If he did not immediately make his father-inw and mother-inw happy, he could only watch as Xie Xun married someone else in the future.


    Unfortunately, even if Zhong Shang used all of his strength, Madam Leng still did not have any good impressions of him.


    What¡¯s so good about Gu Yi?


    Both of Zhong Shang¡¯s legs rested on the table, as he thought about the words that Xie Zhen had praised Gu Yi for being ¡°knowledgeable and courteous¡±. Wasn¡¯t he just a schr? He had seen this kind of man before, but at the most critical moments, women still liked boorish men like him!


    Zhong Shang decided to meet Gu Yi.


    Instead of riding a horse, he rode on a horse carriage and arrived at the entrance of Grand Secretariat Gu Pce, just in time to see Gu Yi leading a jujube red stallion as she prepared to go out. Zhong Shang sat in the horse carriage and used a jade fan to raise a corner of the curtain. He looked at Gu Yi who was wearing a blue robe and a faint smile appeared on his lips.


    Want to steal his wife? It¡¯s eight hundred years early!


    Without warning, Zhong Shang got off the horse carriage and blocked Gu Yi¡¯s path. He cupped his fists and smiled, ¡°Brother Gu, where are you going?¡±


    Caught off guard, Gu Yi took a step back and bowed. ¡°So it¡¯s Brother Chong Yuan.¡±


    Chong Yuan was Zhong Shang¡¯s form of address. Normally, people would not call him that, because he was born in the army, everyone liked to call him Little General. Thus, hearing such a sudden exmation made him somewhat ufortable.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s lips curved into a smile that was not a smile, the jade fan in her hand turned around, and pointed at the entrance of the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion: ¡°You want to go out? ¡°Unfortunately, I was nning to visit your house.¡±


    Gu Yi, of course, asked, ¡°I wonder why Chong Yuan is looking for me?¡±


    He made an ¡®oh¡¯ sound and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I just heard that Brother Gu¡¯s painting is really impressive and I wanted to ask you for some advice.¡± With that, she curled her lips, and her smile suddenly became ambiguous, ¡°I fell in love with a girl and wanted to make a painting to make her happy.¡±


    That day when he barged into Xie Xun¡¯s room, he saw the painting on her wall. His heart felt like it had been knocked over. There were all kinds of vors, and most of them were filled with jealousy. He was clearly burning with jealousy, yet he still had to maintain his poise in front of Xie Xun.


    He wanted Xie Xun to take off the painting, but he didn¡¯t have a proper reason for doing so. Now that he had met Gu Yi, he was enlightened and temporarily asked Xie Xun to teach him how to make a painting.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s fame was spread far and wide, so when Gu Yi heard his words, he didn¡¯t think too much about it and only said with a guilty look on his face, ¡°Brother Chong Yuan, it¡¯s not the right time for you toe. I¡¯ve made an appointment to go out with someone, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t teach you today.¡±


    Zhong Shang casually asked: ¡°Brother Gu, who do you have an appointment with?¡±


    Gu Yi was magnanimous and answered frankly, ¡°I made an appointment with the eldest son of the Xie n to borrow a few books from my predecessors. If you aren¡¯t in a hurry,e back tomorrow. I¡¯ll be at home all day tomorrow. ¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°Xie Rong?¡±


    There were many Xie n members in capital, but the only family that had a reputation was the Xie n known as the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Gu Yi nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    His expression immediately turned ugly. Gu Yi going to the Xie n was simply borrowing books? Would he meet with Xie Xun? Was this arranged by the Madam Leng for them to meet each other?


    Seeing that he did not say anything, Gu Yi saw that it was almost time to negotiate, so he cupped his fists and said, ¡°Sorry about that.¡± He then mounted his horse and rode towards the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. Zhong Shang clenched his fists and quickly regained his senses. Gritting his teeth, he jumped onto the carriage and said to the guard driving the horse: Go to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion!


    The guard already knew what his young master was thinking and he didn¡¯t dare dy any further. He turned around and followed behind Gu Yi, arriving at Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    But at the door he stopped again.


    With what identity did he enter? What was he doing in there?


    Madam Leng already had dislike so if he rashly barged in again, she would only be unhappy. At that time, the date to marry Xie Xun would be even more distant.


    He still had this little bit of self-awareness, before Madam Leng recognized him, he had better be honest and not act rashly.


    What should he do? Should he just leave?


    He couldn¡¯t do it.


    He clearly knew that Gu Yi and Xie Xun were in the same courtyard, and that the two families had intentionally brought them together, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore them. The smile on Zhong Shang¡¯s lips had already disappeared, her thin lips were pursed into a line, as she held her jade fan and returned to the carriage. He would wait here and see when Gu Yi woulde out.


    After waiting for a while with his eyes closed, his heart was a mess. He ordered the guards outside, ¡°Go in and see if he and Seventh Miss have met.¡±


    The bodyguard had the ability to run away, it would not be difficult for him to enter the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion.


    Before long, the guard returned and reported outside the carriage, ¡°Mr. Gu has been in Eldest Young Master Xie¡¯s courtyard the entire time and has note out.¡±


    He felt slightly more at ease.


    However, the sky gradually turned dark and Yi Yi didn¡¯te out.


    In the evening, it started to drizzle. The rain hit the roof of the carriage and made a crisp ¡°ding ding-dong¡± sound. The sky darkened at once and a bolt of lightning shed. Soon after, there was a loud explosion from the horizon. The rain got heavier and heavier, as if a basin had been poured over it.


    For the third time, the guard went in to investigate. When he returned, he said, ¡°Young Master, Second Master Xie and Second Madam Xie said that the rain is too heavy, so it¡¯s not convenient for us to return now. They have to keep Mr. Gu at their residence for the night.¡±


    The veins on Zhong Shang¡¯s forehead popped out, and the hand that was holding onto the jade fan tightened and tightened. In the end, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and threw the fan far away.

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126</h4>


    Until thete night, the rain did not seem to stop. Lightning and thunder roared outside the carriage, and a lot of raindrops fell into the carriage through the curtains, hitting Zhong Shang on the face, bringing about a cool air. The guard sat on the carriage, soaked from the rain, but he didn¡¯t darein. He looked at you and asked tentatively, ¡°Young Master, are we going back?¡±


    Layers of dark clouds blocked the moon. It must be the end of the tenth century.


    Zhong Shang did not say a word the entire time, her exquisite jaw drew a cold arc, and only after a long time did she say: ¡°No.¡±


    The guard sighed and resigned himself to his fate.


    From the looks of it, he would have to wait outside for the whole night.


    At the same time, the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion was brightly lit, it was a lively scene.


    Gu Yi couldn¡¯t refuse, so he stayed for the night. If he wanted to stay, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing naturally could not ignore him. Not only did they invite him for a meal in the hall, they even had servant maids send nkets after the meal. Gu Yi was ttered and thanked him profusely. In truth, Xie Rong had a few nkets here, he could casually tidy up a room for him to live in, but the Madam Leng was too attentive, afraid that he would be wronged if there was anything that was not thoughtful.


    Gu Yi had sent someone to meet him at home earlier, saying that he would stay in the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion tonight and return tomorrow morning. Because it was raining at night, Xie Rong and Gu Yi took a rest early after washing up. The sound of rain could be heard outside the courtyard, apanied by the sound of the wind blowing. To the ears, it sounded like the sound of wailing.


    The heavy rainsted all night and did not stop until dawn.


    The courtyard was filled with shallow puddles of water while the in the porch was still dripping water. Raising his head, the sky was as clear as if it was a clean sheet of white. Xie Xun used warm water to wash her face, as she walked out of the house while wiping her face. Looking at the courtyard, she asked: ¡°Mr. Gu rested at Big Brother¡¯s cest night?¡±


    She had slept earlyst night, and hadn¡¯t even gone to the front hall for dinner. It was this morning that she had heard servant maids speak. When he heard this news, he couldn¡¯t help but rejoice that he had slept early ¡­ If he hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, he would definitely have been called out by his mother for dinner. At that time, it would have been very awkward facing Gu Yi.


    Her father and mother wanted to pair her up with Gu Yi, so she knew. She had seen Gu Yi a few times and knew that he was a graceful, noble, and elegant young master. In the past, when they were able to meet openly, it was all her parents¡¯ fault for wanting her to marry him. It was so much that now, when she saw him, she felt unnatural.


    Thinking about it, Xie Xun sighed, and handed the handkerchief over to servant maids. Fortunately, Gu Yi left early this morning, and they didn¡¯t have a chance to meet.


    After changing his clothes, Xie Xun walked towards the front to eat breakfast. Looking around, there was only Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. It seemed that Gu Yi had indeed left.


    ¡°Did Ah Xun sleep wellst night?¡± Madam Leng scooped a prawn dumpling into her bowl.


    Xie Xun liked to eat shrimp dumplings the most. She could eat seven or eight of those in one go. Looking at the table, there were quite a few dishes that she loved to eat. She forgot about the depression caused by Gu Yi staying the night. She picked up a dumpling and dipped it in sauce before taking a bite and saying, ¡°Sure!¡±


    When Madam Leng saw her greedy look, she could not help butugh: ¡°Look at your greedy look ¡­ Did you sleepst night without eating? ¡±


    She bit the dumpling and nodded her head, blinking her big eyes. ¡°I was tired, so I went to sleep early.¡± She was afraid that the Madam Leng would talk about Gu Yi so she quickly changed the topic, ¡°Big brother didn¡¯t wake up yet?¡±


    Unfortunately, the conversation failed. Madam Leng shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered some people to call him. He probably hasn¡¯t woken up yet. You didn¡¯t know that Mr. Gu was staying at our residence when you fell asleep yesterday. Maybe the two of them spoke a littlete. ¡±


    Xie Xun buried herself in the silence, concentrating on eating her breakfast without saying another word.


    Just because she did not speak did not mean that Madam Leng would let her go. Her children¡¯s wedding had always been a big matter in her heart, out of the three children, only Xie Zhen had smoothly married off, the most important thing was to not let her worry, the other two were more worried than the rest. Xie Xun was 16 years old and had not gotten married yet. Even though Xie Rong was 23 years old, if he continued to drag things on, it would bring about trouble!


    Madam Leng asked indirectly: ¡°You have also seen the Mr. Gu, what is your impression of him? I saw a painting in your room with his private seal on it. When did you get to know each other? ¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s face immediately flushed red, the hand holding the chopsticks stopped in midair, and in the end, she still stubbornly picked up the three silverear dishes, and exined as she ate: ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted ¡­ It was brother who asked for it for me. I don¡¯t have much of a rtionship with Mr. Gu, Mother, don¡¯t think too much. ¡±


    At a time like this, of course she had to use his big brother as a shield.


    Hearing that, Madam Leng¡¯s face revealed disappointment, ¡°I think that this Mr. Gu is pretty good.¡±


    The more she said, the more she felt that she couldn¡¯t continue listening to her anymore. Xie Xun hurriedly bit her lips and picked herself up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m full. Father, Mother, please sit for a while. I will be going back first.¡±


    With that, she turned around and left, with the intention of fleeing.


    Madam Leng hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t go, what¡¯s the rush! I still have something for you. ¡±


    She stopped by the door and asked in puzzlement, ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡±


    Madam Leng took a bright red intertwined lotus flower pattern box from servant maid¡¯s hands and handed it over to her. ¡°Ronger still hasn¡¯te, I¡¯m worried that the food will get cold soon. Take these to his courtyard.¡±


    Xie Xun obediently received it, ¡°Oh.¡± It wasn¡¯t a big deal to give her big brother a meal. It wasn¡¯t something like this in the past, so she agreed without thinking too much.


    Xie Rong¡¯s courtyard was called Star Seizing Department. The distance between them was a little far, so they had to pass through two long walkways and a path filled with gingko trees. As Xie Xun walked along the road, she thought that Gu Yi should have left already, right? It¡¯s already been sote, did he still want to stay for lunch if you don¡¯t leave? Well, now that she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t so nervous anymore.


    Arriving at the Star Embracing Courtyard, Xie Xun went straight to the main room, skipped over the threshold and said crisply, ¡°Big Brother, Mother wants me to bring you breakfast!¡±


    As soon as she said that, she was stunned.


    Where was my brother? Only Gu Yi was sitting on the Eight Immortals¡¯ chair. His face was a little pale, and when he saw her, he stood up and bowed. ¡°Seventh Miss.¡±


    Embarrassed, she opened her mouth and replied, ¡°Oh ¡­ Mr. Gu still hasn¡¯t left? ¡±


    With that, she looked around, but did not see Xie Rong. She stood there awkwardly, but it was not good for her to turn around and leave. She could only find something for herself to do. She ced the food box on the square table beside her and ordered the dishes inside one by one. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡±


    Gu Yi said apologetically, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m not afraid of your jokes. I spent the night here and woke up feeling dizzy. I must have caught a cold.¡± Yong Chang just went to prepare the carriage, and I was just about to return home, to bother you all for an entire night, I am truly sorry. ¡±


    Xie Xun softly eximed, because the other party was a guest. She still had to do it with face, no matter what, she had to look out for her, ¡°Are you alright? Would you like a doctor? ¡±


    He smiled and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor ailment, so there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡±


    Xie Xun did not try to force him, as she lowered her head to see the Huntuns on the table. she then personally scooped up a bowl and brought it to servant maid, and let the servant maid bring to him, ¡°You have never used a morning meal, right? Do you want to drink a bowl of wontons? The cooking skills of our family¡¯s cooks are very good, and the cooking is very delicious. ¡±


    Gu Yi suffered from the cold and had no appetite at the moment. However, seeing the passionate look on the girl¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t bear to ignore her good intentions. Therefore, he picked up a spoonful of wonton and put it in his mouth. His skin was thin and tender, and his flesh melted in his mouth. Indeed, the taste was not bad. He smiled as he praised, ¡°It really is delicious.¡±


    Xie Xun smiled, ¡°Then eat more.¡±


    Thus, the two of them sat there, one eating wonton while the other held onto his face, bored out of his mind. Fortunately, Xie Rong didn¡¯t make them wait much longer and returned very quickly. He gestured to Gu Yi, ¡°The carriage is ready, I¡¯ll send you out.¡±


    Gu Yi put down his blue and white porcin bowl. ¡°Thank you, Brother Yongchang.¡±


    Since the guests had to leave, as the host, she naturally had to send them off. Xie Xun followed behind Madam Leng and Xie Liqing, and watched Gu Yi get on the carriage. Only then did she turn around and return to the manor. Before him leaving, her mother even said to Gu Yi, ¡°I will be going to the Temple of Precious Elephant to burn some incense in two days. Go back and help me ask if your hall is free. The first young master can also apany you. ¡±


    Thest sentence was the main point, as Mother did everything she could to get her to work with Gu Yi.


    Xie Xun¡¯s face turned red at the back, if not for the two families¡¯ face, she would have turned and left a long time ago. But now, it¡¯s all right. That day Mother Xiang would definitely call her over. Should she go or not?


    As Xie Xun was feeling vexed, the gatekeeper ran to her side and bowed respectfully. ¡°Miss, there is someone looking for you outside.¡±


    Xie Xun stopped, ¡°Who¡¯s looking for me?¡±


    She looked ahead, Madam Leng and Xie Liqing had already walked far away and did not hear the servant¡¯s words.


    The servant lowered his head, and spoke in a mysterious manner: ¡°It¡¯s someone from General Zhong¡¯s residence, I heard that Miss Zhong Rou wishes to see you.¡±


    Zhong Rou and Xie Xun¡¯s rtionship was extremely close. Xie Xun would often go to the Zhong Residence, and Zhong Rou would also send people to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to pick her up. So even though she did not make a promise before, Xie Xun did not suspect now. She only thought that Zhong Rou came to find her because she had something on his mind. She turned around and walked out, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite Big Sister Zhong Rou in? It¡¯s been raining outside. It¡¯s so cold. ¡±


    The attendantughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Miss Zhong, but Miss Zhong said it would be inconvenient for her to enter. Please go over and meet her.¡±


    Xie Xun tilted his head, what¡¯s so inconvenient about it? It wasn¡¯t like Sister Zhong Rou hadn¡¯te here before.


    As she turned back to the door, she saw a carriage with a t roof and a golden embroidered curtain that was soaked through. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been waiting for her to arrive. She hurriedly walked forward, and stood outside and called out: ¡°Big Sister Zhong Rou, aren¡¯t you going to follow me into the Pce?¡±


    There was no sound from the carriage, so she called out again, ¡°Sister Zhong Rou?¡±


    Did he fall asleep from waiting?


    The servant maid put down her pedals, she stepped onto the carriage and opened the curtain, ¡°servant said that you had something to talk to me about ¡­¡± The mood of the carriage was rather gloomy, with a tinge of rain and moisture. Before she could finish speaking, she had no strength to pull herself into her embrace, immediately crashing into a pair of firm chests.


    Zhong Shang held her tightly, the hot air spraying on her neck as he asked softly, ¡°What did you tell Gu Yi?¡±

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127</h4>


    The girl¡¯s waist was slender and soft, smoothing the mood he had been waiting for the entire night. However, he was still furious. He sat in the carriage and watched her send Gu Yi out of the mansion. He didn¡¯t know what Madam Leng had said, but she was blushing and looked pretty.


    What did they do through the night? Did you meet? Or said a few words?


    He admitted that he was furious with jealousy and wanted to snatch her on the spot. That sweet smile was his, that soft figure was his, and every move of hers was his. Only he could love her and care about her. Why should Gu Yi do it? Did he like Xie Xun too? Had he kissed her? Did he know how sweet she was?


    He sat in the carriage all night waiting, and all night he did not close his eyes. As long as he closed his eyes, the scene of her and Gu Yi together would automatically appear in front of him. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he had tortured himself for the whole night. He had a terrible headache now, but he couldn¡¯t bear to let go of her. He wanted to just swallow her up or tie her up and go home and love her and make her smell like him.


    The little girl was terrified, her face a little pale, her charming voice trembling in his embrace: ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang?¡±


    Zhong Shang rubbed her neck. The beard that grew overnight pricked her delicate skin, making her feel ambiguous and charming. However, he purposely wanted her to feel him, to let her know that she was unable to escape his shackles. ¡°Ah Xun, tell me, what did you talk with Gu Yi?¡±


    He had always been brooding over this problem. Too many things could happen tonight, and if he wasn¡¯t careful, she would be taken away by Gu Yi.


    Xie Xun ufortably pulled back, but when he ced his hand on her waist, the moment she moved, he tightened his grip. Thatrge hand paused ambiguously between her waist and her buttocks. She was afraid that he would reach down, so even though her eyes were red with anxiety, she did not dare to move again. He didn¡¯t say anything ¡­ I fell asleep when he came yesterday. ¡±


    Although Xie Xun was simple, she was not stupid. Although it was true that there was nothing between her and Gu Yi, she could not speak the truth and provoke him. Who knew if he would do something even more out of line. He just didn¡¯t know why he would appear here ¡­ To even use the name of Big Sister Zhong Rou to meet him, she thought that he must have lied to her. To think that she would foolishly fall for it. What a fool she was.


    Zhong Shang didn¡¯t believe her words at all. If she really didn¡¯t speak, why would she personally send Gu Yi out? He took her waist in both hands and put her in hisp. She was so small, she looked like a child in his arms. His breath was hot against her forehead. ¡°Liar.¡±


    Xie Xun was stunned, she did not expect to be discovered so quickly, her eyeballs rolled around, and she did not look at him, ¡°Why is Big Brother Zhong Shang here? Where¡¯s Sister Zhong Rou? ¡±


    He stared at her pink and tender face, and couldn¡¯t help but kiss her nose. ¡°She didn¡¯te, I lied to you.¡±


    Unexpectedly honest.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Xie Xun said as she shielded his face, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang, don¡¯t be like this. If you have nothing to do with me, I¡¯ll be going back ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s intention was clear enough, she would be a fool if she was not clear. However, she couldn¡¯t say what she felt for him. She didn¡¯t hate his touch, but she didn¡¯t want him to easily get his way.


    It was unknown what words had provoked him, but just as he was about to get off the car, he ruthlessly grabbed back and mmed into his chest. Before he could even react, his mouth was blocked. His strength was a bit too strong. He moved around on her lips a few times, not like kissing, but like a beast biting someone, wanting to tear her apart and eat her into its stomach.


    Xie Xun opened her eyes wide in shock. He took the opportunity while she was lost in thought to nimbly poke his tongue in.


    Xie Xun never knew that the two of them could still stick together like this. He wanted to snatch everything that upied her, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t even have a single way out. After a while, she waspletely tasted by him. His breath was still on her lips and teeth. Only then did she realize that his body was unbearably hot. Even his breath was hot. She felt as if a fire had rushed into her mouth, burning her whole body.


    There was no longer any sound in the carriage, only the charming sound of lips and tongue colliding.


    The servant maid outside the carriage finally noticed that something was amiss. She wanted to go up and take a look, but she was stopped by Zhong Shang¡¯s bodyguards. Angry and anxious, she called out a few ¡°girl¡± to the carriage, but there was no response.


    The servant maid stood outside and asionally heard the girl¡¯s whimpering. Her voice was soft, like a kitten¡¯s scratching at the bottom of its heart.


    The servant maid was getting more and more anxious!


    Wasn¡¯t the one sitting inside Miss Zhong Rou? Who was that?


    No one knew how much time had passed before Xie Xun¡¯s lips werepletely numb from his gnawing. Then,she leaned over and weakly fell on the couch at the side.


    Xie Xun lifted her sleeves to wipe her mouth. It was all his smell, and her heart was beating wildly, as she didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with tender spring, and her watery eyes could arouse the affection of others. His first thought was to run, but when he turned his head, he saw that Zhong Shang was lying down with his eyes closed, breathing hard. His handsome eyebrows were tightly knitted, making him look as if he was in extreme pain.


    She remembered the abnormal temperature that he had given her. She stopped for a moment, bit her lip and sat back down. She reached out to touch his forehead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Zhong Shang was burning so much that he could not even think of leaving, he raised his hand to grab her wrist, ¡°Ah Xun, Ah Xun ¡­.¡±


    Xie Xun pulled twice, but was unable to pull it back, ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me, I¡¯m going back. ¡±


    He opened his eyes with difficulty to look at her, and there was a kind of stubborn insistence in his eyes, which threatened her with words: ¡°You are not allowed to marry Gu Yi. If you dare to marry him, I will never forgive you. ¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s heart was in a panic, he did not know whether it was because of the deep affection in his eyes, or because of the threat he posed, but he hurriedly pushed his hand away and got off the carriage, ¡°You don¡¯t need to care.¡±


    No matter what it was, his brain must have been burnt!


    She stood up and left, not caring about the fact that he was in a daze due to the fire. She lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage, grabbing onto the servant maid¡¯s hands as she walked towards the manor, as if there was a ghost chasing after her.


    The servant maid did not understand and stumbled to catch up, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong? What happened? Who was in the carriage? ¡±


    She did not even turn her head, not wanting to answer, but she was afraid that servant maids would speak in front of her, so she calmed down and told her: ¡°It¡¯s big sister Zhong Rou. She said a few words to me, don¡¯t ask anymore.¡±


    The servant maid felt that something was amiss. If it was Lady Zhong Rou, why did she seem so panicked? Seeing that Xie Xun was not willing to talk about it, he swallowed his suspicions back into his stomach and agreed.


    Walking back to the Jade Yard, she didn¡¯t dare meet the Madam Leng and Xie Liqing. She buried her head in her own room, chasing away all the servant maids inside and outside, and stayed inside the house by herself.


    Xie Xun sat in front of the bronze mirror, looking at herself in the mirror with anger and shame.


    Even her mouth was swollen from Zhong Shang¡¯s bite, who knew where he had gotten so much strength from, how she was going to face himter?


    At the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, the guards had been waiting outside for a long time not hearing Zhong Shang¡¯s orders, they could not help but raise the curtain and ask: ¡°Young Master, where do you n to go next?¡±


    Zhong Shang lied there, panting heavily, obviously unconscious.


    The guard was shocked and hurriedly went over to look at his forehead. It was unexpectedly shockingly hot!


    It had rained all night and there was no coals in the wagon to keep him warm. He must have caught the cold, because the fire had struck his heart. Zhong Shang did not usually get sick easily, and his body was extremely healthy. It was precisely because of this that he became sick in his entire life.


    The guard did not dare dy any longer and hurriedly sat back on the carriage, tightly holding the reins, and returned in the direction of the general¡¯s manor.


    Since Zhong Shang had not returned for an entire night, it was inevitable that he and Mrs Liu would ask each other a few questions. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t without examples in the past, so they weren¡¯t suspicious at all. However, when she saw that her son was suffering from such a serious illness, Lady Liu quickly called for a doctor. Her heart ached greatly and she severely punished the guard.


    Zhong Shang lied on the bed for an entire day and night. He woke up a few times during that time and quickly fell asleep again.


    He always dreamed of Xie Xun, of how she would obediently call him ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang¡±, of how she would personally peel his lotus seed, of how she would pant in his arms while she would turn around and leave ¡­ She was so cruel. He was so sick and she didn¡¯t care about him at all.


    There was an empty spot on his chest, he had never felt depressed before, and the moment he thought about Xie Xun, he felt pain. He had never felt this way before, worrying about a woman¡¯s personal gains and losses.


    How can I get her? He wanted her, and the feeling grew stronger.


    After he recovered, Zhong Shang sat on the bed and thought for the whole day. After two consecutive days of illness, her appearance was a little haggard, no longer as handsome and heroic as before.


    If Mrs Liu knew that her precious son had been tortured like this by a word ¡®love¡¯, who knows how she would feel ¡­ Since Zhong Shang did not tell her about it, he believed he had the ability to resolve the matter between him and Xie Xun. It would not be toote to convince Madam Leng and Xie Liqing then.


    Just as he was thinking, the guard who followed him outst time to be punished, Zhao Quan, walked in and saw no one around him. ¡°Young Master, the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡¯s female servant is going to the Precious Elephant Temple to burn incense today.


    When Zhong Shang heard this, his eyes turned cold, ¡°Gu Yi is going?¡±


    The guard said, ¡°He will probably send Madam Gu to the top of the mountain.¡±


    His thin lips curled up in a mocking arc, and his beautiful peach blossom eyes finally had some life, but it was filled with ruthlessness. ¡°Prepare the horse, he dares to steal my woman? I won¡¯t kill him! ¡±


    Zhao Quan hesitated a little, ¡°But your body just so happens to be ¡­¡±


    He got out of bed and put on the indigo persimmon robe he¡¯d been wearing since he¡¯d woken up. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s better now.¡±


    Zhao Quan looked at him. He wanted to say something, but he hesitated. In the end, he still followed his instructions obediently.


    This time, he didn¡¯t let Lady Liu know of his departure. He quietly left the mansion through the back door and headed straight for the Precious Elephant Temple. If the Liu Family found out that he was sick and was about to go out, they would ask around even if they didn¡¯t stop him. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to exin anything now, he just wanted to find Xie Xun and keep her at a distance from Gu Yi!


    The Treasure Elephant Temple was at the top of the mountain about thirty miles outside of the city. It was thergest temple in the capital and was specially used for offering incense and buddhist services to the families of court officials. Therefore, the road up the mountain was especially clean and unobstructed. Not long after Zhong Shang had walked up, he saw the carriages of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and the Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion in front of him.


    At least Gu Yi and Xie Rong were walking right in front, and the two of them stood tall and straight, each of them protecting a group of horse carriages. They would asionally say a few words, and very quickly, they arrived at the top of the mountain.


    Zhong Shang slowed his horse¡¯s speed and emotionlessly followed the two families¡¯ carriages, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far. No one in front of him had noticed him. He waited until the Xie and Gu Families had settled down in the temple, then spurred his horse to follow them again.


    Gu Yi was at the door conversing with a host when he turned his head and saw a familiar figure. He greeted in surprise, ¡°Chong Yuan also came to offer incense?¡±


    Zhong Shang jumped down from the horse¡¯s back, and led the horse over to him. He smirked, ¡°Brother Gu, you¡¯re also like that? ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    Gu Yi felt that his smile was a little strange, as if he was gritting his teeth when he spoke. But then he thought, maybe he was worrying too much, he and Zhong Shang had no enmity with each other, there was no need for him to be so angry. He cupped his fists and said passionately: ¡°That¡¯s right, mother and Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion¡¯s Mistress Xie came to the temple together to burn incense and I escorted them here. I never expected to meet them here.¡± ¡°I have some friendship with the host here. Would Chong Yuan like to stay the night here? Why not I get someone to prepare a room for you?¡±


    Zhong Shang did not reject, ¡°Then thank you very much.¡±


    He and Gu Yi walked side by side into the backyard of the Precious Elephant Temple. There were not many people along the way, so the two families should be praying for good fortune on top of the Main Hall. Zhong Shang led his horse and casually asked: ¡°Is the Gu family on good terms with the Xie family? ¡°They even want toe along with this kind of thing that¡¯s just like burning incense.¡±


    Gu Yi lightly smiled, and replied in a normal manner: ¡°It¡¯s probably because my mother and Madam Xie are more suited to each other.¡±


    He coldly snorted in his heart and no longer asked.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s room was very close to Gu Yi. The two rooms were next to each other with only one wall separating them. After Zhong Shang entered the house, he waited inside for two hours before he heard a voice from in front of him. Presumably, the Xie n and Gu n women who had finished burning incense had returned.

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128</h4>


    Amongst the many voices, Zhong Shang instantly recognized the one that belonged solely to Xie Xun.


    The young girl¡¯s voice was sweet and pleasant, even more pleasant than the oriole bird on the tree. She excitedly asked Madam Leng, ¡°Mother, is the fast food here delicious? When are we going to have our fast food? ¡±


    Madam Leng grudgingly said, ¡°You just want to eat. You didn¡¯t even put your heart into offering Buddha incense just now. What are you thinking with your head lowered? ¡±


    She stopped and replied with a guilty conscience, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of anything ¡­¡±


    When she made that wish in front of Buddha, for some reason, she suddenly thought of Zhong Shang¡¯s face. Thest time he had such a bad fever, I wonder if it¡¯s ready now? Did you burn your brain?


    Since she came, she would ask Buddha to protect Zhong Shang and help him recover quickly. Although he kissed her to the point of hating her, and her mouth swelled up all night after she returned, and her tongue hurt for a long time, she still hoped that he would be healthy and full of life.


    Madam Leng tapped her forehead, ¡°You ¡­.¡± Sheined, but her eyes were filled with love, ¡°It¡¯s time to find someone to manage it properly.¡±


    Xie Xun held her forehead and moaned, she looked at Madam Leng aggrievedly, ¡°What did Mother say?¡±


    Mrs Liuughed and pulled Xie Xun over, she rubbed her forehead and said: ¡°Look at you, I like Ah Xun¡¯s gluttony, it¡¯s so rare. If you¡¯re not willing to take care of it, why don¡¯t you let me take her home?¡±


    Liu Shi Tong had two children, one was Gu Yi and the other Gu Ruyi. These two children were not easy to feed when they were little. They would not eat even if they did not eat. Who knew how much effort it took for the Liu n to raise them? Therefore, Liu Shi Ge really liked Xie Xun who could eat and feed well. She felt that being able to eat was a blessing, and the children she had in the future would definitely be as easy to support as she was.


    Both families had thoughts of marriage in their minds, and these days they moved more and more closely together. Mrs Liu nned to go down the mountain this time and get someone to send her a birthday present for her. If she had settled this marriage earlier, she and Madam Leng would be at ease.


    Xie Xun heard and slowed down her pace.


    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t make out the meaning behind Lady Liu¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t want to marry Gu Yi ¡­ She didn¡¯t have any feelings for Gu Yi. At most, she treated him as a caring brother. If she were to marry him, it would be different. But right now, in front of everyone, she could not speak frankly, even if she did, Madam Leng might not listen to her opinion.


    Her opinion might not be so important as the words of her parents and matchmakers.


    If she didn¡¯t want to marry Gu Yi, then who did she want to marry? Zhong Shang? Xie Xun frowned as she thought about it. She didn¡¯t hate him when he kissed her, did that mean she liked him too? But Mother would definitely not agree to the marriage with the Zhong Family.


    Just as she was thinking this, the water chestnut door to the room on the left opened. Gu Yi appeared in the crowd¡¯s line of sight, wearing a green robe. He bowed to everyone and said, ¡°Mother, thank you Madam.¡±


    He was reading in his room, so when he heard the noise outside, he put down the book and opened the door to greet the crowd.


    He walked in front of them and said with a smile, ¡°The Ramadan of the Temple of Precious Elephant is indeed the best, but it is only provided for breakfast. If Little Sister Ah Xun wants to eat fast food here, I¡¯m afraid that she will have to wait until the morning of the next day. ¡±


    It was obvious that he was listening to their conversation.


    Xie Xun hid in the crowd, silently hiding behind Madam Leng, struggling between eating and not eating for a long time, ¡°I ¡­¡±


    She wanted to have a fast meal, but she didn¡¯t want to be with Gu Yi.


    There¡¯s my mom and brother in this temple, so it should be fine to stay for the night, right? However, she didn¡¯t know that while she was hesitating, Zhong Shang was lying on the bamboo bed near the window. He had one leg bent, and his left hand covered most of his face, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.


    In the end, the Madam Leng still made the decision for her, ¡°Then let us stay here for the night, coincidentally there is a maple leaf forest at the back of the mountain, and at this time, the scenery is always beautiful. If there is nothing in the afternoon, we can still go there to pass the time.¡± With that, she turned to Xie Xun and asked, ¡°What does Ah Xun think?¡±


    She pondered for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to my mother.¡±


    From the other room on the left came a ¡°kacha¡± sound. It seemed to be the sound of bamboo breaking.


    The few of them were startled, then the Madam Leng asked: ¡°Who is living in this room?¡±


    Gu Yi thought about how they were all female and how there were even a few girls who had yet to leave the pavilion. This was not convenient for Zhong Shang toe out, so he only said, ¡°He is one of my friends.¡±


    Madam Leng nodded and did not ask further.


    Since they had already decided to stay, Gu Yi would ask the host to arrange a ce for them to stay. Fortunately there were a lot of guest rooms in backyard, so staying one night with the two families was not a problem. Xie Xun and Madam Leng each took one room, which was a distance away from Gu Yi and Zhong Shang¡¯s room.


    After eating lunch, Xie Xun rested in her room for a while. They had initially nned to go to the back mountain to see the Maple Forest, but for some reason the Madam Leng suddenly changed her mind and refused to go. Xie Xun was greatly disappointed, she could only go and find Gu Ruyi, but luckily Gu Ruyi agreed to go with her, and had one condition: ¡°My brother also likes the maple tree, why don¡¯t we call him along?¡±


    Xie Xun cried out, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not good ¡­¡±


    As for why it wasn¡¯t good, she couldn¡¯t say.


    Just like this, the two youngdies arrived at Gu Yi¡¯s room. Gu Ruyi knocked on the door and entered.


    ¡­ ¡­. Would it be toote to go back on her word? She had clearly invited Elder Sister Ru Yi, so if she didn¡¯t go now, wouldn¡¯t she be angry?


    Xie Xun¡¯s delicate eyebrows were knitted, and she was at a loss as to what to do.


    She thought that it was Gu Ruyi and Gu Yi who hade out. Just as she was about to turn around, a big hand covered her mouth, and brought her to the next room.


    Xie Xun was about to scream, but the other party held her back against the water chestnut door and leaned over to look at her: ¡°You guys want to go to the back of the mountain to see the maple leaves?¡±


    The face in front of him was extremely familiar, with sharp eyebrows and clear eyes ¡ª Zhong Shang?


    Xie Xun opened her eyes wide in shock. She did not understand why he would appear here, and why he would kidnap her inside the house. She noticed that hisplexion wasn¡¯t too good. It had only been two days, but he seemed to have lost a lot of weight. Even his eyes had turned dark under his eyes, as if he hadn¡¯t slept well for the past two days. It was like holding her hand like an iron pincer. It was so tight that it made her feel like she was being strangled.


    ¡°Why is Big Brother Zhong Shang here?¡± Her sandalwood mouth slightly opened,pletely astonished.


    Zhong Shang lowered his head, bit her lip, and repeatedly kissed her lips, ¡°I want to see you, Ah Xun ¡­ Do you know how much I want to see you? ¡±


    You heartless little thing, what was she doing when he thought of her that way? She was actually going to have a private meeting with another man?


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more he couldn¡¯t help but increase the power of kissing her. Biting her, licking her, messing with her, turning her into his. Xie Xun was unable to resist, she struggled in his embrace and resisted, but that bit of strength was insignificant to him. It was like a kitten acting coquettishly, timid and cowardly, making him want to love her even more.


    The door next door opened, and Gu Ruyi and Gu Yi walked out. They looked around but did not see any trace of Xie Xun.


    Gu Ruyi let out a strange ¡°eh¡±, and called out to Ah Xun a few times, but she did not get a reply. ¡°Why did the person who was here just a moment ago suddenly disappear?¡±


    Thus, she began to search the surroundings.


    At the same time, Xie Xun was pressed on the door as she endured his intense kiss. She heard Ru Yi¡¯s sister¡¯s voice, but she dared not make a sound, not even a whimper. She was afraid that Ruyi¡¯s elder sister would discover that she was in Zhong Shang¡¯s room, and that the two of them were even doing such a shameful thing ¡­ If this got to her mother¡¯s ears, it would not be as simple as just a scolding or two.


    She tried to pry open Zhong Shang¡¯s irregr palm and said with a voice as soft as a mosquito, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang, don¡¯t ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang finally let go of her lips, lowered his head, and stuck close to her smooth neck, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Ah Xun, don¡¯t go to see the maple tree.¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s heart almost jumped out from her throat, her eyes filled with tears, ¡°Let go of me first ¡­¡±


    Outside, Gu Ruyi and Gu Yi had not left yet, but Gu Yi had even knocked on Zhong Shang¡¯s door, ¡°Chong Yuan, have you ever seen a girl pass by?¡±


    Zhong Shang said hoarsely, and after a long while, she said, ¡°No.¡±


    Xie Xun was so scared that she did not even dare to make a single sound.


    After Gu Yi¡¯s footsteps disappeared in the distance, Zhong Shang buried himself in her neck and asked hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go, you¡¯re not allowed to go to the back of the mountain, okay?¡±


    Even after waiting for a long time, the little girl still did not reply.


    He raised his head and saw that Xie Xun¡¯s tears were flowing down, and in a blink of an eye,rge droplets of them had fallen from her eyes. She wept silently, looking extremely pitiful. She grabbed his sleeve and nodded in fear andpromise. ¡°All right, all right.¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s heart clenched as he felt extremely guilty. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks with extreme pity. But the more he wiped her, the more she cried and left him, and in the end he had no choice but to lower his head and eat her tears one by one, not even letting go of her eyshes, until she forgot to cry, blinking her big watery eyes, ¡°No, itchy¡­¡±


    He held her, his voice heavy with longing. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Ah Xun, I won¡¯t hurt you, I just like you too much. ¡°

 Chapter 129

    <h4>Chapter 129</h4>


    The noise outside the house finally quietened down as Gu Ruyi and Gu Yi left. Xie Xun rxed and took a deep breath. Her red eyes stared at Zhong Shang with a questioning look.


    This was the first time Zhong Shang expressed his love to this girl. He blurted this out just now in order to coax her into a corner. Even so, he still hugged her tightly and refused to let go.


    Xie Xun blinked her eyes and stopped crying. She was silent for a moment and then said angrily: ¡°Liar!¡±


    Zhong Shang stiffened as he let go of her. He cupped her small face that was the size of a palm and asked, ¡°How did I lie?¡±


    It was true that he liked her, but it was true that he wanted her. He had never liked a woman so much before!


    Xie Xun was lower than him, her height had just reached his chest, and he had to bend in order to be on the same level as her. But he didn¡¯t mind bending down in front of her. As long as she was happy, he would do whatever she wanted.


    Xie Xun¡¯s pink lips ttened, her voice still carried a hint of soft crying tone, ¡°sis said that you¡¯re not sincere to me, you¡¯re just trying to trick me, to bully me, that¡¯s all.¡± After she finished speaking, she lowered her head to wipe her tears, and then raised her head again, only leaving a stubborn look in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not easy to deceive, and also not easy to bully. Big brother Zhong Shang don¡¯t look for me, look for someone else.¡±


    Zhong Shang choked, his breath stuck in his throat, unable to go down! What was her family talking about? When did he want to y with her? The only thing that hung on her body was the fact that he almost dug it out for her to see! Did she always think so of him? No wonder she was so resistant every time he kissed her.


    Zhong Shang finally knew where the reason came from. There were many misunderstandings between them, if he did not make things clear, he would never be able to get his hands on a wife in this life.


    Zhong Shang¡¯s rough fingers touched her tears and he told her earnestly: ¡°If Big Brother Zhong Shang doesn¡¯t want to find anyone, he likes you.¡±


    Xie Xun looked up in surprise.


    He held her hand and led her inside the house to the Arhat Bed. He untied the Talisman and ced it on her palm. Ah Xun, I came back to marry you. I truly and sincerely like you, what about you? ¡±


    Xie Xun did not ept it, and stared at her own palm in a daze, ¡°What about me?¡±


    He caressed the side of her face, his voice as gentle as it ever was, like the coaxing tail of a wolf. ¡°Do you like me?¡±


    Xie Xun only felt that the thing in her hands was a thousand kilograms. Since it was already given to him, why did he still return it? She shook her head like a rattle. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    As he spoke, he ced the items on the redcquer table, turned around, and was about to leave.


    Big sister Ruyi couldn¡¯t find her, so she must have gone back to ask Amma. She had to go back quickly!


    But before she had taken two steps, Zhong Shang hugged her from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder, ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? You can say it, and I¡¯ll tell you. ¡±


    ¡­ ¡­. How could anyone do that!


    Xie Xun wanted to pry his hand away, but as a martial artist who had fought on the battlefield before, the strength of his hand was not something a little girl like her couldpare to. She bit her lips in frustration and scolded softly, ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang is a coward.¡±


    Unfortunately, this naughty rabbit was not a threat at all. Hearing this, his heart softened. He did not expect that the little white rabbit would scold him. He grinned and said, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Xie Xun thought about it, ¡°¡­ Dirty. ¡±


    He wasn¡¯t angry at all. On the contrary, he was addicted to listening to her scolding. He was even willing to be scolded by her. ¡°What else?¡±


    She gritted her teeth, ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Zhong Shang subconsciously touched his face. Still here, not afraid. He took hold of her shoulder and turned her around to face him, grinning mischievously.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s face flushed red.


    Seeing that she was about to get angry from embarrassment, Zhong Shang immediately raised his hands in surrender, ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say it.¡±


    He also knew that he couldn¡¯t stay with her for too long. If he kept staying here for too long, it would arouse suspicion. However, in the end, he couldn¡¯t bear to leave her. In the end, he sped her shoulders and said solemnly: ¡°Ah Xun, I want to marry you. You just wait for me, don¡¯t get too close to Gu Yi. ¡±


    He wanted to marry her, but did her mother agree? Mother never liked him.


    As if he could see through her thoughts, Zhong Shang patted her on the head and said, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang will definitely have a way.¡±

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130</h4>


    Coming out of Zhong Shang¡¯s room, Xie Xun crept back to the courtyard in front. She had never been so sneaky before, so she was caught red-handed.


    ¡°Ah Xun, where did you go?¡±


    A clear and calm voice came from behind, she shrugged and turned, only to see Xie Rong standing a few steps away with his eyebrows furrowed.


    She guiltily said, ¡°Big brother ¡­ I, I didn¡¯t go anywhere ¡­¡±


    Xie Rong looked at her fixedly beforeing to her, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go with Miss Gu to the back of the mountain? ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± The three siblings had grown up together, so it was very easy to guess the mood of Xie Xun. She had written all of her thoughts on her face, and right now, it was obvious that she had done something bad, which made it hard for Xie Rong not to be suspicious.


    Xie Xun lowered her head, not daring to look to Big Brother¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡­ Big Sister Ru Yi wants to call Young Master Gu over, I suddenly don¡¯t want to go ¡­ ¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she was lying, it was indeed because she didn¡¯t want to go at the moment when Gu Ruyi wanted to call Gu Yi. When she saw big sister Ru Yiter, she would just say it like that!


    Xie Xun felt that she was very smart, immersed in her own agility, even did not realize that Xie Rong¡¯ gaze was gloomy.


    Xie Rong looked at her and suddenly asked: ¡°Why is your mouth swollen?¡±


    Xie Xun opened her eyes wide, subconsciously she covered her mouth and took a few steps back, ¡°What did brother say?¡±


    Seeing that Xie Rong was walking over expressionlessly, she raised her hand to try and see what was going on. She quickly retreated and casually made an excuse: ¡°I miss my mother, I¡¯m going to look for my mother!¡±


    He disappeared like a wisp of smoke.


    Xie Rong stood still and stared at her back for a long time. In the end, he turned and walked in the direction that Xie Xun hade from. There weren¡¯t many guest rooms in the backyard of the Precious Elephant Temple, and when the male and female guests stayed separately, Xie Xun had obviouslye from the male guest rooms. Thinking of this, Xie Rong¡¯s face became extremely ugly.


    After taking a few steps, he passed through a moon cave door. In front of him was a cobblestone path. On the right was a guest room, and on the left was a gingko tree.


    Xie Rong suddenly stopped and looked at the person leaning on the in the porch in front of him.


    Zhong Shang was dressed in a blue silk robe with his head lowered, waving the lucky Talisman in the air. A faint smile appeared on his lips, not the casual and naughty smile from before, but a sincere pleasure. Xie Rong stood under the ginkgo tree and nced at the lucky Talisman in his hands. It was something that belonged to Xie Xun and she had once worn it close to his body.


    Looks like it isn¡¯t hard to guess what just happened here.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Zhong Shang saw someone walking in, and he tilted his head to look. The instant his eyes met Xie Rong¡¯s gaze, he raised his eyebrows, and it was only for a moment, without much movement. He kept the Talisman in his bosom, stood up and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Young Master Xie? ¡°No matter how you stand there, you still won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Xie Rong stood with his hands behind his back, not bothering to exchange pleasantries with him, he went straight to the point: ¡°Where did you get that Talisman?¡±


    Zhong Shangughed, his arms crossed as he leaned against the pir, ¡°It¡¯s naturally a gift from the girl I like, why not?¡±


    Xie Rong went silent, and thought back to how Xie Xun had acted like a guilty conscience. Although he could not be sure that what he said was all true, but it was still sixty to seventy percent true. Looks like this fellow before me has really taken his little sister¡¯s heart away.


    Xie Rong frowned, she could not bear to see him so bullying, she wanted to warn him not to provoke Xie Xun again, but since she could not be bothered to continue speaking with him, she turned and walked out, ¡°Ah Xun and the Mr. Gu are only a pair, their marriage is about to be set, I hope Young Master Zhong will behave yourself.¡±


    Xie Rong was close to Gu Yi, and understood Gu Yi better than him. He knew Gu Yi¡¯s character and character, he never get involved with flowers and grass, and was clean and honest. It could even be said that he was pr opposites with Zhong Shang. Afterparing the two, Xie Rong naturally hoped that Gu Yi would be his son-inw, so he didn¡¯t care how angry he would be if he said those words.


    Only Zhong Shang stood where he was, staring at the direction he left with a face as dark as water.


    The next morning, they went to the front of the restaurant for fast food. The Xie n and the Zhong n sat at two tables, and in front of them was a row of exquisite vegetarian canteens. Just looking at them would cause one¡¯s appetite to increase.


    Madam Leng ced an emerald filling bun into Xie Xun¡¯s bowl, ¡°After breakfast, we will go down the mountain.¡±


    Xie Xun took a bite of the bun and drank another mouthful of the fern bean curd soup.


    The Temple of Precious Elephant¡¯s fast food was truly excellent. It was clearly a vegetarian dish, but it produced a different taste. For example, Xie Xun had a te of Four Happy Rice Ball. It was filled with four types of vegetables, boiled in water, and then ced in a drawer to steam for fifteen minutes. It tasted good and was even more delicious than meat balls.


    Gu Ruyi had searched for a long time but could not find Xie Xun at the other table. Finally, she found Xie Xun, who said that she left because she had something to take care of. She did not say it explicitly, but Gu Ruyi knew that she was not going because of Gu Yi. She was feeling really bad right now, so she decided to invite Xie Xun after breakfast. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a feast at the Eternal Music Marquis Mansion in a few days, how about we go together?¡±


    Xie Xun thought that she would have nothing to do in the next few days, so she agreed.


    Returning to the guest room where they were staying, servant maid packed their stuffs and prepared to leave the mountain. It had rained a littlest night, and the road was not easy to walk on. The carriage could not get on, so they had to wait at the foot of the mountain. The two families went down the mountain on foot. Because most of them were women, their speed down the mountain was very slow. It took them two hours to reach the halfway point.


    At this time, the mountain road had already ttened and there wasn¡¯t much mud on the road. The Xie n and Gu n were mostly rich and beautiful women that stayed within the pavilion, how could they have walked on such a long mountain path? Xie Xun and Gu Ruyi had long ago stopped walking, especially Xie Xun who had two or three blisters on her white and tender feet.


    With her back facing Gu Yi, Xie Xun put on her shoes and socks, and said to Xie Rong: ¡°Big Brother can bring Mother down the mountain first, I¡¯ll catch up with you guys after resting for a while here.¡±


    How could Madam Leng bear to leave her alone in the wilderness? Then he said to Xie Rong: ¡°Ronger,e down and see if the carriage can get on. If possible, let the carriage drivere over to pick us up.¡±


    Xie Rong thought, this n was not impossible, the mountain road was much easier to traverse, there should be no problems for the carriage to get up. He nodded and said, ¡°Mother, wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    He turned around and said worriedly to Gu Yi, ¡°Please help me take care of mother and sister.¡±


    Gu Yi patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He then walked down the mountain.


    Xie Xun and Gu Ruyi sat on a boulder to rest their feet. Shuangying and another servant maid was squatting at the side to massage Xie Xun¡¯s calves, Gu Ruyi pointed at a small stream in front of them and asked: ¡°There¡¯s water over there, do you want to bathe Ah Xun¡¯s feet? This may ease the pain in your feet a little. ¡±


    The stream did not wish to be so far away. The water jingled, and it sounded extremely clear. Xie Xun was moved, but she did not want to move at all, she shook her head and said: ¡°I will rest here, if Big Sister Ru Yi wants to go, you can go by yourself.¡±


    After walking along the way and getting quite a bit of sweat, even if Gu Ruyi didn¡¯t soak her feet, she still wanted to bring a handful of water to wash her face. After hesitating for a moment, she stood up and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go?¡±


    Xie Xun nodded listlessly, ¡°Go.¡±


    Gu Ruyi said to Liu Shi and then led the two servant maid to the side of the stream.


    The stream was slow and the bottom could be seen clearly. There were a few small fishes swimming under the water. Gu Ruyi took out the handkerchief and dipped it in water. After pouring some water on her forehead, she felt a cool sensation, and her entire body felt a lot more refreshed. She washed her hands in the stream and then got up and walked back.


    Not far away, Xie Xun sat on a round stone with a stone wall behind him and a few rocks embedded in cracks above her head.


    Xie Xun was holding onto a bamboo tube as she drank water. She drank it slowly, and after drinking it, she handed it over to Shuangying. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Gu Ruyi screaming from the front: ¡°Ah Xun, be careful!¡±


    Xie Xun was startled, and subconsciously looked in Gu Ruyi¡¯s direction.


    However, Gu Ruyi¡¯s eyes continued to stare at the top of her head. A small stone had loosened, it moved, fell off the cliff and faced Xie Xun!


    No one noticed her head, and only Gu Ruyi was able to see her from far away. However, it was toote for her to dodge. Xie Xun even raised her head to look.


    She opened her mouth in shock, ¡°Help ¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, a ck shadow shed above her head. One hand wrapped around her waist while the other protected her head, covering her entire body. Xie Xun shut her eyes tightly, unable to hear anything. She could only hear the muffled groan of the person above her, followed by the cries of her mother and Ru Yi, ¡°Ah Xun!¡±


    Xie Xun slowly opened her eyes and saw an extremely familiar face.


    Zhong Shang appeared out of nowhere and protected her tightly, but she saw that there were beads of perspiration on his forehead, as though he was enduring a great deal of pain.


    Xie Xun moved, wanting to crawl out from under him. He asked in astonishment: ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang, why are you here?¡±


    But when she moved, Zhong Shang became even more pained, ¡°I will always be behind you.¡±


    This morning she left with the Madam Leng. He didn¡¯t have any reason to stay at the Temple of Precious Elephant. After bidding farewell to the host, he led his horse and slowly followed behind them. If it wasn¡¯t for an ident, he probably wouldn¡¯t have appeared so early.


    Although he had protected Xie Xun, that rock had smashed into his calf. It had fallen from such a high mountain cliff and was even a huge boulder.


    The Madam Leng was startled and afraid. He did not have time to ask why Zhong Shang suddenly appeared, and immediately had the people beside him move the stone away, and helped the two of them sit on a round stone.


    Zhong Shang saved Xie Xun¡¯s life, and even threw a leg in, she then went up to apologize: ¡°Thank you, Young Master Zhong, for risking your life to save me ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang looked at the terrified Xie Xun andughed, but did not say anything.


    Xie Xun¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, seeing Zhong Shang¡¯s pale face from the pain, she thought of the strong hug he gave her. She wanted to talk to him or ask if it hurt. However, due to the presence of her mother and a lot of people, she was still unable to take a step forward.


    She rubbed her eyes, just in time to catch Zhong Shang¡¯s gaze. Zhong Shang used his mouth tofort her: ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Not long after, Xie Rong brought two carriages over. After knowing what happened, he cupped his fists in thanks and asked his men to carry him back to the General of Agile Cavalry Pce.


    followed Madam Leng back to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, and was unable to stop worrying about Zhong Shang¡¯s injuries.


    I wonder if his leg injury is serious? Does it still hurt?


    Madam Leng was a person who could differentiate between gratitude and grievances. Although she used to have dislike, Zhong Shang saving Xie Xun this time had indeed given her a whole new level of respect. After returning home, he immediately prepared a heavy gift of thanks and prepared to pay a visit to the general¡¯s mansion.


    But before he could send out the thank you gift, he heard a message from General of Agile Cavalry Pce, saying that the Young Master of the Zhong Family had lost his left leg, and would probably spend the rest of his life in bed!

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131</h4>


    ¡°Is ¡­ Is this true?¡± Madam Leng asked in shock.


    The servant nodded his head cautiously and spoke without hesitation: ¡°General Zhong is extremely sorrowful. He visited all the famous doctors in capital to treat his son¡¯s injured leg. It is said that his injuries is so serious that the doctors is at their wits¡¯ end. He probably won¡¯t be able to walk this path for the rest of my life. ¡±


    The porcin bowl fell to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces.


    Xie Xun¡¯s face turned pale white, she anxiously stood up and walked out: ¡°I, I want to go and see him.¡±


    In order to save her, big brother Zhong Shang had even crippled his leg! Can¡¯t walk for the rest of his life? He was the son that General Zhong was most proud of. He was valiant enough to kill his enemies. If he lost a leg, how would he be able to keep his head up in the future? Thinking about all these, Xie Xun felt extremely guilty, she could not sit still, she just wanted to see how Zhong Shang was doing.


    Madam Leng called out to her: ¡°Ah Xun!¡±


    Although she was worried about Zhong Shang¡¯s situation, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to rashly rush over. She paced back and forth on the spot. After making up her mind, she let the servant bring the gifts she had prepared earlier and majestically left in the direction of the General of Agile Cavalry Pce.


    Before she could even get close, she saw one doctor after another walking out of the manor¡¯s entrance. All of them had bitter expressions on their faces, and their heads were sunken in disarray as they shook their heads as they walked. When Xie Xun and Madam Leng saw this, their hearts sank.


    When the servant heard the purpose of their visit, he weed them into the central room to wait, then turned around to invite General Zhong and the General¡¯s wife over.


    Zhong Kai and his wife rushed over. Madame Liu seemed to have just cried; her eyes were red and her face was filled with grief. They had heard what had happened from Zhong Shang¡¯s mouth. His son had been injured because he wanted to save a girl, and now that he had ended up like this, he was willing to do so. Thinking about it, Mrs. Zhong could not help but take another nce at Xie Xun. She was indeed an exquisite little girl, such an appearance was rare even in the capital, no wonder her son liked her so much.


    Madame Zhong withdrew her thoughts and forced herself to smile as she greeted Madam Leng, ¡°Shang¡¯er has just had an ident, my entire mind is on him, I have neglected Madame Xie, I hope that you do not take offense to it.¡±


    As she said that, she followed Zhong Chang to the armchair, and invited Madam Leng and Xie Xun to take a seat.


    ¡°Madam Leng hurriedly said that he didn¡¯t, and ordered the servant maid behind him to present his thanks. One of the boxes contained ginseng, deer antlers and other supplements to nourish Zhong Shang¡¯s body.¡± Since Madame Zhong is so serious, how can I me you? If not for the fact that Young Master Zhong had risked his life to save his daughter, it was most likely Ah Xun who was lying on the bed right now. We, the Xie n, shall remember this kindness in our hearts. Although it is only a small gift, not enough to repay Young Master Zhong for saving his life, please ept you and General Zhong. ¡±


    Madame Zhong rejected it two or three times. Seeing that the Madam Leng was insistent, she ordered the servant to keep it. There was no smile on her face. She seemed to have thought of something sad. She lowered her head and used the handkerchief to touch the corner of her eyes. She seemed to be on the verge of tears again.


    General Zhong, who was standing at the side, heaved a long sigh, as if he had aged ten years in one night. ¡°Useless, useless ¡­¡±


    Xie Xun suddenly raised her head and looked at him in grief.


    Madam Leng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She thought for a moment and asked:¡± I wonder how is Young Master Zhong¡¯s injuries?¡±


    The news was hearsay after all, and there might be a possibility of exaggeration, but she held on to a glimmer of hope that what came out of Zhong¡¯s mouth was another situation. Zhong Shang was only injured, but his leg was still fine. She was disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen so many doctors, and they say they can¡¯t save her. They¡¯ve injured her bones and muscles. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to stand up for the rest of her life.¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s tears suddenly flowed down her face.


    She didn¡¯t want to be seen, so she lowered her head and silently wiped away her tears.


    On the other side, Madame Zhong watched her without batting an eyelid.


    Madam Leng was startled, felt guilty then regretful: ¡°How could it be ¡­¡±


    In order to save Xie Xun, Zhong Shang had thrown a leg in. However, she regretted that she had never given him a good face due to her dislike to him in the past. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to be such a righteous junior. He was magnanimous and magnanimous, repayment for his virtue with grievances. This made her feel ashamed of her inferiority.


    What else did he have to doubt Xie Xun¡¯s sincerity?


    Just as Madam Leng was lost in her thoughts, she heard Xie Xun asking hesitantly, ¡°Can I go and see big brother Zhong Shang?¡± Her voice was low but firm.


    Mrs. Zhong nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll bring you guys over to have a look.¡± He should be drinking his medicine right now and hasn¡¯t slept yet. ¡±


    General Zhong waved his hand and rubbed his be, ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll sit here for a while.¡±


    Xie Xun nced at him before he left, and for some reason, she felt that she had let General and Madam Zhong down. If not for her, Zhong Shang would not have let her be, and nothing would have happened to her. She curled her lips and followed Mrs. Zhong¡¯s footsteps, walking towards the courtyard Zhong Shang was staying in.


    Along the way, Mrs. Zhong and Madam Leng chatted, while Xie Xun silently followed behind them. Her imagination was running wild, and she did not hear a single word they were saying.


    Very quickly they reached the entrance of the courtyard, climbed the stairs and stepped over the threshold. Just as they reached the the Gallery veranda, they heard an angry shout from inside: ¡°No, I won¡¯t drink it. Get out of here!¡±


    It was big brother Zhong Shang!


    Xie Xun¡¯s eyes lit up, she anxiously wanted to go in and see him, but with Mrs. Zhong and Madam Leng blocking right in front of her, she could only restrain her excitement and follow him into the house.


    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhong knew that he did not drink the medicine again. She went around the flowers and birds, creating a purple sandalwood screen. She said sorrowfully, ¡°How can you not drink the medicine? Are you trying to scare me and your father to death!¡±


    Zhong Shang said in a cold voice, ¡°In any case, there¡¯s no difference whether I drink the medicine or not ¡­¡±


    When he raised his head, he found that both Xie Xun and Madam Leng were there. Xie Xun stood at the back of Madam Leng and looked at him with her moist and red almond-shaped eyes, feeling guilty but also distressed.


    Zhong Shang was immediately no longer angry, he withdrew his temper and squinted his eyes.


    Mrs. Zhong seemed to not notice his change as she continued, ¡°That¡¯s not the way it is. The doctor said it, only by drinking the medicine will you have a chance ¡­¡±


    He smiled slightly, as if he was apletely different person. ¡°Why are Mrs. Xie and Little Sister Ah Xun here? Mother did not tell me in advance. ¡±


    Mrs. Zhong paused before continuing to exin, ¡°Mrs. Xie was worried about your injuries, so she brought Miss Xie to see you. Who would have thought that with your temper, you wouldn¡¯t be able to scare people. ¡±


    Zhong Shang wanted to get off the bed and bow, but his other leg could not support him, so he stood up and fell back down the bed. He could onlyugh helplessly: ¡°I simply hate these servants for being so clumsy. They don¡¯t even know how to cool the medicine a little when they bring it in. I don¡¯t have any intentions towards Mrs. Xie and Little Sister Ah Xun ¡­ However, I have the heart but not the strength that I can¡¯t pay respect to Mrs. Xie.¡±


    In Xie Xun¡¯s eyes, this was naturally another source of heartache.


    Even someone as staunch as Madam Leng could not help but be moved, and console him: ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, why do you still care about those false etiquettes? Don¡¯t get up, I¡¯m just worried, that¡¯s why I came to visit you ¡­ I never thought that it would cause you to be like this ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s smile was honest, without a trace of his usual sloppy attitude, as if he had matured a lot overnight, ¡°Back then when the situation was urgent, I didn¡¯t think too much about it. If I do not save her in time, Little Sister Ah Xun might very well lose her life.


    With that, he looked to Xie Xun, and his eyes were filled with deep love and without anyints or regrets.


    Seeing that, Madam Leng started to seriously reflect on whether she had done something wrong before. She had never known Zhong Shang, so based on the impression that she had heard of him from outside, perhaps he had long since changed his mind? Moreover, his feelings for Xie Xun did not seem to be fake.


    Zhong Shang asked: ¡°Can I talk to Little Sister Ah Xun alone for a bit?¡±


    Everyone present had their own thoughts, and only Xie Xun was simple, unable to understand what was behind it. She looked at Madam Leng, who said to Mrs. Zhong: ¡°It just so happens that I have something to say with Mrs. Zhong. Do you want toe out with me?¡±


    Mrs. Zhong nodded and the two of them walked out of the room.


    Everyone had already left the room. Zhong Shang leaned against the headboard, and a bowl of medicine was ced on the table beside him. He smiled gently: ¡°Ah Xun, feed the medicine to me.¡±


    Just now, when he called her ¡°Little Sister Ah Xun¡± so sweetly, he naturally became intimate with her as soon as she left.


    Xie Xun felt that something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t figure it out. Seeing that his leg was injured, she didn¡¯t reject him. Taking a few steps forward, she sat on the palisander beside the bed. He picked up the ck medicinal bowl, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to his mouth. ¡°Drink it.¡±


    Zhong Shang drank it from her hand, and when she scooped another spoonful, he reminded her: ¡°Blow cool.¡±


    Xie Xun blew on it obediently.


    Too obedient, too obedient. She fed him a spoonful, and he drank a spoonful, and her eyes blinked and she began to cry.


    Zhong Shang raised his hand to wipe the tears on her face, and said with a smile: ¡°What are you crying for?¡±


    Xie Xun sobbed, and almost hugged his arm to repent. ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang won¡¯t be able to walk anymore in the future ¡­ It¡¯s all my fault, it¡¯s all my fault¡­ ¡±


    She had med herself for all the mistakes. If she did not say it out loud, Zhong Shang would not have known that she was ming herself so much. His heart ached at once. He patiently wiped away her tears, feeling both amused and helpless. ¡°How can I me you? Did you know that rocks wille crashing down? I was lucky that I saved you and didn¡¯t injure you. ¡±


    Xie Xun stubbornly shook her head. It was her fault anyways, she shouldn¡¯t have sat there resting, she shouldn¡¯t have gone up the mountain to incense ¡­ Her crying got worse and worse. In the end, Zhong Shang had no choice but to ce his hands on her shoulders andforted her, ¡°Good Ah Xun, don¡¯t cry anymore. When you cry, Big Brother Zhong Shang will feel heartache.¡±


    Xie Xun sobbed for a while, and rubbed her eyes on his shoulder as she muttered, ¡°Then what will you do in the future? You can¡¯t leave in your entire life? ¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s eyes shed, and after a moment of silence, he asked: ¡°If I can¡¯t leave in my entire life, would you despise me?¡±


    Xie Xun shook her head without hesitation, ¡°No!¡±


    His eyes curved into a smile. ¡°Will you take care of me?¡±


    Xie Xun buried her face in his neck, unable to see his expression, and heavily nodded. ¡°I will!¡±


    His smile grew brighter and brighter. ¡°For the rest of my life?¡±


    Xie Xun still nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhong Shang held her tighter and tighter, he lowered his head and kissed her hair, ¡°We¡¯ve agreed to it, you¡¯re not to go back on your words.¡±


    Outside the house, Madam Leng and Mrs. Zhong were walking side by side with two servant maids behind them.


    ¡°What would you like to say to me, Mrs. Xie?¡± asked Madame Zhong.


    Madam Leng thought for a long time before asking tactfully: ¡°Young Master¡¯s leg is injured, if he could not be cured, will the marriage be affected?¡±


    Hearing this, Mrs. Zhong sighed and shook her head. ¡°To tell you the truth, Shang¡¯er is already at the age to get married. He was originally fine with it, but now that he can¡¯t walk on a single leg, which family would be willing to marry their daughter to a ¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Madam Leng stopped.


    After some thought, she decided, ¡°Mrs. Zhong, please listen to my thoughts.¡±

 Chapter 132

    <h4>Chapter 132</h4>


    Madam Leng pondered for a long time. Zhong Shang had done a lot for Xie Xun, but now that his legs could no longer be cured, the Xie Family did not want to be that ungrateful. If Xie Xun was not against it, they could marry Xie Xun into the Zhong Family and take care of his daily life.


    She had discussed this matter with Xie Liqing before. Xie Liqing was an emotion-righteous person who thought about it for a whole night before finally nodding in agreement.


    After Madam Leng told Mrs. Zhong about her thoughts, Mrs. Zhong was shocked. But after she calmed down, she asked a question: ¡°I have something I don¡¯t understand, the day Shang¡¯er saved Miss Ah Xun, logically speaking, he should be training on the drill grounds. Why did he appear at Precious Elephant Temple?¡±


    Madam Leng paused for a moment, then smiled with thoughtfully. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be that he followed Ah Xun to be there.¡±


    At that time, Zhong Shang¡¯s sudden appearance was indeed shocking, but when she thought about itter on, everything was within reason. Zhong Shang was not at ease and followed her to the Precious Elephant Temple. During this time, he didn¡¯t let anyone find out about it and only appeared when he saw that Xie Xun was in danger. Although his actions were not very proper, butpared to saving Xie Xun¡¯s life, it was not that important.


    Zhong Shang liked Xie Xun, so he had secretly met him a lot. She knew about this matter, but Mrs. Zhong might not know about it. Based on Mrs. Zhong¡¯s previous performance, he had probably been kept in the dark.


    ¡°Follow Ah Xun?¡± Mrs. Zhong was startled, and pretended not to understand: ¡°He and your daughter ¡­.¡±


    Madam Lengughed and shook her head, ¡°Mrs. Zhong, you don¡¯t know about this ¡­.¡±


    While walking towards the courtyard, she told Mrs. Zhong everything that had happened in the past few days. It was just that as she said it tactfully, it was hard to say how she disliked Zhong Shang¡¯s way of doing things in the past. Even though it was half real and half fake, it could still be considered as giving Zhong Shang face.


    ¡°In addition, I have a verbal agreement with the Gu family. In the future, the two families can¡¯t say ¡­¡± She paused and did not finish her sentence, ¡°That¡¯s why I have yet to agree with Young Master Zhong.¡±


    Hearing that, Mrs. Zhong acted as if she had suddenly realized something, ¡°No wonder Shang¡¯er wanted us to leave. He wants to talk with Ah Xun just now ¡­ Like I said, with his overbearing personality, why did he stop throwing a tantrum when he saw you guys! So you¡¯re deliberately maintaining your demeanor in front of the one you love! ¡±


    Madam Lengughed awkwardly, ¡°Ah Xun is in the wrong in this matter, I hope Madam does not me us.¡±


    Speaking of this Mrs. Zhong, he became depressed, and said with a dejected expression: ¡°What does this have to do with Ah Xun? It¡¯s because Shang¡¯er likes her, and willingly gave up a leg for her. He didn¡¯t evenin, what can a mother like me say? ¡± After she finished speaking, she persuaded Madam Leng not to make things difficult for Xie Xun at home. After hesitating for a while, she could not help but say: ¡°Since these two are in love and have suffered a setback today, we should not make things difficult for them ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng had this thought, ¡°What I said to Madam just now were true words. After this matter, Master and I understood that Young Master Zhong is a good son-inw that is hard toe by. If Ah Xun marries to him, I presume she won¡¯t suffer any grievances. ¡±


    Mrs. Zhong¡¯s face finally revealed a happy expression. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something.


    Madam Leng muttered to himself, ¡°I have already made my ns, Mrs. Zhong can rest assured.¡±


    Madam Leng was decisive in her actions. Since he had already decided on one matter, he would not drag things out. She and Mrs. Zhong reached an agreement, and after that they chatted about other things before she called Xie Xun to prepare to return home.


    When Xie Xun came out of Zhong Shang¡¯s room, her face was red. They did not know what kind of bad things Zhong Shang had done to her. She pursed her her mouth a thin line and walked to Madam Leng¡¯s side, obediently calling out ¡°Mother¡±.


    Mrs. Zhong looked at her son who was on the bed satisfied. Without even thinking, she knew that this brat must have eaten the girl. She red at Zhong Shang, and indicated for him to hold back in front of Madam Leng.


    Fortunately, Madam Leng didn¡¯t mind and brought Xie Xun home after they finished their goodbyes.


    Mrs. Zhong was also helpless towards this son of his. In order to marry this girl back, he had trulye up with all sorts of shameless methods. It was true that his leg was injured, but it was not at the level of a cripple. The doctor had said that as long as he took proper care of himself and worked hard, he would be able to recover in a year or so. But this brat had already gone out. If he could not marry Xie Xun, he would rather not be able to be good for his entire life.


    As parents, Zhong Kai and Mrs. Zhong, heard this and were naturally anxious and angry. At the same time, they wanted to see what kind of young girls could enchant their son. Mrs. Zhong had seen Xie Xun a few times, but unfortunately, he had never really observed her before. Seeing her today, he could tell that she was a cute, sensible, and obedient girl, and immediately calmed down, afraid that Zhong Shang would be bewitched by some seductive and dissolute woman.


    Since Zhong Shang likes her, then there must be something special about her. Moreover, Zhong Shang had stirred up such a hugemotion for her. If she did not help him marry his wife, the General¡¯s Estate would not have a peaceful day in the future.


    It was just that she felt slightly sorry for the Xie family ¡­ She wondered if they would turn hostile when they found out the truth.


    Returning to the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion, Madam Leng did not immediately tell Xie Xun about their conversation. Instead, she asked her what she had talked about with Zhong Shang.


    Xie Xun sat under themp, the orange candlelight shining down on her face, like a piece of white jade, without a single blemish. She lowered her head, her long eyshes pulling out a long shadow, like two butterflies pping her wings, ¡°Because of me, Big Brother Zhong Shang suffered injuries, I want to take care of him for the rest of my life ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng was not surprised, and asked calmly: ¡°Have you thought about it?¡±


    She nodded slightly.


    ¡°Do you know who can take care of him for the rest of his life?¡±


    She acknowledged, ¡°I know.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t young anymore. In the end, she was already sixteen years old. Some of her decisions were that she could bear the consequences. She knew that she had a good impression of Zhong Shang. Although she was not sure if it was the love of a man and a woman, she did not hate Zhong Shang kissing and touching her, nor did she hate doing intimate things with him ¡­ Maybe she was, but she wasn¡¯t.


    Now that Zhong Shang had saved her, half of her wanted to repay this kindness, and the other half ¡­ It¡¯s because she wants to be with Big Brother Zhong Shang. Even if his legs are crippled, she wouldn¡¯t mind him.


    Did she like him?


    If that¡¯s the case, she rather liked Big Brother Zhong Shang.


    Madam Leng did not ask further. Since she had already decided, these two questions were enough. Madam Leng passed on the conversation she had with Mrs. Zhong to her, ¡°¡­ For the marriage between you and Zhong Shang, Father and Mother will make the decision for you. ¡±


    Xie Xun was stunned, she never thought that the marriage woulde so quickly. She thought that her mother would definitely object, who knew that both she and her father would agree to it? They won¡¯t let her marry Gu Yi? She was at a loss for words. ¡°Why is Mother ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng rubbed her head and hugged her to her chest, ¡°We can¡¯t repay the Zhong Family¡¯s kindness. Ah Xun¡­ As long as you don¡¯t regret itter on. ¡±


    Xie Xun groaned from within her embrace, and when she heard the unwillingness of Madam Leng, she reached out to hug her andforted her, ¡°I don¡¯t regret it ¡­ Mother, I will not regret this. ¡±


    Madam Leng let out a long sigh but did not say anything.


    Xie Xun felt her forehead be wet, and two water drops fell down. She wanted to look up, but Madam Leng had already released her, and stood up: ¡°I¡¯ll go tell your father, tell him what we should do about this marriage.¡± He turned and walked out of the house.


    The reason why Madam Leng felt sad was because her daughter had to take care of a handicapped person for the rest of her life. Although the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion could help, the water still could not save the fire in the end, so she had to go taste the vor herself. If she didn¡¯t marry, then she would be ungrateful. Furthermore, the two of them had the same feelings for each other. Since things had gotten to this point, why would she be a bad person to break up their marriage?


    The marriage between the Xie n and the Zhong n was decided, and it was settled very quickly. The marriage proposal, the exchange of seven words of invitation, the selection of eight words, and the selection of a candidate had all beenpleted in a mere half a month. The wedding date was set for the eighth day of the next month. The date was always a bit rushed and many things had to be prepared in a hurry, but fortunately, there were a lot of people from the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion and the general¡¯s household who were well-prepared and did not miss anything.


    The people of the capital knew that in order to save the sevendies of the Xie n, Young Master Zhong had put his left leg in. In order to repay the Xie n¡¯s gratitude, they had married the seven young miss to their next of kin. After this matter spread, themoners raised their thumbs and praised it as a good marriage. A perfect match made in heaven. It was as if he had forgotten Zhong Shang¡¯s past.


    In the two months before their marriage, Xie Xun was at home learning from Madam Leng about rules and ounts. Furthermore, since Madam Leng insisted on not allowing the two of them to meet before the wedding, for the entire two months, she had not seen Zhong Shang once.


    Xie Xun was very tired and peaceful every day. After washing up at night, she would immediately fall asleep on her pillow without thinking about anything else. Zhong Shang was currently a ¡°cripple¡±, of course he wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to go to Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion to look for her. While he was busy recuperating every day, he also had time to think about what that greedy little cat was doing.


    Did she miss him? How many times a day? How much did she miss him?


    After working so hard for so long, he finally managed to get married with her.


    He could already stand up and walk, but he couldn¡¯t walk for too long. At most, he would be able to stop and rest in fifteen minutes. This was a good sign. The doctor said he was not far from aplete recovery.


    Finally, it was the eighth day of the fifth month. Early in the morning, the house was bustling with noise as the firecrackers and firecrackers rang incessantly. The windows and doors were stered with red letters, and the atmosphere was joyous everywhere. Zhong Shang¡¯s legs were inconvenient, it was inconvenient to ride a horse to escort the bride. He originally wanted to look for his brothers from the n to greet him, but no matter what, he wouldn¡¯t agree to it.


    He had to do it himself, of course! What did letting someone else rece him mean? Was Xie Xun going to marry him or marry someone else?


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    In the end, they could not resist him, and so they brought him on horseback, and he rode all the way to the entrance of the Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion. When the match maker carried Hua Guang on his back, Xie Xun, who was dressed in a red wedding gown, looked at the bride with his eyes. When someone urged him to do so, he reluctantly retracted his gaze and returned to the General¡¯s Estate with his reins clenched tightly.


    In fact, with Zhong Shang¡¯s current situation, standing in front of the wedding would not be a problem for him. However, in order to prevent Xie Xun and the Xie Family from bing suspicious, he could only sit in the wheelchair and lead Xie Xun to the front hall with the red silk end. The newbie knelt in front of their parents, paid their respects to Heaven and Earth, and then to each other. After the ceremony, the people around helped Zhong Shang to sit back in his wheelchair and sent him to the bridal room.


    Xie Xun¡¯s line of sight was blocked from seeing her surroundings; she only felt that it was very lively, and that there was a hugemotion everywhere. She had heard so many of these sounds today that her ears buzzed, and she didn¡¯t feel any better until she arrived at the new house. The door closed, isting the morous noise outside. Other than the silence, it was also a bit unsettling.


    There were a total of more than ten women in the Zhong Family with the young masters and mistresses added together. They all told Zhong Shang to lift Xie Xun¡¯s head cover.


    Zhong Shang held onto a golden rod, slowly lifting up the golden cover on Xie Xun¡¯s head, his gaze focused on something that he had never done before: ¡°Ah Xun ¡­¡±


    Xie Xun opened her face today and applied a thinyer of makeup. Her skin was already fair and clean, and under her eyes, she looked like an egg with its shell cut off. Her cheeks were smooth, her lips were red and her teeth were white. She was already intoxicated before she even had a taste.


    Zhong Shang watched until he could not move a step, and was thenughed at by a group of female members: ¡°Little Young Master, stop looking at it, it¡¯s time to drink a cup of wine!¡±


    match maker handed over two cups of cross-cupped wine, one for each person and one for each person. After that, he twisted a strand of their hair into a knot and ced it in a sandalwood box.


    After the ceremony, Zhong Shang still had to go in front to deal with the guests. He pushed his wheelchair and walked slowly, turning his head three times in a single step, worriedly exhorting, ¡°Ah Xun is shy, you guys are not allowed to tease her!¡±


    Zhong Shang¡¯s second young mistressughed heartily, ¡°Look at your precious appearance, you¡¯ve only just gotten married and you can¡¯t bear to part with me!¡±


    Zhong Shang scoffed on the surface, then left.


    Xie Xun suddenly had to face so many rtives of Zhong Shang, hence he was a little afraid of the stage. Zhong Shang¡¯s sisters were all satisfied with her, so they stayed back to apany her. They teased and teased unrestrainedly in front of Zhong Shang, but they took care of her and didn¡¯t make things difficult for her.


    It was just that other than Zhong Rou, they were already married, and the topics of their discussion were rather erotic. After Xie Xun listened for a while, her face flushed red.


    This one said she would hurt for the first time and told her not to be afraid. That one told her not to be shy and that she should experience it more often in the future. Xie Xun thought of the many times that Zhong Shang had looked at her, just like how Second Sister Zhong said, she was like a wolf and tiger, forever unable to satisfy her hunger.


    They would also, like the picture books, be entangled in a myriad of strange positions ¡ª at least?


    Xie Xun did not dare think about it anymore. Her ears turnedpletely red, and in the end, Zhong Rou helped her out, ¡°Ah Xun has just gotten married. Second sister third sister said all this too early.


    Zhong Qing smiled flirtatiously. ¡°From what I see, Fifth Brother is infatuated with his wife. I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t even take a few days for you to understand everything.¡±


    It was fortunate that he did not continue after saying this. They saw that Xie Xun had been tired for the entire day, so they did not disturb him too much, and let her rest for a while, and change her clothes to eat something.


    Xie Xun was indeed very tired. He was caught in bed before the sun rose and busied himself for an entire day without eating anything.


    After everyone had left one after another, she took off her thick and heavy wedding dress, let servant maid take off her phoenix cor, and changed into a light and light ordinary set of clothes. By the end of spring, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, and he could not wear much clothes at night. She wore a charming red bra with scattered flowers and a in cover. The fabric was thin, and one could vaguely see the scenery inside. This was what Xie Zhen had prepared for her before marriage. He was sure that Zhong Shang would like this very much since she had worn it for him. But she stood in front of the bronze mirror and looked. What is this? Just as she was about to change out, she heard footsteps from outside. Shuangying came in and said, ¡°Miss, Young Master is back!¡±


    Xie Xun¡¯s hand trembled, so fast? Didn¡¯t second sister say that she would returnte with him?


    It would definitely be toote to change clothes now. Xie Xun quickly picked up a piece of Xiang Fei¡¯s colorful flower pattern and bird pattern Beizi and put it on. Just as he heaved a sigh of relief, Zhong Shang came in from the outside.


    He was still seated in his wheelchair, but when he was pushed in, he kept staring at her, causing her to feel guilty.


    Zhong Shang waved his hands and ordered everyone to leave, not even her two apanying servant maid s stayed behind. He looked like he had drunk a lot, and his expression was still normal. However, his eyes were not clear. He squinted his eyes a few times, and finally saw her clearly.


    He pushed his wheelchair slowly towards her, ¡°Ah Xun ¡­¡±


    As he neared step by step, Xie Xun couldn¡¯t help but retreat step by step. ¡°She didn¡¯t know why, but that look in her eyes frightened her. She felt as if she had nowhere to run in front of him.¡± How are you? I asked servant maid to boil some wine, do you want to drink a little? ¡±


    Then, regardless of whether he agreed or not, she went around him to call someone over, ¡°Shuangying ¡­¡±


    As he passed by, he was grabbed by the wrist!


    His hands were very hot, and the heat from his body¡¯s heat spread across her body made her shiver uncontrobly. Her voice became soft, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang¡­¡±


    As if he hadn¡¯t heard her, he held her hand and separated her slender fingers from his. He gave a profound smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, alcohol is good stuff sometimes. And I didn¡¯t drink too much. I was thinking about you, so how can I stay with those guys forever? ¡±


    Xie Xun bit her lower lip, ¡°¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± After a pause, he asked, ¡°Then are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? Are you sleepy? Let me get someone to help you change? ¡±


    Zhong Shang raised his head and asked her: ¡°What is there to eat?¡±


    She thought very seriously, ¡°Shuangying said that there¡¯s nothing much to eat right now. But they can make a bowl of wonton or Pork Noodle Soup, which one do you want to eat ¡­¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°None of them.¡±


    Then there was nothing left to do. It was alreadyte, and the fire on the kitchen counter had gone out. It would take some effort to get more people to do it. Xie Xun was somewhat vexed, ¡°Then what do we do¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang crooked his lips into a smile, supporting his chin with his hands, he examined her sad little expression, no matter how he looked at it. He had seen enough, so he wrapped his arms around her waist and ced her on hisp and whispered into her ear, ¡°Ah Xun, I want to eat you, okay?¡±


    Xie Xun shrunk. Her ears itched, but he buried his head deeply and didn¡¯t raise his head for a long time. After waiting for a long time, she stammered, ¡°I-I¡¯m not good to eat.¡±


    She had a faint idea of what Zhong Shang meant. The big sisters of the Zhong Family had told her just now that men loved women and they loved each other. Just thinking about it made her feel extremely embarrassed. However, it was impossible to escape. Every married bride had to go through this sort of thing.


    ¡°Why is it not tasty?¡± Zhong Shang lowered his head, bit her small ear and exhaled into her ear. ¡°Big brother Zhong Shang has tried it before, it¡¯s delicious and sweet everywhere, sweet to the point that my teeth hurt.¡±


    Xie Xun moaned and hid to the side, ¡°Nonsense ¡­¡± Her ears werepletely red, going all the way down to her neck. A thought shed through her mind, and she finally thought of something, ¡°But, but isn¡¯t Big Brother Zhong Shang¡¯s legs are bad? ¡°How can this be ¡­¡±


    Zhong Shang replied with an ¡°oh¡± sound, then gave a meaningful smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Even if his left leg was truly crippled, doing that would not be a problem. Furthermore, his legs were still as good as new. If he wanted to pick her up, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems at all.


    The scented sachet is secretly dissolved, and the ribbons are lightly separated.


    The huge dragon and phoenix candle in the new room had been burning for the entire night without extinguishing. The bed curtain was shaking, and the end of it was unknown.


    biddy who was checking outside heard for a while and knew the situation inside was intense. He returned in satisfaction to report to Mrs. Zhong. Leaving behind the two servant maid s who were on guard duty, he listened to the story from the corner of the wall all night long. Young Mistress¡¯ voice was soft and gentle.


    The two of them flushed so red that blood almost dripped onto the ground. The young madam¡¯s delicate and timid voice begged for forgiveness, ¡°Big Brother Zhong Shang, the light ¡­ Turn off the lights¡­¡±


    Oh, the young master is such a bully, he actually didn¡¯t turn off the lights. Two gigantic, arm-piercing candles lit up the room, but they couldn¡¯t see anything? It was no wonder that the young madam was feeling both wronged and embarrassed.


    The young master continued: ¡°Ah Xun, be good. If I turn off the lights, I can¡¯t see you clearly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, wuu wuu ¡­ You¡¯re not allowed to look ¡­¡±


    The sound continued until dawn arrived and the first rays of the morning sun gradually appeared in the east. Only then did the young mistress stop crying. It was unknown whether it was because he had fainted, or because he had been tormented to the point where he had no strength left. After waiting for another hour, Zhong Shang called them in, and they finally carried the hot water towel in.


    The smell in the room was so strong that they didn¡¯t dare to look at it. They just stood there, well-behaved in front of them, waiting for orders.


    Zhong Shang stood up, put on clothes, washed his own mouth, and said: ¡°It¡¯s still early, let Young Mistress sleep for another hour. You are not allowed to call her. Tell me when she wakes up. ¡±


    Saying so, he tied up his gold-striped belt and went out to the yard to practice martial arts.


    He had tormented Xie Xun the whole night, and now he was brimming with energy, refreshed and energetic.


    This morning, they still had to go to the front courtyard to offer tea to their parents. Xie Xun did not dare to sleep toote, and immediately opened her eyes when the sun rose. However, she was too tired fromst night, and her hands and feet were aching. She sat up a few times but still couldn¡¯t get up, and in the end it was the servant maid who helped her up.


    She grumbled a few times in her heart at Zhong Shang, not daring to look at the scars on her body. After putting on her clothes, she sat in front of the dressing table, let servant maidb a bun, and chose an emerald golden jade hairpin to wear on her head. After asking the time, she found out that there was still a quarter of an hour left until morning. ¡°Where¡¯s brother Zhong Shang?¡±


    The servant maid looked out of the window, ¡°Young Master is practicing martial arts outside.¡±


    Practicing martial arts


    Just with his legs?


    Xie Xun was suspicious for a moment, he stood up and walked towards the window. The window frame was wide open, through the window frame, one could see the courtyard holding onto the snake spear, a young man in high spirits, isn¡¯t that Zhong Shang?


    When did his leg heal?


    Xie Xun stared nkly into space for a while, before finally waking up from her stupor. She had lost her left leg, and could no longer walk for the rest of her life, all because of Zhong Shang¡¯s lies! No wonder she felt something was amissst night. He was so energetic and didn¡¯t like to be a man whose left leg was cripple. So, he actually ¡­ Xie Xun suddenly felt a wave of anger. She had felt guilty for him for so long, this big liar!


    Xie Xun stared angrily at Zhong Shang¡¯s back until Zhong Shang turned around and met her gaze. He smiled and asked: ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Xie Xun didn¡¯t answer and just closed the window in front of him with a bang.


    Big Brother Zhong Shang was a big liar, she doesn¡¯t care about him anymore!

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133</h4>


    Because of the birthmark on his face, Gu Ruyi had been ridiculed quite a few times since she was young.


    She felt sad at first, but as she got used to it, she felt that it was all right. No matter what they said, she was fine. With her parents and brother doting on her, she was still Grand Secretariat¡¯s mansion¡¯s most favored daughter.


    Gu Ruyi had given birth to a few older brothers and sisters. In her eyes, there was no difference whether there was or not. She only had Gu Yi as her blood brother. None of the others truly doted on her, so she treated her courteously and politely. She didn¡¯t know how many sarcastic and sarcastic words she secretly said to him.


    Even someone as good-natured as Gu Yi couldn¡¯t help getting angry when he heard this. He went back to the madame and got her to give him a stern warning. The olddy loved Gu Ruyi dearly, but she did not like people talking about him in front of their eyes, so these people gradually stopped talking, and did not spread out any unpleasant words. However, the gaze she used to look at her was still devoid of goodwill, and filled with disdain and loathing.


    Growing up in this kind of environment, Gu Ruyi had long since cultivated a cold heart, always wearing a mask and a set of armor, so that he wouldn¡¯t be easily hurt.


    For so many years, only Yan Yao¡¯an was her true friend.


    And then she met Xie Zhen, the two girls were different from the others, they wouldn¡¯t point at her face and make a fuss about it. After a moment of surprise, they quickly calmed down. They didn¡¯t try to y along and treat her like an ordinary person. This made Gu Ruyi¡¯s heart feel very warm.


    And their brother impressed her.


    On the night of the Lunar New Year, she was teased by a lecher. It was Xie Rong who beat that person up without saying a word and brought him over to her to apologize to her. From then on, Gu Ruyi remembered him in her heart and felt grateful.


    It was originally a very open and straightforward rtionship between her and Xie Rong, it wasn¡¯t rted to love at all. However, ever since Yan Yao¡¯an had stirred it up like this, it had instead be a little strange.


    Yan Yao¡¯an liked Xie Rong very much.


    Actually, sometimes Gu Ruyi was really envious of her personality. She dared to love, dare to hate, and dare to take responsibility for her actions. So even though sheter grew angry and ignored her, she did not me her.


    Onlyter, Yan Yao¡¯an still let her down.


    When Xie Zhen fell down from in front of her, she was still pregnant, so she could only watch and do nothing. The straightforward and innocent girl of the past had already changed.


    Gu Ruyi no longer had to bear any burden, and no longer had to hold onto guilt. Following this fall, their rtionship had already been broken into pieces. This was also good, as it would save him from embarrassment in the future. However, when Gu Ruyi faced Xie Rong, he still felt a little ufortable.


    It was obvious that nothing had happened, yet the news that had been spread seemed to be true.


    These past few days, Gu Ruyi had been purposely hiding from Xie Rong. Previously, she could be considered to be on close terms with Xie Zhen, but these days, she did not often look for them. But that couldn¡¯t be avoided. The Gu and Xie Family were on good terms with each other, and my mother would always visit the Xie Estate. She couldn¡¯t escape, so she had no choice but to follow along.


    On this day, she was in Xie Xun¡¯s courtyard, talking to Xie Xun for a while, preparing to walk around backyard. She was stunned for a moment. There was no ce to hide, so she could only squat down and bow. ¡°Thank you, Young Master.¡±


    Coincidentally, Xie Rong happened to be passing by, but when he saw her looking as though she was about to face a great enemy, he didn¡¯t show any emotion on her face, but he was a little puzzled in his heart. Ever since the end of the banquetst time, she had been avoiding him. Was he a ferocious beast? It scared her like this.


    In the end, Xie Rong did not ask about it in front of Xie Xun. He only nodded and walked back to his own courtyard.


    Xie Xun was slow to the point where he could not see the abnormality between the two of them. As she walked towards backyard, she turned her head and asked: ¡°Big Sister Ru Yi, is the birthmark on your face lighter?¡±


    Gu Ruyi subconsciously touched her face, ¡°Is it?¡±


    She had been using the ointment Gu Yi had brought back from the south twice a day for over a month. When she saw Xie Xun, she was already used to not wearing a veil, so she didn¡¯t feel anything at all. ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t believe me, ask servant maid. Previously, it was dark red, but now it has turned light red. ¡±


    Saying that, she called her two close servant maid over. Seeing that, Shuang Ying and Shuang Lu nodded their heads in agreement.


    Gu Ruyiughed: ¡°Seems like that medicine has an effect.¡±


    She had originally given up, but she didn¡¯t expect that the birthmark would be a little lighter. She was more or less happy.


    It¡¯s just that we haven¡¯t been able to treat it for so many years, can it be cured this time? She thought for a moment. It was best not to have too much hope.


    On the day he went to the Treasure Elephant Temple to burn some incense, Gu Ruyi had not been able to find Xie Xun for a long time. She thought that she had identally lost her and was just walking around anxiously when Xie Rong said that he had found her.


    She heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°As long as you can find her¡­ Where did she go? I couldn¡¯t find her after a while. ¡±


    Xie Rong paused, ¡°I have something to talk to her, so I called her away.¡±


    After saying that, he fell silent.


    Gu Ruyi did not know what she was feeling guilty about, and did not dare to meet his gaze. She pointed to a direction, ¡°I¡¯m going over there, thank you Young Noble for taking my leave.¡± With that, she left.


    However, when she lifted her head, she discovered that she was heading in the direction of the maple woods.


    Xie Rong was still at the back, so turning back at this time was absolutely out of the question. Otherwise, if he saw that Xie Rong wasughing at him, she could only bite the bullet and continue walking forward. The further they walked, the more remote the road became. Walking out of the backyard of the Precious Elephant Temple, on their left and right were the overgrown camphor trees. They followed a tree-lined path, and not far in front of them were the maple leaves.


    She only brought one servant maid with her. As the twodies walked on this remote road, they were still a little timid.


    No one could say for sure.


    The servant maid swallowed her saliva: ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t we go back ¡­ ¡­¡±


    Just as Gu Ruyi had that intention, he regretteding over alone a long time ago. He nodded and prepared to return, but unexpectedly, he suddenly heard the rustling of leaves behind him, startling her! She looked behind her in shock. Just as she was about to ask for help, she saw Xie Rong calmly walking out from the back, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Gu Ruyi¡¯s heart became calmer, and he calmed down as he asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Xie Rong looked at her and said, ¡°Even though this ce is not far from the Treasure Elephant Temple, it is not safe on the mountain. Is Miss Gu not afraid of any dangering here by herself? ¡±


    These words struck right into Gu Ruyi¡¯s heart, she nodded and said: ¡°Many thanks for Young Noble¡¯s reminder, I will be going back now.¡±


    However, when he passed by Xie Rong, he suddenly called out to her: ¡°Why are you hiding from me?¡±


    Gu Ruyi stiffened and tilted her head to look: ¡°Where did youe up with this?¡±


    Looking from this direction, it just so happened to be possible to see half of her face without a birthmark. It was bright and wless, and her eyes were bright. She was a rare beauty. Xie Rong¡¯s lips curved upwards. Still pretending to be stupid at this time, did she think he was blind? Even a blind person would be able to sense such an obvious evasion. He did not beat around the bush and directly said, ¡°I do not have any ill intentions towards you, nor do I have any evil intentions towards you. You do not have to hide from me at all times.¡±


    Gu Ruyi was embarrassed, why did it seem like she was being sentimental too much?


    Since the words have already been spoken, there¡¯s no need to hide anymore. She continued, ¡°Thank you for misunderstanding, Young Master. It¡¯s just that men and women are different, so getting too close to each other is always a misunderstanding. ¡± He paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°The previous incident at Princess He Yi was my fault. If I didn¡¯t make Yao An misunderstand, you wouldn¡¯t have been punished by His Majesty. I have a guilty conscience, and I don¡¯t know how topensate.¡±


    Xie Rong remained calm, ¡°It¡¯s already been a long time, you don¡¯t have to keep it in your heart.¡±


    She nodded, then smiled at him in relief.


    After the finish talking left, Xie Rong watched her walk off into the distance, and not long after, she too, left.


    Xie Rong was in the Military Department, and his career was smooth sailing. The new emperor took his power seriously and knew that he had been at the border for a period of time. He had tidied up the people and built the city walls. It just so happened that there had been some trouble at the border recently. There was a group of pirates scurrying about, disturbing the people there. His Majesty sent him to the border to deal with the situation there before returning.


    This trip would take another year or so.


    Madam Leng couldn¡¯t bear to part with him. He had prepared all the greetings for the four seasons, and had instructed him on the way here non-stop that everything would disappear and that he wouldn¡¯t be injured. Xie Rong answered and then said: ¡°If there¡¯s a suitabledy over there, bring it back for me to take a look ¡­¡±


    Madam Leng was worried about his marriage. She had nned to find a wife for him this year, but she hadn¡¯t thought that she would have to dy her journey for a long time. She thought about it and decided to find one at the border. As long as he liked it, he would not ask for anything else.


    Xie Rongughed helplessly: ¡°I understand, Mother.¡±


    After leaving capital, he came to the border. This ce was much more miserable than the capital. Xie Rong had lived here for a period of time, so he could be considered to be used to it. The food here was mostly pancakes, the dishes were light, even someone like Xie Rong who didn¡¯t care about food would lose weight after a few months.


    He had never mentioned this in his letter home. If others could bear the hardships of living at the border, why couldn¡¯t he?


    However, three monthster, a package was sent from capital.


    When the soldiers brought the package to his tent, he opened it and looked inside. In addition to his clothes for the winter, there were some homemade jerky. Looking at the clothes, every stitch and thread seemed to have been stitched by him. The stitches were fine and the lines were exquisite.


    He asked the soldier, ¡°Do you know who sent it?¡±


    The soldier replied: ¡°I only know that it¡¯s from the capital. I don¡¯t know about anything else.¡±


    Besides his mother, who else could it be?


    He smiled and said to the soldier, ¡°You can leave.¡±


    He subconsciously thought that it was a gift from Madam Leng, so he did not pursue the matter further. He put away the clothes in his bag and handed the dried meat to the kitchen.


    From then on, things came every other month.


    It was either dried meat that he had cooked himself or dried salted fish and dried fruits and pickled radishes. It could be seen that the technique was not very proficient. Sometimes it tasted good, sometimes it tasted strange, but it was done very diligently. After half a year, the taste was already very good.


    Could it be that Mother made it herself?


    He had wanted to write and ask, but he had been too busytely to remember it every time he finished writing home. Once when he mentioned that the soy sauce was very tasty, he asked Madam Leng how she did it. However, Madam Leng didn¡¯t answer, as if he didn¡¯t know anything about it. He was about to write a letter to ask more questions when the pirates outside the city barged in and injured a few civilians. He got up and went out to take care of the matter, so he put the matter on hold.


    When he returned to capital once more, it was already autumn of next year.


    On the way back, he stopped for a month to travel back to the capital. His Majesty personally received him at the pce and asked him a few questions before letting him go home.


    Madam Leng and Xie Liqing immediately weed him back to their residence, asking him how he was, and getting him ready for business.


    Xie Rong rested at home for two days. Suddenly, he remembered the package that would be sent to him every month at the border.


    Madam Leng was even more surprised than him, ¡°What pickled meat?¡±


    He stared nkly for a moment, then told her everything that had happened this year, ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever sent me dry clothes?¡±


    Madam Leng shook her head, not wanting to hide anything, ¡°You never told me about how life was over there, even if I wanted to send it to you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to send it back ¡­ ¡­¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t his mother, then who could it be?


    He frowned, puzzled.


    It was not difficult to investigate this matter, as every single item sent to the army could be traced. He had his men investigate who in the capital had delivered things to the border, and what they had sent. In less than three days, a detailed list had been sent to him.


    He checked them one by one, his eyes fixed on a name.


    That was a servant maid of the Gu family.


    Xie Rong returned from the border, and after getting some free time, he personally paid a visit to the Gu Estate. It was supposed to be a visit to Gu Yi, but it was actually to get to the bottom of it.


    Gu Yi greeted him and invited him to the room.


    After a year of not seeing each other, the two of them were still the same as before. After Xie Xun married Zhong Shang, although Gu Yi felt regret for a while, he quickly recovered. Now that neither of them had a wife, they both felt sorry for the other.


    Xie Rong casually asked: ¡°Is your sister engaged?¡±


    Gu Yi took a sip of tea and said, ¡°Not yet. This year, I¡¯ve been busy showing her the birthmark on her face, which has dyed her marriage.¡±


    He did not ask any further questions. Seeing that it was gettingte, he got up and bid farewell.


    Gu Yi wanted to send him to the door, but he refused. He walked out of the courtyard. From Gu Yi¡¯s bamboo garden to the front yard, he would definitely pass by Gu Ruyi¡¯s courtyard. He paced slowly, pausing for a moment outside the courtyard.


    servant maid¡¯s voice came from the courtyard: ¡°Miss, why did the embroidery you didst time disappear?¡±


    After a long while, Gu Ruyi said, ¡°I threw it out yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Why did you throw it away? You¡¯ve been embroidering for three days, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. ¡±


    She dejectedly said, ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Xie Rong did not move, no expression could be seen on his face. He thought of the clothes he wore at the border, there was a cloak with persimmon patterns embroidered on it, he thought it was personally embroidered by Madam Leng, could it be ¡­


    Just as he was about to go in and ask, he heard another voice from inside, ¡°Miss, the dried fish you told me to dry previously were ready. Do you want it to be brought into the kitchen?¡±


    Gu Ruyi thought for a while, ¡°Take it in and let the people in the kitchen divide it.¡±


    servant maid made an ¡®oh¡¯ as if he still had a question he wanted to ask. After hesitating for a while, he could not help but ask: ¡°Are you not sending me to the border?¡±


    The servant maid s by Gu Ruyi¡¯s side were all her trusted aides, and grew up together with her. There were some things that could not be hidden from them, so they might as well not hide them anymore.


    Gu Ruyi smiled as he looked over. She wasn¡¯t wearing a veil, and her face waspletely white and crystal clear. ¡°The red birthmark that apanied her for more than ten years disappeared without a trace under the corner of her eyes. Looking at it now under the sunlight, it looked like it had transcended the mortal world and was iparably beautiful.¡± Since they are all back, what else is there to send them off? ¡±


    servant maid made an ¡®oh¡¯ and turned around. Just as he was about to go do something, he saw the person standing at the door with the corner of his eyes and immediately became scared out of his wits!


    ¡°Thank, thank you¡­¡±


    Xie Rong walked out of the door expressionlessly, staring straight at Gu Ruyi who was sitting on thedy couch, ¡°He¡¯s back, why can¡¯t he send you off?¡±


    Gu Ruyi was stunned, she did not expect him to suddenly appear.


    When did hee to the manor? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell him? Did he go over to big brother¡¯s ce?


    Just as he was thinking, Xie Rong walked forward two steps, ¡°Is that the package you sent me?¡±


    Before she could answer, he asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Gu Ruyi could not answer, and grabbed the curtain hat beside her and put it on her head. If she did not see his face, she would not feel that much pressure. She turned around and walked into the house, ¡°There¡¯s no reason. I heard from Big Brother that you had a hard time there, and on ount of your good rtionship with Big Brother, I asked the chef to make a few things and send them over. Young Master Xie, please go back. This is the inner courtyard, you shouldn¡¯t stay here for long. ¡±


    Xie Rong suddenlyughed, and his expression became clear and peaceful, ¡°Chef? Where did you get such a bad cook? ¡±


    These words unquestionably stabbed at Gu Ruyi¡¯s sore spot, only to see her turn her head and re at him fiercely, even through the veil, she could sense her anger.


    ¡­ ¡­. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, and you even eat everything that¡¯s bad about your cooking!


    Xie Rong stubbornly asked: ¡°Why do you have to waste so much effort?¡±


    He knew that she had personally made it. Why would ady like Jiao not touch the Yang Spring Water on his behalf?


    Gu Ruyi was stunned. She did not know if it was because of the zing sun above her head or because his question was too straightforward, but her face slowly turned hot. His eyes shed as he avoided Luo Yuan¡¯s gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore.¡±


    If she knew why, she wouldn¡¯t be so guilty.


    When he first knew he was going to the border, he had suddenly sat in the carriage and silently followed him all the way until he had left the city. She felt that there was something wrong with her. She avoided him, but secretly cared about him. Even when he went to work at the border, she was always concerned about him.


    She had secretly sent him something behind her parents¡¯ back. She didn¡¯t need him to know who she was, as long as he received it.


    Although the marinated meat was not personally made by her, it was still personally seasoned. He didn¡¯t know if he liked it or not, so he was very nervous every time he gave it away. And the clothes, she sewed up, and for a while her eyes went blurry, but she wondered if he was there, freezing.


    It was silly to think about it now. How could he be cold? Madam Leng had prepared countless clothes for him.


    Gu Ruyi was both conflicted and vexed. Day after day, she finally saw through her own state of mind in this dilemma.


    She was grateful to Xie Rong, admired him, and admired him even more.


    She liked Xie Rong.


    From the moment he saved her on the day of the Lantern Festival.

 Chapter 134 (The End)

    <h4>Chapter 134 (The End)</h4>


    ¡°Mother, where is my wooden sword?¡±


    A small figure rushed in from outside with a beautiful face as he asked aggressively.


    Xie Rong and Gu Ruyi had wedding ceremony yesterday, so people of Duke Dingguo¡¯s Mansion stayed up veryte to host. When Xie Zhen came back, it was alreadyte in the night, and Yan Yu had even pressed her down for a while before they fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.


    They woke upte in the morning, and the moment she heard Yan Su¡¯s voice and opened her eyes, she saw a huge head buried in her chest. She was panicking as she pushed Yan Yu away and walked out from the private room while tidying up her clothes. Her cheeks were red and her eyes watered up. Even though she was already twenty-two, she was still as delicate as a teenage girl. She looked at the little boy at the door, squatted in front of him and asked: ¡°What do you want the wooden sword for? Didn¡¯t I tell you that it would hurt? ¡±


    This little boy was precisely Yan Su who was five or six years old. Although he was called Yan Su, it actually didn¡¯t match his name at all. Of the two children, he was the most boisterous one. (Note: Yan Su in Chinese means being serious.)


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he still wanted to find his wooden sword. The wooden sword was a gift from Yan Yu when he was one year old. Once, he identally hurt Yan Jin when he was ying and from then on, Xie Zhen would not allow him to y again. Why did he suddenly look for it?


    Yan Su was furious. He pursed his lips that were exactly the same as Yan Yu¡¯s, and said angrily: ¡°Yan Song came over again! He is pestering Ah Jin, I will beat him and drive him away! ¡±


    When Xie Zhen heard this, she burst outughing.


    Yan Song was the first son of the current Emperor Yan Tao and Empress Ling. He was a year younger than Yan Su and Yan Jin, and he was born with a pretty and cute face with red lips and white teeth. Yan Song liked to entangle his older sister Yan Jin, who was a year older than him, and followed behind Yan Jin like a small tail. This made Yan Su very unhappy, and made him feel that his younger sister was about to be robbed, so every time Yan Song came to visit him, he would act as if he was facing a great enemy and would immediately kick him out with a face full of dislike.


    This time, he didn¡¯t know how Yan Song had angered him, but even the wooden sword was about to be taken out!


    Xie Zhen coaxed him, ¡°Where are Ah Jin and Xiang¡¯er?¡±


    Yan Su pouted, ¡°Flying a kite in backyard.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    He held his head high and puffed out his chest. ¡°I¡¯m the elder brother, I don¡¯t y with children!¡±


    Xie Zhen eximed, she really wanted to rub his head. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t going to y with them, then why did you chase Cousin Song away?¡±


    He stopped talking, hesitated for a while, then opened his arms and threw himself into Xie Zhen¡¯s embrace, ¡°He took A¡¯Jin.¡±


    He and Yan Jin were twins. They were born together, learned how to talk together, learned how to walk together, and so on. He listened to his mother and left all the good things to his sister, who was his favorite girl. But one day, suddenly, there was an exmation of respect and obedience from the middle of the room. Of course he felt threatened, it was the sister he had loved since he was a child, so why should he give her away?


    So he had always been at odds with Yan Song. So what if he was a prince? He used a wooden sword to knock him down!


    Xie Zhen smiled and said, ¡°Ah Jin will always be your sister. Others can¡¯t take her away.¡±


    Really? Yan Su was confused. He wanted to ask why, but when he saw Yan Yu behind Xie Zhen, he immediately called him ¡°Daddy¡± with a smile.


    This ¡°father¡­¡± Just as he finished speaking, he stopped. It was because the expression on Yan Yu¡¯s face wasn¡¯t good.


    Yan Su hugged Xie Zhen even more tightly and asked fearfully, ¡°Is Daddy angry?¡±


    Xie Zhen said: ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about him.¡±


    Yan Yu pursed her lips. Being ignored by her, her resentment for not being able to eat enough in the morning became even worse.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Yan Su disturbing them, the two of them could have been bored to the point where it waste in the morning. In the past few years, Xie Zhen had grown even more plentiful, mainly on his chest and buttocks. His body that had given birth to a child was tender and soft, he loved it so much that he would often eat it multiple times a night.


    Yan Yu was now living his own life, free and unfettered. He did not even need to go to the imperial court for a few days, and every month he would receive his official sry. With nothing to do, he spent all his energy on tormenting Xie Zhen. Sometimes, he would be so angry that he would be forced to sleep in the study room at night, while she would hug her son and daughter and sleep together. Yan Yu had thought that ever since he had a child, Xie Zhen¡¯s heart would no longer be with him, and seeing that, he became even more jealous. However, it was not good to vent his anger on the children, so he could only silently hold it in in, and hold it in until his face turned ck.


    Yan Su blinked his watery eyes, released Xie Zhen, walked up to Yan Yu and grabbed the jade pendant on his waist, raised his head and said: ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯m not taking the wooden sword anymore.¡±


    Yan Yu bent over and hugged him, ¡°You want this wooden sword?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Daddy, do you want to give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Why did you take the wooden sword?¡±


    He looked determined. ¡°I want to fight Yan Song!¡±


    He dared to steal his sister? He must be tired of living!


    Yan Yu patted his head, looked at Xie Zhen, then looked at Yan Su, ¡°I¡¯ll give you two wooden swords, you guys go y in backyard, and don¡¯te back until you can determine the victor, alright?¡±


    His eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡±


    Yan Yu nodded, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    Xie Zhen disagreed, ¡°They will be injured! How can you teach a child that way? ¡±


    Seeing Yan Yu teaching the child to the wet nurse and even taking out two wooden swords from the study room to give to him, Xie Zhen was immediately enraged, she shouted ¡°Yan Su¡± and was about to chase him. Yan Su carried the two wooden swords and ran away quickly, leaving Xie Zhen behind.


    Xie Zhen was so angry that he almost died, as she continued to punch and hit Yan Yu, ¡°Quickly go and catch him and bring him back!¡±


    With great difficulty, Yan Yu sent the child away. At the moment, he was wearing a rxed and rxed body, which no one could disturb, ¡°With mother here, everything will be fine.¡±


    Xie Zhen disagreed, ¡°What if something happens? Who can say for sure? ¡±


    In the end, it was only because Xie Zhen threatened to not chase after Yan Su and never let him get close to her that he reluctantly agreed. In the end, he even shamelessly pointed at his own face and said, ¡°Kiss me.¡±


    Xie Zhen cursed him in her heart. He was so old and still liked to y such tricks. Inwardly unwilling, she still tiptoed and pecked him on the cheek, ¡°Is it okay?¡±


    He turned his head and pointed to the right side of his face.


    Xie Zhen grinded her teeth as she red at him. She kissed him fiercely this time, then bit on his face and was about to leave when she was held by his head and kissed him deeply. His tongue had even been bitten off. Xie Zhen¡¯s face was red, in the end, it was not as thick as his skin, it was too embarrassed to act intimate in broad daylight, ¡°Go quickly!¡±


    Although this kiss could not bepared to just eating her once, it was better than nothing. Yan Yu was satisfied. He kissed the top of her head and walked towards backyard.


    By the side of the backyard¡¯s Lotus Pond, Yan Su was standing on top of a t rock with a serious expression on his face.


    The one below was a pink and one blue little person. The one wearing the pink dress was Yan Jin, who looked just like a jade doll in a picture when he was young. The one wearing the royal blue robe was the current First Prince Yan Song, who was slightly smaller than them tomorrow. However, he was surrounding Yan Jin without moving an inch away from him, his head shaking like a rattle, ¡°No, I want to fly a kite with Cousin A Jin.¡±


    Yan Su was so angry that smoke wasing out from his head, ¡°How old are you, for you to still want to fly a kite? There are so many pce maids apanying you, why are you here? ¡±


    This was a bit unfair for Yan Song. He had just turned four this year, so he didn¡¯t fly a kite. Was he going to y polo with him? He didn¡¯t bring him.


    Yan Su curled his lips. ¡°The pce maids are not as beautiful as Cousin Jin.¡±


    Yan Su rolled his eyes. Of course his sister was good-looking, but what did it have to do with him? ¡°No matter what, you have to go back today!¡±


    As he said this, he threw the wooden sword in his hand towards him, ¡°Or we can duel. If you win, I¡¯ll let you stay.¡±


    was half a head taller than Yan Song, and while it was fine to hold a wooden sword, it was a little too big for Yan Song. He stared at the wooden sword for a while. In order not to be driven away, he could only stagger forward to pick up the wooden sword. He solemnly nodded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As the main host of the topic, Yan Jin was not the least bit interested in their conversation. While the two of them were talking, she sat in the octagonal pavilion and took out a book from her book, looking at it with interest. She had apletely different personality from Yan Su. The more Yan Su moved, the calmer she became.


    Xie Zhen had always wondered just who Yan Jin was like. She and Yan Yu both did not have this kind of personality, and after thinking for a long time, he finally recalled that he looked the most like Xie Rong!


    He heard from Madam Leng that Xie Rong had been like this since he was young.


    However, Yan Jin was not always like this, she was cold to outsiders, but was very passionate to her family, and especially liked Xie Zhen. Only when she faced him did she sweetly call him ¡°Mother¡±, which made Xie Zhen¡¯s heart melt.


    When Yan Yu and her husband came over, they just happened to see the three of them. Yan Su and Yan Song were fighting by the Lotus Pond as Yan Jin quietly read his book. The servant maid could not stop them, but they were afraid that they would hurt themselves, so they panicked and did not know what to do.


    The Esteemed wangfei was here. It was as if she had found her savior as she said to the two little fellows, ¡°Little Prince of young master, quickly stop fighting. The Esteemed wangfei is here!¡±


    The two little fellows immediately stopped. Because Yan Su retracted his hand so fiercely, his body became unsteady and he swayed a little, about to fall into the lotus pond. Yan Yu hurriedly went forward to catch him, and fished him out of the air. With a frown, he warned, ¡°This ce is dangerous, you¡¯re not allowed to cause trouble here next time.¡±


    Xie Zhen rushed over quickly. Seeing that his son was alright, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yan Su was bold, lively and moving, he was not afraid at all, in fact, he was not satisfied: ¡°Daddy, Daddy praised me, I won!¡±


    Yan Yu looked at him, ¡°Yan Song is one year younger than you, what¡¯s the glory in winning?¡±


    He was like a deted ball, listless.


    Fortunately, the two children were uninjured and their faces were covered in dirt. It was obvious that they had fallen to the ground quite a few times. Xie Zhen took out handkerchief and helped the two of them wipe their faces, then asked Yan Song: ¡°Hui¡¯er, since you like Cousin Jin so much, can you be my son?¡±


    Xie Zhen gave birth to two babies for the first time of pregnancy. After that, Yan Yu didn¡¯t dare to let her be pregnant again, and would also take her out when the time was of the utmost importance. Now, in the past five years, her body was more or less healed, and she wanted to have another child. However, she was afraid of pain and didn¡¯t tell Yan Yu about it. She could tell that Yan Yu also wanted another one, but he didn¡¯t want her to feel any pain, so she was still hesitant.


    She said this just to tease Yan Zhaoge, to see how he would react.


    Who knew that before Yan Song could say anything, Yan Su had already disagreed, ¡°No, no! How could Aunt take him? Mother and Jin are both mine! ¡±


    Yan Yu pinched his small face, and corrected him: ¡°Your mother is mine.¡±


    The father and son duo fought each other day in and day out, but they were not bored with it either.


    Yan Zongsheng was shy. The only bold thing he did was to be Yan Jin¡¯s little tail. Upon hearing this, his face turned red, ¡°father said that I like Cousin A¡¯Jin, I can marry her in the future.¡±


    Yan Yu shouted from the side, ¡°Dream on!¡±


    How old are these two children? Do they know what it means to marry a wife? What did Yan Tao usually teach him?


    Xie Zhen did not know whether tough or cry. He rubbed his head and stood up, not putting the words in his heart.


    In the octagonal pavilion, when Yan Jin saw his father and mothering over, he put down the book and quickly rushed towards them.


    Xie Zhen caught her, andughed: ¡°What are you so happy about?¡±


    ¡°I dreamt of Mother yesterday, and I missed you this morning when I woke up!¡±


    Xie Zhen asked curiously, ¡°What did you dream of?¡±


    She said, ¡°I dreamt that my mother gave birth to another little brother, and that he didn¡¯t love me and my brother anymore.¡±


    Xie Zhen found it funny andforted her: ¡°Even if you have a little brother, you and Yan Su are still father and mother¡¯s good treasures.¡±


    She quickly asked ¡°Really? Really?¡± with an extremely cute look. Xie Zhenughed as he nodded his head to tell the truth.


    Not long after, a carriage arrived at the pce. The emperor and Empress Ling personally brought the young prince back to the pce. Yan Tao¡¯s foundation had gradually stabilized in these past few years. Every time he thought of what he had done to Yan Jin, he felt extremely guilty. He was especially interested in her and would always give her gifts that she liked, causing others to feel extremely envious.


    It was probably his idea to incite Yan Song to marry Yan Jin ¡­ Yan Yu snorted coldly, his n was to p himself against the ground, he would not let him do as he pleased so easily.


    Want to marry his daughter?


    He needed to work harder.


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